NEWS
QCI Email Newsletters are available from the archives. Click HERE to access them.
Jan 8, 2007
Attention! Starting Friday, this site will begin redirecting to www.qcla.net, which will be the site for the new QCLA music blog. What does this mean? It means there will be more regularly updated content by myself and my Charlotte counterpart Fudgie The Whale (aka Chuck Daley). Fudgie recently was nominated as the best jibe column of 2006 by El Diablo at Creative Loafing, so I'd say that's a good start. So, stand by and prepare for awesomeness.
Dec 28, 2006
Did anyone catch the Christmas Story homage in my last news blurb? You should, it was on 12 times the other day. I watched it 3 times, which is a personal low actually. So, I wrote a new Featured Artist profile. Check that out. It's the first step on the road to recovery. I also manipulated my logo to make it more relevant to my situation. Thoughts? QCLA - Queen City Los Angeles - it's a mash-up by Negativland and McSleazy.
Please please please send me some news, insights, fresh bands, and commentary for the site. I want to do more with it and get a steady following. I won't even sell ads, ok? Enjoy your New Years!
Dec 22, 2006
I haven't forgotten you, I just don't know what the fudge (only I didn't say "fudge") to do with this site. I've got my head too far up my own arse to be able to really report on "breaking" music news or anything. I guess I'd like to do a show listing and maybe talk about new bands once a week or something. Unfortunately, I still have a boner for Silversun Pickups, this hotshit band from Silverlake. I saw them the other night and they were on Letterman a few weeks ago. Some people say they sound too much like old Smashing Pumpkins, but is that bad thing? Newer SP references would be a bad thing. Aight... Happy freakin' late December... I'll come atcha soon. Hopefully with a focused goal for this website. Does anyone even visit us anymore???
Dec 6, 2006
Where have I been??? I got out to LA a week or so ago and I've been settling in to my new job as a music publicist. LA is pretty friggin' great... it's like 80 degrees today and there are tons of great shows every night. I know those of you in Charlotte might be jealous. Don't worry... it might get better. I keep getting offered shows, but I just forward them to the clubs. Any risk takers wanna try booking? Let me know! I'll do a better follow up later.
Nov 13, 2006
The revolution will not be Tivo'd. Or will it? Make Believe was Saturday night and they were awesome like I knew they would be. Thanks to everyone who came out and rocked with me!
Nov 10, 2006
Is everyone rested up for Make Believe tomorrow? I'm been waiting on this show for like a year and a half. I know it's going to break the walls down at the Milestone. And my old man is driving down from New Hampshire, so I'm gonna bring him out with me. Let's blow it out and make him think that all the QCI shows are this crowded, huh? My last Milestone show ever... That's really sad to think about. The Milestone is my favorite hang out in Charlotte, hands down. Listen to Make Believe here will you?
Nov 8, 2006
Well, I just got back from LA last night. What a funny place LA is. I can't wait to move out there. I know I'm going to have a ton of fun, but it's going to be a bittersweet goodbye. Some things I'll miss a lot and some things I won't. Did you read about the end of QCI in Creative Loafing this week? It's online at Creative Loafing Online. As always, a special thanks to El Diablo for representing the home team. As I'm sure I've mentioned, this website will not be shutting down. Expect to see a blog and some good show listings for LA and Charlotte on here in the coming weeks. Our last two shows are this weekend (11/11) with Make Believe (Joan of Arc/Owls) and next weekend (11/17) with Cursive/Jeremy Enigk. After that I'm westbound... Please try to come out and support QCI if you have the time and cash! I'll need to you to buy a ticket so I can pay the bands and buy some gas. Sorta rhymes... a little. This update is in memory of my friend, Luke. I'll miss our PS2 boxing matches...
Nov 2, 2006
John Kerry said this. George Bush said that. I'm about to force my opinions on you, reader. Who gives a shit? I think we're all smart enough to know that a spin is a spin is a spin. Speaking of spin. Is anyone at CMJ this week? Am I the only one who seems to think that College Radio is dead as hell? I mean, as a current resident of Charlotte, NC I don't think I can get a college radio station without a broad-band Internet connection. And college charts? Sucka, please. Pip farting on a snare drum could chart on CMJ. Luckily, Pip ain't farting on no snare drum. Which brings me back... remember when Adam Sandler played second fiddle to schmucks like Brendon Frasier? Those were the days.
Oct 30, 2006
Admit it, you love the fancy red letters, right? Whatever. Sooo... Halloween Weekend came and went. I swung by the Suicide Girls show for a little while and as always, TsuShiMaMiRe were my favorite part of the whole show. I watched a couple minutes of the Suicide Girls and then left. There was some Single Cell sponsored show that I just had to get to at Tremont. Yeah, right... CarnEvil was Saturday night and was pretty good I hear, but I skipped out on that party to go see Running With Scissors. The movie was pretty good. It was really weird, but a true story, so that's even weirder. The weirdest part of the whole thing was seeing it at the Ballantyne Village Theatre. We got the nice reserved seats and thought that we'd have a nice comfortable seat with a nice view, surrounded by people who were really into the movie. Wrong. Dead wrong. During any scenes with even a smidgen of homoerotic content there was this good ole boy couldn't keep his fucking trap shut. He just had to establish his heterosexuality by being loud, snide and totally fucking rude. I'm sure his jubilance was enhanced by the beer they serve there as well. Then the woman next to me got a cell call and answered the damn phone in the middle of the theatre! These events happened within 3 seats of mine, so I'm sure it was going on all over the place where I couldn't see/hear. Stereotypcial Southern ignorance or run of the mill bourgeoisie bullshit? I dunno. But I suggest skipping this theatre unless they're playing Robocop 3 or some other brainless popcorn flick. Though, it's the only Carolina theatre playing American Hardcore, so I'd definitely head out for that one. We're going to be having an American Hardcore premier party in a couple weeks at the Milestone. More on that later.
