September is here, and while Charlotte’s temperatures may not yet feel like fall, the region’s arts calendar is starting to look like it.
This month brings a packed slate of concerts, shows and festivals, including several performances marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
For our September edition of First Friday Arts, WFAE’s Nick de la Canal is joined by WFAE Program Director Joe Kendrick; Lawrence Toppman, critic at large for The Charlotte Ledger; and WFAE Director of Community Engagement Rubie Britt-Height.
Joe’s picks
Lucinda Williams @ Carolina Theatre (Sept. 26)
Joe’s first pick is acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, who brings her band to the Carolina Theatre on Sept. 26.
Williams has spent decades blending rock, blues, folk and country, and helped define the Americana genre with albums including 1998’s “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.”
“She’s still the torchbearer for so much roots music today,” Joe says.
Williams has also staged a remarkable comeback after suffering a stroke in 2020 that impaired her ability to walk and play guitar.
Breakaway Music Festival @ zMAX Dragway (Sept. 25-26)
For electronic music fans, Joe points to Breakaway Music Festival, which returns to zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sept. 25 and 26.
The touring festival brings two days of electronic dance music to the speedway, along with multiple stages, large LED displays and a silent disco.
“All you dancers, ravers — if you like electronic dance music, EDM, this is a big deal,” Joe says.
This year’s lineup includes Tiësto, Chris Lake, Beltran, Cassian and dozens of other artists.
Molly Tuttle and Daniel Donato @ TD Amp Ballantyne (Sept. 25)
For something completely different that same weekend, Joe recommends Molly Tuttle and Daniel Donato, who are performing at TD Amp Ballantyne on Sept. 25.
Tuttle is a Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter who emerged from the bluegrass world and has increasingly branched into other sounds. She’s also an advocate for people with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss.
Joe says Tuttle has become an inspiration beyond her musicianship, particularly for young people and those who feel marginalized.
Daniel Donato, meanwhile, blends traditional country influences with the improvisational spirit of jam bands through a style he calls “cosmic country.”
Lawrence’s picks
Mozart’s Requiem @ Knight Theater (Sept. 11)
Several Charlotte arts organizations are marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks this month.
Lawrence recommends a special performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” at Knight Theater on Sept. 11, featuring the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Opera Carolina and the Charlotte Master Chorale.
Opera Carolina Principal Conductor Stefano Vignati will lead the performance.
“Come From Away” @ Theatre Charlotte (Sept. 11-Oct. 4)
For another reflection on Sept. 11, Lawrence recommends Theatre Charlotte’s production of “Come From Away.”
The Tony Award-winning musical tells the true story of thousands of airline passengers whose planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, after U.S. airspace closed on Sept. 11, 2001. Residents of the small Canadian community opened their homes to the stranded travelers, providing food, shelter and companionship amid the uncertainty.
The story has a personal connection for Lawrence, who was attending the Toronto International Film Festival when the attacks happened and found himself stranded in Canada.
“I had to remain there and was treated very well, with a lot of affection by Canadians,” Lawrence says. “So that’s a really meaningful musical for me.”
Theatre Charlotte’s production opens on Sept. 11 and runs through Oct. 4.
“I’m Gonna Marry You, Tobey Maguire” @ Warehouse Performing Arts Center (opens Sept. 25)
For something considerably less somber, Lawrence recommends the dark comedy “I’m Gonna Marry You, Tobey Maguire,” opening Sept. 25 at the Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius.
Set in 2004, when Maguire was at the height of his “Spider-Man” fame, the play follows a lonely 14-year-old girl who kidnaps the actor with plans to marry him.
“It’s not ‘Misery’ by Stephen King,” Lawrence jokes. “It’s a humorous take on this.”
Lawrence says the show is also a good excuse to discover the Warehouse, an intimate theater that he says can sometimes “slip under the radar but shouldn’t.”
Rubie’s picks
Sainted Trap Choir @ Carolina Theatre (Sept. 19)
Rubie recommends Charlotte’s own Sainted Trap Choir, which will perform “A Night Full of Wonder” at the Carolina Theatre on Sept. 19.
The group is known for blending gospel choir traditions with trap, hip-hop and R&B. Its September performance will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Stevie Wonder’s landmark album “Songs in the Key of Life.”
The choir, led by Dennis Reed Jr. and DJ Fannie Mae, has gained national attention through appearances on “America’s Got Talent” and its “Fantasy League” spinoff.
Rubie says the group continues to grow its following through its mix of music, dance and high-energy performance.
Don Lemon and D.L. Hughley @ Ovens Auditorium (Sept. 19)
Also happening Sept. 19 is “DL + DL: Anything Goes,” bringing former CNN anchor Don Lemon and comedian D.L. Hughley together at Ovens Auditorium.
The touring show combines conversation, politics, culture and comedy, with the two hosts riffing on current events and social issues.
“It’s basically an unfiltered night of conversation, of politics, of culture, of comedy,” Rubie says, adding that she’s heard positive reviews from people who have caught the show in other cities.
Festival of India @ Belk Theater and Tryon Street (Sept. 19-20)
Finally, Rubie recommends the 30th annual Festival of India, which takes over Belk Theater and parts of Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte on Sept. 19 and 20.
The two-day celebration showcases Indian culture through music, dance, food, art and other traditions, with activities geared toward families as well.
“They’ll be celebrating the traditional culture of India,” Rubie says, “and just a wonderful festive time for people with their family.”
