Shop for Charity Saturday at Belk

Ladies, you'll have a good excuse to shop this Saturday (fellas can go, too). Belk is holding a Charity Sale at its department stores nationwide to benefit local charities, schools, and nonprofit organizations. For a $5 donation, you'll receive a ticket to the sale from 6-10 a.m. for discounts ranging from 20 percent to 50 percent. You'll also receive $5 off your first purchase.


Participating local charities have been selling the $5 tickets since last Friday and they get to keep the proceeds from each ticket. You can also purchase tickets at Belk and those proceeds will be divided among the groups. Customers can also register to win one of three $1,000 Belk shopping sprees.

The last Belk Charity Sale, which was held in November, raised $4.5 million for nonprofit organizations around the country. The popularity of the event--and I would venture to say the need for a reason to bring shoppers back to the stores during this slowed economy--led to the department store chain holding this event again just six months later.

Belk, which is headquartered in Charlotte, has more than 300 stores in 16 states. There are seven stores in the Charlotte area. Click here for more details on the sale.

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Luckett and the 'Life'

In case you didn't know, LeToya Luckett was at Pop Life last night. I didn't make it out there. I thought about going, but it would've been just too painful.

See, LeToya is supposed to be my wife by now. Sure, I've never met her, but I had a crush on her that began when I was about 16. Destiny's Child burst onto the scene when I was in high school and at that time, LeToya was my favorite member of the group. Yes, Beyonce was always the leader and frontwoman of the group who did most of the singing, but I always had my eyes on Ms. LL. 

When she dropped out of Destiny's Child in 2000, I thought "Yes, now she can devote more time to us." And even though she was off the scene for a few years, our relationship never materialized. She hit the scene again in 2006 with the release of her debut solo album, and I started to realize then that she wouldn't have time for us. It was good to see her again, though.

Now she's on a promo tour, which is what brought her to Charlotte yesterday, and she has a new album that's scheduled to be released this summer. She was on The Morning Maddhouse on Power 98 yesterday morning (see the video below) and at Pop Life in the evening. 

LeToya Luckett greets a fan at Pop Life. Click here for more.

I tout Pop Life often on this blog because it's the best event going on a Wednesday night in Charlotte, and the organizers, Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen, do a great job of keeping it fresh. There are different forms of entertainment and various organizations involved each week, and recording artists dropping in has become more frequent (J. Holiday was there in March). A weekly event can easily get stale, but this series has been going strong each week at Apostrophe Lounge since September, and not to mention all the months it ran at Loft 1523 last year and at Prevue before that.

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Simplified Competes for Top Five in Band Contest

Popular Charlotte rock band Simplified has advanced to the top-10 round in the Fender Road Worn competition. The contest began in January with hundreds of bands from around the country entering. Online fan votes have advanced them through four rounds. In this round, fan votes will be paired with the votes from expert judges and five of these 10 remaining bands will advance to the finals. Up for grabs are a new Toyota Tundra, a band's worth of instruments and equipment, and $15,000 cash.

You can vote for Simplified until May 11. Click here to visit their page on the contest website. Below is the video for "Home," the song they entered into the competition.

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No Jada-Charlotte Connection

If you've been watching TNT lately, you've likely seen the commercials for Jada Pinkett Smith's new show HawthoRNe, which is set to premiere in June. Yes, this is the same show that when it was initially announced as a pilot last year was titled Time Heals. But that's not the only change.

The plot for the show was originally described as being about "Nancy Hawthorne, a strong but caring director of nursing at Charlotte Mercy Hospital in North Carolina, a single mother who always puts the pain of others first." I was excited (I previously blogged about it here and here) because I thought Charlotte was going to get some shine. I was even corresponding with Smith's publicist early last month about a potential magazine interview. But the show no longer has ties to the Queen City. The setting for the show now "takes place at Richmond Trinity Hospital in Richmond, Va., where the strong-but-caring director of nursing, Christina Hawthorne continuously fights battles she often knows she won’t win, " according to TNT. Booooo! Charlotte, and our real-life Mercy Hospital, would've been a better backdrop.

But I understand that elements of TV shows usually change from the pilot stage to the time they air. And those changes, in the minds of the show's producers and directors and the studio executives, are often for the better. I easily commend Smith, who's executive producing the show, and crew for two things: HawthoRNe is a much better name for the show--I especially like how they emphasize the RN--and Christina is a more fitting name for a character with her beauty.