Oct 27, 2006
Suicide Girls tonight @ Amos'!!! Are we stoked or what? With TsuShiMaMiRe opening we can't lose... don't worry about the rain you sissies! You can check out a cool article in today's Charlotte Observer about the Suicide Girls as well. Cheerio!
Oct 26, 2006
Last night was a busy one for me. I did an interview with Creative Loafing about QCI and Charlotte shows in general. I don't know what the spin is going to be, but I think it comes out Nov 8th, so that's good.
But, enough about me... was anyone at the Milestone last night for the Melvins? I swung by to check out the vibe and get some footage for the documentary and I have to say it was pretty awesome seeing a line out the door and scalpers selling tickets in the parking lot. You don't see that very much, but you should. It's such an awesome club and even with that many people the atmosphere was very friendly. I left early because I had to work, but I don't think there were any fights or shootings. This sort of blow out show needs to happen once a week at the Milestone, so start making a point to go there more often. It's the best club in town.
Now for some national music news... The Walkmen are releasing a CD entitled "Pussy Cats" Starring The Walkmen. It's a remake of the Harry Nilsson/John Lennon album. You should definitely check it out. It came out on Tuesday, I think. It's "the ultimate buddy record." Whatever that means.
Oct 24, 2006
I'm sick of ranting about jerks and talking about shows that I'm putting on. Instead I want to drop a little insider wisdom on you for a change. I'll leave out the cynicism and the self-congratulatory tone that I'm known for. I know I'm friggin' brilliant and years ahead of my time... if you aren't smart enough to see it then I'm not gonna waste my time telling you. Just kidding. So, check it. There's a new supergroup on the horizon from Gum Drop Island (AKA Canada) called Swan Lake. I said supergroup and I meant it. SL is a trio consisting of Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes, Daniel Bejar of Destroyer/New Pornographers and Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown. Who were you expecting, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Kid Rock? This is the real deal. Their new album, Beast Moans, is being released on Jagjaguwar in late November. The album was self-recorded in a secret layer and the songs are as spacial and distraught as the Microphones/Mt Eerie with the atypical lyricism of Neutral Milk Hotel and all the juiciest bits from Destroyer/Frog Eyes/Sunset Rubdown. The result is absurd and wonderful. So, check 'em out now before the hipsters are hip to 'em. OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
Oct 19, 2006
Does anyone know how to write a blog? I don't want to sit here and type a bunch of crap about stuff that no one is interested in. Oh, that's what a blog is?
There was going to be a really good show at the Milestone on Monday. It was Latterman, None More Black and No Trigger. Unfortunately, some little dipshit high schooler came up with a brilliant idea to steal the show from the Milestone and hold it at everyone's favortie all-ages venue. Which one? Avondale Presbyterian Church, man! Never heard of it? Not surpising. It's a real church and they don't really do a lot of shows there... needless to say, it's gonna blow. Bad sound, weird vibes and God hates punk, so there may be a plague of locusts. As much as I'd like to go this show and picket the little crapstick that thought stealing a show away from a venue that works so hard to entertain and inebriate us is a good idea. Well, it's not. And it's not all his fault either. A lot of the blame should rest on None More Black. They're the ones who took the offer and left their pals in the awkward situation to have to follow suit. I mean, they're on Fat Wreck Chords, so they have a little clout. That's such a dickhead practice that even a high school jam band should know better than to disrespect the only venue in a town with a history like the Milestone's (Mission of Burma, Black Flag, Minor Threat, et al.). Instead, let's skip the whole church social and go to the Milestone to listen to records and drink beer. Maybe 2013 Wolves will throw down a set. Rock on Ghetto Fortress. Piss on the little scab who fucked this show up. His name's Chris and his Myspace is www.myspace.com/laughingatdanger. Let him know what a dink he is. And let None More Black know that they're all dinks for pulling this crap. Cheerio.
Oct 9, 2006
So, there's only a couple more shows left. Xiu Xiu was last night and they were great. They played a good mix of new and old songs. Everyone had a great time and the band told me that they really love playing in Charlotte, so kudos to you. Not much else to report. The next show is Suicide Girls at Amos. That should be a fun one.
So, you know that I'm not going to be doing any more shows after Cursive in November. It's sad, but I'm also happy to move on and try some other things. I love Charlotte and I love booking shows, but I lose money on almost every show. I guess I was just a little too premature trying to do something in Charlotte that only works well in major markets like Philly, New York and Chapel Hill. ;) I will continue to run this site and help coordinate shows in Charlotte, but this site will mostly be a music blog and show listing for Charlotte and Silver Lake in Los Angeles. So, feel free to send me emails about shows and stuff and I'll write about them. Can't wait to see you at a few more shows!
Oct 5, 2006
And now some Q+A with Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart...
QCI: A lot of your promo pictures are pretty risky... lots of nudity and guns... naked cousins in the bathtub stuff. What do you have to say to people who think you're just going for shock value?
