It's time to look at the entertainment lineup for this weekend. It's the first weekend in March and there's a lot going on. There's a cool gallery opening, always great live music an open-mic poetry event and a film screening featuring Latin American film "Las Vegas." Learn about it and more on this edition of Weekend In Entertainment. Joining WFAE's "All Things Considered" host Gwendolyn Glenn is Matt Olin, co-founder of Charlotte Is Creative.
Gwendolyn Glenn: Welcome Matt.
Matt Olin: Hey, Gwen.
Glenn: Well, Matt the film "Las Vegas"is part of a film series featuring internationally acclaimed and award-winning Latin American films specially curated for the Queen City. Tell us about the movie and the series.
Olin: Yes, the Cine Casual Film Series is going to be screening the 2018 Argentinian film "Las Vegas," as you mentioned. It's about two 30-somethings who reconnect during summer vacation and they possibly meet the son they had together 18 years ago. So the film will be followed by a panel discussion by indie filmmaker Julie McElmurry. She is a self-taught documentarian guru and a creator of the Charlotte Unconventional Film School.
Glenn: When and where will this be?
Olin: That'll be on Saturday, March 7 at Camp North End, and the movie starts at 6 p.m.
Glenn: OK, let's go to live music night and open mic poetry at the Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary. Who's performing there and how will it roll out?
Olin: Well, you're going to be serenaded by Charlotte singer and community connector Anna Lucia Divins. And she'll be accompanied by a guitarist named Carlos Crespo. This deal is really passionate about inspiring greater awareness of Latino music and culture.
Glenn: And Matt, I understand this tea bar is a fairly new establishment?
Olin: Oh, yeah, it is a gorgeous new place where you can enjoy delicious herbal teas and other tasty treats during the day. It's designed to be a place where you can really unplug and unwind.
Glenn: What a day and time?
Olin: That'll be Friday at 6 p.m. There's no cover. You can bring your family and maybe a little tip money to thank the artists.
Glenn: Well, moving from tea to coffee, there is the Coffee and Conversation with Jeong & Choon Yun on Saturday at Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art.
Olin: That's right. I mean, Jeong and Choon are paper artists. They create these delicate and beautiful handmade paper works of art from the dock tree. On Saturday morning you can sip on some java, you know, chat with the artist, view their work, and even taken a short documentary film that outlines their process.
Glenn: What time?
Olin: 11 a.m. and it'll end at 12:15 p.m.
Glenn: And Matt on Sunday at the North County Regional Library. There's something called"Laundry Day Workshop - Be A Part of the Narrative." What exactly is this?
Olin: Well, airing out the "dirty" laundry -- and dirty is in quotes. It's this ongoing community art movement that was created by local mixed-media artist and educator Andrea Downs. And the project is a catalyst for all women's voices. So this Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., she's going to run a workshop with Shane Manier of Guerilla Poets. And women will be able to share their experiences of strength, injustice, exclusion, etc., through visual storytelling.
Glenn: Quite appropriate this being Women's History Month.
Olin: Yeah, that's exactly right. And what's amazing about this, too, is that after the works are created, they're going to be displayed on clotheslines at locations throughout Charlotte, throughout the country and at the Mint Museum uptown this summer.
Glenn: And back to art galleries this weekend. The Samba Social and Gallery Opening takes place. This is part of the North Carolina Brazillian arts project, right?
Olin: That's exactly right. The North Carolina Brazillian arts project works to share their passion for Brazillian movement of all kinds samba, samba-reggae, Afro-Brazilian, dance, percussion and more. So this Friday evening at Petra's over in Plaza Midwood, they're going to be hosting their first Samba Social of 2020. It'll have great live music and it will also double as the opening gallery reception for artists Elisa Marie Sanchez and Alice Hollerman.
Glenn: Let’s move to Miles Davis and his 1958 Milestones album. On Friday, a slew of great musicians will try and recreate it at the Bechtler.
Olin: That's right. When this album was recorded, it featured Miles Davis, along with Julian Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, John Coltrane, Red Garland. It's a collection of ingenious up-tempo blues tunes that were very much part of the hard-bop period in which it was recorded. So at the Bechtler, the Ziyad Jazz Quartet is going to perform selections from the album along with Ron Brendel, Kobie Watkins on drums, Lynn Grissett on trumpet, Sam King on the alto sax and Sean Higgins on piano.
Glenn: What time?
Olin: It'll be this Friday at 6 p.m. and another at 8:15.
Glenn: Before we leave I’d like to mention "A Sign of the Times" - 20th Annual Black History Concert on Saturday at Booth Playhouse featuring the West Side Cultural Arts Dance Troupe, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and many other special guests. They’ll be performing music ranging from Nigeria’s Fela Kuti to James Brown and Duke Ellington. Also, Marcus Jones performs Cannonball Adderly selections, tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Mallard Creek Recreation Center. Matt, thanks for being with us this week!
Olin: Well, thank you, Gwen.
Glenn: That's Matt Olin, co-founder of Charlotte Is Creative.