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Events for the Week: April 27-May 3

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, April 29

Quail Hollow Championship Pro-Am
See the best golfers in the world paired up with some of your favorite celebrities, like Tiger Woods with Peyton Manning, during this Wednesday exhibition before the official tournament starts. First tee time is 7:30 a.m. Ticket sales have ended (go holler at the scalpers). Visit website for parking and shuttle information. Quail Hollow Club, 3700 Gleneagles Rd. www.quailhollowchampionship.com.

Neo Soul Listening Party (weekly event)
This soulful evening is hosted by V101.9 personality Chirl Girl. Featuring live music by Kobi Keys and Company. 6-10 p.m. Free. Utopia Restaurant, 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. www.utopianc.com.

Pop Life (weekly event)
It’s the most popular social networking event on a Wednesday night and a lot is going on with this week’s edition. It’s being hosted by R&B singer Letoya Luckett and will feature presentations by Flawless Make Up (6-9 p.m.). This event will also serve as a “Buzz Party” for the American Black Film Festival. Music 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, April 30

Quail Hollow Championship
Thursday through Sunday you’ll find the best golfers in the world—Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Anthony Kim, Jim Furyk, and more—competing in this annual golf tournament, formerly known as the Wachovia Championship. First tee time is 7 a.m. Ticket sales have ended (go holler at the scalpers). Visit website for parking and shuttle information. Quail Hollow Club, 3700 Gleneagles Rd. www.quailhollowchampionship.com.

Alive After Five (weekly event)
The newly combined Alive After Five is now at its new home, the EpiCentre. Enjoy live music by this week’s band, Voltage Brothers, and plenty of drinks from cash bars scattered throughout. Wristbands get you into Blackfinn, Whisky River, Suite, and StrikeCity. 5-9:30 p.m. Free. Pavilion at EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.aliveafterfiveatepicentre.com.

Thirsty Thursday
Watch the Charlotte Knights take on the Syracuse Chiefs while you enjoy $2 beers. 7:15 p.m. $7-$13. Charlotte Knights Stadium, 2280 Deerfield Dr., Fort Mill, SC. www.charlotteknights.com.

Friday, May 1

South End Gallery Crawl
Tour seven art galleries throughout historic South End during this monthly gallery crawl. Participating galleries are Charlotte Art League, Ciel Gallery, DoMa Gallery, Elder Art Gallery, Hidell Brooks Gallery, McColl Fine Art, and Siskate Gallery. 6-9 p.m. Free. Begin the crawl at Charlotte Art League, 1517 Camden Road. www.historicsouthend.com.

Friday Afterwork Rendezvous (weekly event)
End your workweek on a high note at this networking party, held at a different venue each Friday. Enjoy drink specials and two-for-one appetizers this week. Music by DJ 06. Presented by Talk of the Town. 6-11 p.m. Free. LaVecchia’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St.

Piedmont Town Center After Five
South Park's newest live music and social event kicks off this Friday evening with a special golf tournament edition. Come mingle with the fans leaving Quail Hollow as well as the South Park socialites. Next week the event begins its weekly Wednesday schedule (5-9:30 p.m.). This Friday is a later version, 7-11 p.m. Free. Piedmont Town Center, intersection of Fairview Road and Piedmont Row Drive, near Brio's, Del Frisco's, and Oceanaire. www.ptcafterfive.com.

1st Fridays Charlotte
It’s touted as the number one urban event and after-party, and it draws a large crowd each month at a different venue. This month it returns to one of Charlotte’s newest nightclubs. Presented by Dee Autry, Troy Veale, and Thomas Washington. Music by DJ Chase. Décor 1202, 1202 Charlottetowne Ave. 10 p.m. $15 in advance. Ladies free before 10:30. www.ticketannex.com.

Saturday, May 2

Spring Fling Block Party
Warm weather means it’s time for a block party. Plenty of drink specials and the music will be blasting into the streets around the club. 6 p.m.-until. $5 in advance, $15 at the gate. Music by DJ Boney B. Rustic Martini, 616 N. Tryon St. www.rusticmartini.net.

Carolina Speed vs. D.C. Armor
Enjoy indoor football and root for the home team. Or come just to watch the Velocity Girls perform on the sidelines and during halftime. 7 p.m. $8-$20. Bojangles’ Coliseum (formerly Cricket Arena), 2700 E. Independence Blvd. www.carolinaspeed.com.

The Royal Treatment
Put on your stylish digs and come ready to party. Presented by Maz Entertainment. 10 p.m. Free before midnight with an email pass—visit website for details. Blue Restaurant and Bar, 214 N. Tryon St. (corner of Fifth and College streets). www.mazentertainment.net.

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