JS: F*CK YOU YOU F*CKING C*NTS I AM GOING TO STUFF MY RIFLE SHAPED C*CK UP YOUR DADDY'S DRIPPING MAN SLIT. I AM GOING TO FORCE HIM TO DRINK MY BLOODY C*M AFTER I CHOP MY OWN BALL OFF WITH THE SEVERED JAW OF YOUR INFANT NEPHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
QCI: Hmm... So, would you eat a vegan?
JS: If they had a hot ass. Is canibalism vegan? Does it only cover the nonoppression of domestic animals or are humans covered?
Thanks for stopping by. See this Sunday when Xiu Xiu plays Tremont Music Hall at 8pm.
Sept 28, 2006
I just found this great interview/article with Sunset Rubdown on Daytrotter.com. If you had any doubts of how cool they were this will solidify it - SR INTERVIEW.
Sept 27, 2006
OMG! Sunset Rubdown. Two days away. Female-fronted Japanese rockers TsuShiMaMiRe is performing with Suicide Girls in October again. They were fantastic last time, were they not??? What else? What else? I don't know. I'm manic about Friday. Sunset Rubdown is freakin' amazing, dontcha think? Then it's XIU XIU time!!! Oct 8 - it's a Sunday, but 'tis a long weekend, so it's like Friday Pt. 2. Yes? See you soon.
Sept 25, 2006
It's our pleasure to announce that The Album Leaf will be performing at the Neighborhood Theatre on October 30th. This should prove to be an excellent show. You might recognize them from The OC or maybe my iPod. And don't forget to come out this Friday for Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug when he appears with his outstanding "other project" Sunset Rubdown. Also appearing will be Beaver and Secondhand Stories... 'tis going to be a party like you wouldn't believe... beer, sweat and indie rock 'til like 2am.
Sept 18, 2006
Thank you all for making Band of Horses our first sell-out show! It was a ton of fun and I hope as many people will be able to enjoy Magnolia Electric Co. this Thursday. Jason Molina is a phenomenal songwriter and The Houstons are representing the QC. Breaking news: Jeremy Enigk was just added as tour support for Cursive on Nov. 17. If you're not familiar with Jeremy, then first let me slap you on the hand and then let me say 4 little words... Sunny Day Real Estate. Um... yeah. No shit. Lastly, Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade) will be coming in next week with his band of Canucks, hereby referred to as Sunset Rubdown. So good... Secondhand Stories provide local color. Ciao!!!
Sept 15, 2006
I just want to thank Courtney and the Observer for validating my existence today. It really means a lot. They mentioned QCI in an entertainment article... so if you haven't read it go read it HERE. See you tonight at Band Of Horses... you can come pat me on the back. I don't mind! Kidding.
Sept 13, 2006
Dear News, Sorry for neglecting you. It won't happen again. It probably will. Friday - Band of Horses w. Chad VanGaalen and Simon Dawes. I'm so excited! Some girls saw Simon Dawes' band photo in Lunchbox Records and is going because they think they're cute. How sweet is that? Next week is Magnolia Electric Co. and then Sunset Rubdown (members of Wolf Parade!) so this is a sparkling month. No news is good news, I guess. Visit our Myspace for cool additional content!
August 28, 2006
Can you believe it? Does it even frigging compute? Were you at Final Fantasy on Saturday? It was mindblowingly awesome, so I hope you didn't miss it. We had a great crowd and really great performers. It really made my weekend complete, so thanks to everyone who came out. Don't forget that my buddies Summerbirds in the Cellar are playing Milestone on Sept 5th with Chicago's Bound Stems. This will be an awesome show and won't bust your bank. It's probably like $6. Both bands are fantastic.
August 23, 2006
Cursive tickets are now on sale to the general public. They'll be going fast, so make sure to get yours early at www.etix.com or at Tremont Music Hall or Lunchbox Records.
August 22, 2006
CONTENT REMOVED TO PROTECT MY ASS. I'll talk about the Final Fantasy show tomorrow... it's gonna be wild!
August 12, 2006
It's official. QCI will present Cursive at Tremont in November. It's a few months away, but this is going to be a huge show. Tickets will be on sale for fan club members via Ducat King on Wednesday and general admission tickets will go on sale next Wednesday. The only confirmed support is The Cops from Seattle. Come out tomorrow to hear the new album!
August 4, 2006
I got the giveaway stuff from Saddle Creek last night. It's pretty awesome. You need to come out to the Cursive Happy Hollow listening party at the Spot on Pecan Ave on August 16th at 8pm sharp to get it. We'll be playing the new album in its entirety almost a week before the official release and I'll have 1/2 dozen promo copies to give away as well as stickers, pins, posters and mini-license plates! It's some really cool stuff, so come on out and enjoy. Then stick around for Say Hi To Your Mom, Bombadil and Hotwire Kids at 9pm! Who loves you, Charlotte?
August 1, 2006
It's the turn of a new month and I figured I had to drop a line. Not to brag, but I was at Pitchfork Fest this weekend in Chicago and I saw Sunset Rubdown and Band of Horses. They were both unbelievably awesome! I saw other great bands too, but none that are coming to Charlotte any time soon. Don't make any excuses, just come see those two bands... while I was in Chicago I had to actively decide which shows to skip in favor of another show. We don't have that in Charlotte, so if you're not going out to a great show every week then you're really not appreciating the music scene. We don't have a market like Chi-town or NYC and what we do have we tend to ignore. I'd easily spend $20 a night on tickets to shows if I lived in a big city, so $6 a night at the Milestone or $10-12 at a QCI show can't be too much can it? Let's band together and make this scene pop like some fratty's polo collar, eh!
July 24, 2006
It's mid-summer break for QCI. We're not doing another show until August 16th (Thank god for a break). In the meantime we're still adding new shows and tickets are still on sale for all the upcoming shows. I should really recommend getting early tickets for Band of Horses. They've been going fast. Also - I'd suggest getting early tickets for Final Fantasy, because there's a chance of this one selling out at the door. More on that later. Enjoy the cloudy weather and we'll see you soon!
July 14, 2006
So, we added shows with Band of Horses and Xiu Xiu yesterday. Can anyone argue that we're bringing the best indie shows to Charlotte? If you want to argue just give me a call. We also dropped tomorrow's show price to $8 at the door, so please come out and support these fantastic bands and this fantastic club. For a refresher, it's: The Late BP Helium (Bryan Poole of Elf Power/Of Montreal), Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices), Hotwire Kids (previously High School Speeding) and Black Congo, NC. The show will be dope and the crunks will be chilly. So, come out to the Milestone and see what the dilly. (Sorry.)
July 5, 2006
Bad news - those of you who were looking forward to seeing Asobi Seksu on the 15th are gonna have to wait till the fall. Unfortunately, their tour van broke down and it's a serious repair. There's still 3 great bands playing and we may find a 4th before then. I hope everyone held onto their fingers yesterday. I hear that Charlotte almost caused a riot downtown. Way to make the news!
June 30, 2006 v2.0
A little news on the Court and Spark/Shearwater show. There's a good review of the bands on Pitchfork.
June 30, 2006
Sunset Rubdown is Spencer Krug, the spritely vocalist/keyboardist for Sub Pop's Wolf Parade. His work with Wolf Parade is awesome, but you really need to check out the Sunset Rubdown stuff. They're performing at Tremont in September and we just added Charlotte's own Secondhand Stories to the bill. This show's a while from now, but no time like the present to get acquainted with these awesome bands. They're found at www.myspace.com/sunsetrubdown and www.myspace.com/secondhandstories. Please give them a listen... Until next time!
June 26, 2006
We recently added The Houstons to the Magnolia Electric Co. bill in September. For those of you living in a shoe box, this is the Charlotte band formerly known as The Houston Brothers. They're a really diverse band layered with great instrumentation and empowered songsmanship. Check them out this Friday at the Evening Muse. Then buy your Magnolia Electric Co. tickets. Those of you familiar with the band know that this show could sell out at any time. Cheers!
June 22, 2006
We're pleased to announce a special ticket sale for the Court and Spark/Carla Bozulich show. If you sign up for the mailing list we will send you a password to order a group of 4 tickets at only $8 a piece. That's $2 off the advance ticket price and $4 off the day of show price. This offer expires soon, so get it while the getting's good. The signup form takes 5 seconds, just fill in your information on the left and hit submit!
June 21, 2006
Devotcka was awesome the other night. So were the opening bands - Summerbirds in the Cellar and Mons Venera. Funny names that night, but killer music. Great shows coming up... Tickets are still onsale in advance at Etix.com! Thanks!
June 15, 2006
I guess I need to make up for my "news negligence" by updating a little more frequently. I'm pleased as punch to announce some new shows. These are some of my favorite bands and I'm really excited to be bringing them to Charlotte. Sunset Rubdown is Spencer Krug (keyboard/vocals in Wolf Parade) and they will be performing at Tremont on Sept 29. Magnolia Electric Co. is Jason Molina and crew and they will be at Tremont on Sept 21. Final Fantasy is Owen Pallett (violin in Arcade Fire) and they will be at Milestone on Aug 26th with Bob Wiseman. Jul 15th brings us The Late BP Helium (Bryan Poole of Elf Power/Of Montreal), Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices) and Asobi Seksu at Milestone. Tickets are all onsale in advance at Etix.com! Devotchka tickets are still available in advance and have been moving quite steadily. Can't wait to see you all out!
June 13, 2006
Has it really been this long since an update? What a slack-ass I am! OK... serious stuff here... 1st - Thanks to all the bands who've ever played a QCI show. We love you a bunch and really appreciate all the hard work. 2nd - A quick announcement about Thursday night's singer-songwriter show at the Milestone. The headlining performance was originally going to be Steve and Jon of Mighty Purple doing a "brothers show." It's really an awesome set, but Jon had some complications during throat surgery a couple weeks ago and is laid up in Connecticut for a while. Steve is still coming down and playing solo. Stever's a great songwriter/singer/musician and it will really be a blast. Also playing is Seth Boulton, Raised by Wolves and Hotwire Kids. We're donating all profits from the show to help pay for Jon's medical bills (we all know how big they get). I've known Jonny since I was a 15 year-old punk, hanging around his band when they toured to my hometown and he's one of the best people I've ever been privileged to meet. I'm sure we'll have him down in a couple months for a follow-up show when his voice is back. Please visit www.myspace.com/mightypurple05 and drop him a get well wish. Thanks!!!
May 26, 2006
Good news. Tickets are onsale for upcoming shows by Devotchka and Carla Bozulich (God Speed!, Silver Mt. Zion) w. The Court and Spark. Visit Etix.com. Next week will be the 1st edition of the new weekly newsletter brought to you by QCI and Beartrap PR. The newsletter (as of yet unnamed) will cover local music news, shows, new music and a variety of other hot topics that will help elevate you to an enlightened status in the community. Please sign up on the QCI mailing list and tell your friends. If you have anything you would like to submit please email us at local @ queencityindie.com. Cheers!
May 17, 2006
How's this for groovy... QCI has some new blood in the way of Brett Cassel. Brett is now charged with the duties of updating and beautifying our Myspace page. I have the personal page at www.myspace.com/qci, but the official page with show dates, pictures and song files is www.myspace.com/queencityindie. We apparently had about 600 plays yesterday, so I think this thing is working out great. Head over there and add us as friends! Also: if you represent any fresh, original bands, send us a press kit and we may feature you on the Featured Artist page soon. Expect to start seeing a new artist every week.
May 16, 2006
It feels like it's been 13 days since my last news update! What to report? QCI has moved and the new address is on the contact page. Please update your records if you correspond regularly with us. The next show is June 3rd at The Milestone and will feature Maps And Atlases and Hi Ho, Six Shooter. Fun times! If you miss M+A, they will be performing an encore on Sunday June 4th at Lunchbox Records on Central Ave with Boa Narrow. Show will start at 6. So come out and see some new music then buy some new music. More updates to follow.
May 3, 2006
I just ate some chicken McNuggets. We also just added Devotchka on June 19th at Tremont. Playing with Devotchka is Summerbirds in the Cellar. Both are amazingly talented indie bands. If you miss Summerbirds this time around you'll have a chance to see them performing as backing musicians for Saddle Creek Records' artists Now It's Overhead and Tilly and the Wall this summer. In other words, this is not a show to be taken lightly. This is the show that you've been looking for if you've been trying to get any hippy friends into indie rock or vice versa. Additional support will be announced soon. Also, QCI shows are up for sale at Etix.com. Tickets will also be for sale at upcoming shows. Just visit Dan the Merch Man and tell him you need the hookup.
April 26, 2006
We're pleased to announce a shady new marketing tactic! If you are on our mailing list we'll give you $2 off the price of admission to any of our concerts, except if they're a co-promoted show, such as the Sex Pistols Experience. So, please sign up on the mailing list and have your friends sign up, too. It only takes 4 seconds. I timed it. Only one discount per email adddress. All other rules and regulations apply. No purchase necessary. Enter as many times as you like. Must be 18 (months) or older to win. Get your parents permission. Yada yada.
April 18, 2006
Real quick - I want to get this Sex Pistols tribute band thing out there... I know that most of you are probably thinking, "Great, another lame tribute band!" I have to tell ya, this is no lame tribute band. These guys are from England and are London trained actors. They are also dead ringers for the original Sex Pistols. They've been selling out shows all over the place and have verbal endorsements from the real Sex Pistols. It's gonna be a sick show - think of it as musical theatre... think of it as your second (or only) chance to experience a live Sex Pistols performance. This ain't no GN'R cover band! Check out their website for more info: The Sex Pistols Experience! If you play in a local punk band and would like to open please contact me ASAP.
April 17, 2006
Sort of a dismal turnout this weekend on all counts, but I guess it was Easter and people don't like amazing live music around the resurrection. No matter... you have a chance to make up for it this Thursday with Kiss Me Deadly, Lying in States and Calabi Yau at the Milestone. Talk about a killer lineup... The Houston Brothers are reincarnated as The Houstons this Friday at Neighborhood Theatre. They're playing their first show in forever with The Sammies. Great shows this week... and the next time anyone misses American Princes and/or Midstates then I will declare a pox on your house. For serious. They were way to good to only have 10 people there on a SATURDAY!!! Enjoy your week and come out Thursday. It'll be dance-y and punk and rawkin' and stuff. Oh!!! I was the first person ever to buy and consume a liquor drink at Tremont! That's my new claim to fame...
April 13, 2006
L-O-V-E. Free Diamonds know how to party! Hey - Shiva did some more work on the site - the rollovers work better now and there's a mailing list sign up spot on the left... so sign up! I promise that I'll try to try to not bombard you with long, pointless emails. Some people might even think that the emails are funny sometimes. Sort of like the Onion, but relevant to your daily life. Or not really like that at all. Also, the media section has some great MP3s. I suggest hitting those up... and check out the featured artist page for an awesome new band every couple of weeks. Maps and Atlases are featured this week. If you think that your band is good enough, just go to the contact page and mail me a CD and bio.
April 10, 2006
MACROCK was this weekend and let me tell you, it was awesome! The Wrens were definitely the highlight of the conference and Greg Whelan told me that the new album IS on the way. I'm sure it will be awesome.
This is a busy week for QCI - Thursday is Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers with Scott H. Biram at Tremont, Friday is Free Diamonds all the way from Newcastle, England with Prabir and the Substitutes (formerly The Rachel Nevadas) at The Milstone and Saturday is American Princes with Midstates at the Milestone. They're all going to be really awesome, but I want to stress the Shack*Shakers show... if you like southern rock and/or punk then you'll love this band. They're commonly referred to as New American Gothic. Scott Biram is opening - this man is a friggin' machine. He once played a show in a wheel chair with an IV drip and a few feet of intestines missing just days after being hit by a truck doing 75 mph! You can't miss any of these shows. If New American Gothic just isn't your thing - and I don't normally do this - but, Wolf Parade (one of my new favorite bands) is playing in Asheville. They're just one of the plethora of amazing Canadian bands to penetrate the US market. They're a Canuck Sub Pop artist just like my pal Chad VanGaalen. Tell all your friends about these shows and I'll see you around. And if not... Happy Easter!
April 4, 2006
Thank you for coming out to the Milestone Benefit! And special thanks to Dan Morris who came out and volunteered to run the raffle/merch table... We raised close to $1000 and we hope to see some shiny new equipment in the 'Stone very soon. There were a couple rotten eggs at the benefit, but that's life on Assface Blvd, I guess. I won't name names, but I think Brice did in the new issue of QZ. Ha! Speaking of Brice... I won't get too open about her personal life, but she's stepping back from QCI to take care of her family. She's been a key part of this organization from the beginning. It was her idea to start booking shows! So, with a heavy heart we wish her good luck with her future endeavors. She's still hosting the April 29th Artimus Pyledriver show at The Milestone and she'll still be coming out to hang sometimes (we hope). Please send her an email and wish her well... brice@queencityindie.com.
Also, get ready for some even further enhancements to the site, including a splash intro and a mailing list signup form. If you'd like to sign up on the mailing list for now, just email QCI and we'll start sending you periodic updates. There are a ton of great shows coming up. Don't take my word for it... come out and see for yourself!
April 1, 2006
The new site is up! Thanks to Little Shiva at GoGoPop for laying it down all artsy and tasty. I hope you like it! Send me questions or comments. See you all at the Milestone Benefit tonight!
March 29, 2006
Two great shows this weekend. Mark Mathis/Nathan Asher on Friday at Tremont and Milestone Benefit on Saturday at Amos. We hope you make it out to both. The Mills interview went down last night and was fantastic. This milestone doc is turning out to be freakin' awesome... Not much more to report... the new QCI website is just days away. That's going to be awesome, too! See you this weekend.
March 21, 2006
OK - we also added Ugly Dobro and Morbid Toothbrush to the benefit show. I also wanted to mention a few words about the Documentary... we're going down to Athens to interview Mike Mills on March 28th... so I'd suggest that you attend the benefit show and act super stupid for the camera. Then you can tell your friends that you were in a movie with REM. Finally, be prepared for a new QCI website to launch in the coming months. It was assembled and refined by Little Shiva (Make Charlotte Weird, Creative Loafing) and will be pretty nice. A lot more whimsical then this dark site.
March 16, 2006
The Milestone Benefit show is almost upon us. Just two more weeks until all hell breaks loose at Amos'... the jumbled bands have been practicing (those that didn't quit, pussies!) and we've added some stellar acts to the bill. Ever heard of Emotron? It's going to be an apocalyptical party of unprecedented merit and insanity. Go forth and purchase your damn ticket at ETIX dot COM and we'll see how you hang. We've also got a shit ton more shows lined up, so make sure you check 'em out. Now sign up on our mailing list! You don't want to miss the great shows coming to town - Magnolia Electic Co. anyone?
March 9, 2006
Archer, you mistook me is playing the Milestone on Friday to replace Soft Complex and one other special guest will be added as well. Stay tuned today for updates.
March 8, 2006
Benefit Jumble Bands have been announced. You can check out the line ups at the Amps 11 website and we'll have something posted at QCI soon. Other news - Soft Complex had to cancel on Friday because Mike Harbin broke two fingers in a freak Oscar-related fist fight. We're getting another band to help fill out the bill - so don't worry. It's still gonna be a sick show. QCI shirts are in. They'll be on sale at all QCI shows for $8 or you can email me and we'll do a check or money order and mail it to you. Lastly, come out on Friday night because we'll be recording a time lapse shot from the door booth for our Milestone Documentary. We want as much activity as possible at the door. See you there!
March 6, 2006
The Jumble bands are almost ready to be announced. We were able to create 8 new bands from the bits and pieces of around a dozen bands, so that's not too shabby. The band list will be announced to the bands today and to the general public tomorrow. In the mean time, go buy your Milestone Benefit Tickets!
February 26, 2006
The Jumble is drawing to a close, so hurry up and get your band entered. Cash and glory awaits!!! A special thanks to Little Shiva. Her new website Make Charlotte Weird has launched and is awesome. She recently interviewed QCI and put a page about us on there. Check it out here. Stay tuned for an all new QCI website as well!
February 18, 2006
Thanks to those who came out to the show the other day. All the bands were fantastic, but oh, brother - The Redneck Manifesto took some names. Or kicked some ass or whatever Braveheart Jesus Guy from the Lethal Weapon might have done as an Irish instrumental band full of dudes that used to all play in hardcore bands. Please check out the March 10th show with Say Hi To Your Mom. They're looping in the background now. We also added Geffen records artists The Pink Spiders to the bill. So, this is gonna be a famously awesome weekend show at the Milestone. Don't forget to come out to some other Milestone shows. We're going to be out there for another couple weeks doing some recording. We're doing this time-lapse deal from the door booth on Feb 24th so come out and support the Sammies and hopefully we'll capture 170 people pay to get in and play it on the Documentary in 20 seconds. Sorry I didn't wish anyone happy Valentine's Day. That was weak. Will you be our posthumous (belated?) Valentine?
February 9, 2006
We didn't want to have to dangle $500 and free booze in front of anyone's nose, but we're doing it anyways. If you are in a band that's played the Milestone before and would like to participate in the Benefit Band Jumble then let us know. There will be a contest to rate the best Jumbled Band and the winners will split $500 and each member's real band will be invited to play a Saturday show at the Milestone and will enjoy an open bar. How much better does it get?!? Contact us soon, suckers. The entries will be cut off on Feb 28th. See you at the 'Stone!
February 7, 2006
The Milestone benefit show will be held on April 1st at Amos' Southend. We recently heard that there was another benefit that same night and we hate to be doing ours on the same night, but such is life. We all have factors that lead us to certain actions and it's just one of those times, but we hear that there's millions of people in the area so I'm sure we can co-exist peacefully. That being said - on top of our Jumble of the Bands, we're also going to be featuring Steve Mackay from The Stooges/Violent Femmes and more. Raffles will be held for prize packs from REM, Bouncing Souls, Polyvinyl Records and more! This is going to be a night to remember, so come support Charlotte's only historic night club.
January 31, 2006
We're getting closer to a final date for the Milestone Benefit Show. We decided to shake things up a bit and keep it interesting for you. I'm sure you've seen The Sammies, Labia Minor, and Calabi Yau plenty of times, but have you ever seen Labia Talk or Calabi Vegas? We're gonna have a Jumble of the Bands! It's really simple... we're splitting existing bands up by instrument and randomly placing them in new Super Groups. The bands will have a few weeks to rehearse 2 cover songs and 1 original song. They will then perform at the Milestone Fund Raising Event that will be held at Amos' South End in late March/Early April. If you're in a band and have played the 'Stone before and you're interested in getting in on the Jumble, then mail Brian and he'll get you some details. Don't forget that we're starting principal photography for the Milestone Documentary this weekend, so starting Feb 4th we're going to have a camera there almost every night. Get to the Milestone this month and become a part of history!!!
January 23, 2006
So, the Milestone tribute is underway and we've also started pre-production on the Milestone Documentary entitled "A Stone's Throw From Nowhere". OK, I made that up... it's as-of-yet untitled. Leading the project is local filmmaker Evan Knotek. Credits include a number of award winning shorts and some production-type work on Dawson's Creek among other things. If you have any interesting Milestone-related anecdotes then we want to know about them. You might make it into the film. We'll be out at the 'Stone compiling footage off and on for the next few weeks, so we hope to see you out there in the crowd as well. Email Brian if you have something to contribute!
January 11, 2006
Hear ye, muthafuckas!!! We're organizing a benefit to help Charlotte's ONLY historic rock venue. Yeah, no crap, The Milestone. Due to their struggle to give you relentless bastards awesome shows for poor boy prices, they're in need of a serious boost in revenue. We're trying to raise some money to update the sound system. If you're in a band and would be willing to play a free Save The Milestone show then let us know. The guys at the Milestone have offered to give each band member a laminate pass worth some money towards show admission. That's a sweet deal. We'll have a date shortly. Until then - come out to one of the many Milestone/QCI hosted rock shows coming up. The Nein is going to be awesome - next Thursday at the "World's Famous Milestone"... Come help keep a little piece of Charlotte history in existence. Thanks!
August 30, 2005
It's been a while, sorry! We've been freakin' slammed trying to get all our stuff in order. We might need an intern at this rate. Unpaid and abused of course... So we're trying to get 1000 copies of a cd distributed in the weeks... it's not going out in Amps11 because we missed the deadline. We just wanted to take a minute to let everyone know that we're working on getting you guys some free music... just might take a while. As for good news - we're hosting a stage at this year's Mid-Atlantic Music Conference on October 8th at The Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa. Bands will include The Know, Eyes to Space, Almighty Flying Machine and more! The lineup is subject to change over the next couple of weeks, but the final lineup will be intense. We promise. We'll write more later. Thanks for reading!
August 19, 2005
Listen up everybody. September will mark the first edition of our CD Sampler of upcoming shows. The free CD - Sponsored by The Record Exchange - will feature songs by Of Montreal, The Management, Rogue Wave, Fruit Bats, Chad vanGaalen, The Nein, Elevator Action and TsuShiMaMiRe! We will be inserting 1000 free copies in issues of Amps11 and distributing them randomly, so pick up a copy of this new monthly Charlotte music magazine right away. We'd like to thank Media Evolved for pressing 1000 copies of the disc on such short notice. We know that everyone will enjoy them and we hope to see you all at our upcoming shows!
August 17, 2005
Thank you to everyone who came out to the show last night. A special thank you to Erie Choir for coming down from Chapel Thrill and for playing an extra long set to make up for the fact that Upsidedown Stars disappeared and Smog was running a bit late. It was a fantastic show and I think that everyone had a great time. If you keep coming out to shows then we'll keep booking them. Stay tuned - our next scheduled show is September 17 with Of Montreal. It should be a humdinger.
August 11, 2005
We're pleased to announce that we have confirmed The Suicide Girls live burlesque show! The girls will be performing at Amos' South End on October 7th in support of their new DVD being released by Epitaph Records. This is the day before Purgatory takes place at Amos' so you can expect some serious counter-culture with a whole lotta bare skin that weekend. Tickets will be on sale soon. This is going to be an amazing punk-chick burlesque with the whole shebang being warmed up by Japanese rock sensations Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re and a local girl band TBA. This will be an 18+ show due to the graphic content. We can't wait!!!
August 8, 2005
Wow! Thanks for coming out to the show this weekend. We had around 250 people crammed into the Casbah. I don't think I'm alone in saying that all the bands were great, but The Wrens - holy crap. Fantastic. Indie Rock Karaoke was fun, too. Thanks for those who stuck around to belt out some Dead Boys and Pixies. Hopefully we'll have more people stick around after the Of Montreal show for some more IRK. A heartfealt thanks to everyone who made the show a huge success. It makes us think that maybe this all worth it. We also received a preview of our new logo done by Charlotte firm A3 Design. You could say it's been a good week for us... Stay tuned!
August 3, 2005
Stick around after the show this Saturday for Indie Rock Karaoke. Thousands of indie rock songs are available for your delight and potential embarrassment. That's The Wrens and three amazing NC bands then Karaoke into the wee hours of the morning. Entire kit and caboodle just $12 at the door. Karaoke afterparty only $4 after 11pm. See you there!
August 2, 2005
I don't mean to keep flooding the news page, but I want everyone to be informed. We just confirmed a show on Sept 20th featuring three Sub Pop recording artists: Rogue Wave, Fruit Bats, and Chad van Gaalen!!! This is going to be a fabulous show @ Tremont Music Hall and at $10 a ticket you can't beat the price with a stick... unless it was a really big stick, but come on! Make sure you get your tickets early for this show because hipsters are going to be coming out of the woodwork like indie-termites! Picture The Shins doing older Of Montreal covers and you can get an idea of what these bands sound like. There are links, photos and MP3s on the media page.
August 1, 2005
Just a quick reminder that The Wrens will be playing this Saturday at Tremont Music Hall. Doors are at 7pm. It's going to be a great show with excellent local support. Also, we're pleased to announce that starting soon we will have tickets available for advance purchase at Record Exchange locations in charlotte's South Park and Arboretum areas. Smog tickets should be available there beginning next week. Look for an announcement soon! I hope we can see everyone at the show Saturday. There will also be a killer afterparty so bring your party shoes.
July 21, 2005
Hey! Congratulations to Neel Jadeja for winning 2 free tickets to all of our shows for the rest of the year. That's a huge value, but we're just glad that he'll be joining us for some of our shows. Head over to the forum and congratulate the man. The Cartel networking party was a success tonight. Thanks for all who came out tonight!
July 20, 2005
The Greater Charlotte Entertainment Cartel (GCEC) is having a networking party tomorrow night at SK Netcafe. This is going to be an excellent opportunity to mingle with folks in the biz. It's $2 for non-Cartel members and free for members. There will be door prizes - including 2 free tickets to all of our shows for the rest of the year. So, come out and support the local scene and meet that producer or drummer or web designer that you were looking for. Fun starts at 7 PM!
July 18, 2005
We just wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to the folks at The Charlotte Weekly for their mentioning us in this weeks issue. Here is a transcription of the article. Enjoy!
"The brain trust behind Queen City Independent is tired of driving for hours to see live music. The concert promotion company, founded by Brian McKinney and Brice Griffin in May 2005, was established to book and promote indie music in Charlotte. It's the duo's response to regular complaints that touring bands typically bypass our city for stops in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Atlanta. QCI's first show will feature Hellfighters, the new band from The Dismemberment Plan front man Travis Morrison, July 23 at Tremont Music Hall. Virginia rockers The Rachel Nevedas and North Carolina's The Physics of Meaning will join Hellfighters on the stage. The Wrens will play Tremont Aug. 6, and indie-folk group (Smog) comes to town Aug. 16."
July 7, 2005
You may have heard some rumors about some seriously amazing shows coming up. The rumors are true. We're working out a deal to get Cat Power at Neighborhood Theatre in early October. The show is almost confirmed and we're pretty excited. We're also looking to do a show with The Nein around October 1st. We're going to need support for that so if you're in a band and interested then send an email through the "bands" button on the left. Lastly, we need DJs to rock the indie and old school before, between, and after sets at our weekend shows. Send us an email if you're interested.
June 28, 2005
A quick update on the (SMOG) show. Espers has bailed on the tour. I'll let everyone know when we get word on who the new supporting band will be. Erie Choir is still playing. Most important though, the show has been moved to Visulite Theatre. Visulite is a great club with a full bar. Unfortunately for some, it is 18+. We look forward to seeing everyone come out for a night of great music and great drinks.
June 25, 2005
I forgot to mention that we confirmed (SMOG). Bill Callahan and Co are touring with Espers. The show is Aug 16 @ Tremont Music Hall. If you like Magnolia Electric Co. and Cat Power then you'll definitely like (SMOG). They just released a great new album on Drag City. We also have Erie Choir coming down to open. They're from Chapel Hill and feature members of Sorry About Dresden.
June 23, 2005
Brian got his birthday present today. We've finally confirmed the Of Montreal show. It's the last date on their fall tour - Sept 17. It will be at Tremont. Details are on the Shows and Media pages. This is going to be a great show. Of Montreal also have their new video airing on MTV2 next week. Mark your calendars!
June 12, 2005
We're offering a free QCI bumper sticker to the first 50 people who sign up on our forum. Just go to the forum, sign up and send us an email with your address and user name and we'll send you a free sticker. It's that simple. This forum is extremely important for promoting local shows and exposing the scene. Help us and we will hook you up. Also, expect the Street Team signup thing to be operational this week. We will give our Street Teamers free tickets and all sorts of goodies!
June 7, 2005
Our first "update" I guess. Just wanted to tell everyone that we have bumper stickers available. Go ahead and send us a buck and we'll send you a sticker. Our address is on the contact page. Also, you can order a customized QCI t-shirt through Zazzle. We'll have a store section at some point to buy merch. Thanks!
June 1, 2005
Welcome to the official launch of Queen City Independent! It's really only been a month since we conceived the idea, but it's good to have a tangible home for our vision. We've decided that driving 3 or more hours to see a great show is insane and so we've got some great shows coming to Charlotte for you. Our first solid lineup is August 6th at Tremont Music Hall. The show will feature the The Wrens with some great NC bands. For full details visit our shows page. We're getting some other great shows finalized right now as well. We're booking shows at Tremont Music Hall and Amos' South End right now. Queen City Independent is a just a baby right now, but oh baby, hold on tight. We're going full-throttle to make this work.