Can't wait for the weekend to begin? Don't stay in!
In Charlotte NC, there are several options for a great Wednesday night out, depending on what you are looking for. Options are plentiful. 'In Bass We Trust' hit the town and here are the top of the Queen City pops.
Plaza Midwood -
Just minutes from uptown is Plaza Midwood. The entire Midwood area is bustling on most nights, weekdays included, but Wednesday is the best week night to be bar hopping. Plaza Midwood has arguably the best people watching in the city and if you are looking for an idea for your next tattoo, a few hours in the area are sure to inspire.
A great place to start is the Common Market, where you can not only purchase anything you may need for the night, but you can sit down and drink a beer or glass of wine at the Market. Most evenings the benches outside and tables inside are full of colorful people getting together and enjoying the day. Next door is Thomas Street Tavern, offering ping pong and out door patio to go with the large beer selection. A nice place to start most nights off. If you like live music, Volume Lounge hosts one of the areas best open mic nights on Wednesday's and is worth seeking out.
The best three Wednesday options in the Midwood area area all at the corner of Pecan Ave & Central Ave.
First up is Soul Gastro Lounge on the second floor of the corner building. Soul offers, as the name suggests, great soulful house music throughout the week, played by DJ's such as local legends 'That Guy Smitty', DJ Rsenal and Jay Cooper. Also on offer is some of the best sushi, tapas and hand crafted cocktails in the area.
Right below Soul is Gallery Twenty-Two. The gallery director brings in new exhibits monthly and really keeps the place fresh. One month there were Elvis replica suit's by internationally acclaimed Filipino Elvis impersonator RenElvis, another month the walls were decked with skateboard art, another month abstract works. You never know what is going to pop up on the gallery walls next. The beer selection at Twenty-Two is always top notch; however their beer prices are exuberant, especially for the area. You won't get your fix of $1 PBR's at Twenty-Two....or will you? Wednesday night only you can do much better! Weekly, they put one of their craft beer kegs on special for just $1 (some weeks $2) and the crowd spills out onto the sidewalks. If you are going to Twenty-Two, make it on a Wednesday.
Next door at Snug Harbor is worth your stop too on a Wednesday. Snug Harbor will be getting it's own Blog entry soon enough, so we'll make this short. Each month they feature a local band and give them a residency and all month long the band hones their skills on Wednesday night to a usually receptive crowd. Of the many featured, Scowl Browl certainly left the most lasting impression over the past year with the frenzied mosh pits and flying beer cans they wildly encouraged.
www.soulgastrolounge.com
www.gallerytwentytwo.com
www.snugrock.com
www.commonmarketisgood.com
www.facebook.com/thatguysmitty
www.facebook.com/djrsenal
www.facebook.com/jason.cooper.735507
www.facebook.com/scowlbrowband
Dharma & Marigny -
In the southend of town sits Dharma Lounge and Marigny Dance Club. Dharma owners Nat Eichler and Lora Campbell have not only created a greatly amazing venue, but they have consistently been bringing talent through it's doors. Recent shows by Nigel Richards, Christian Martin, Green Velvet, Baby Anne and Mark Farina are just a few of many notable bookings. It's decor is straight Buhdist and the sound system inside is one of the best in the town. The lounge hosts free yoga classes during the week, has a gigantic Budah statue and often plays old kung-fu movies on the movie screen to get an idea of the vibe. The loyal and eclectic Wednesday crowd for the 'Bang Bang' event have been going strong for years and if you did not find your tattoo design in Midwood, you surely will find inspiration for it on a wednesday in Dharma. "Bang Bang' is hosted by the Permanent Vacation crew, DJ's A-Huff & Edward Shouse (NOT to be confused with Tom Biloy & Benjamin Frohlich's record label from Munich, Germany!!!)
Next door, Marigny Dance Club, owned by longtime club owner and DJ Jason Fotizo and producer/DJ Peter Presta, hosts Shattered Empire on Wednesdays. Marigny is one of the best places to see Electronic Dance Music. The EDM night is rumored to be moving to Saturdays, so take note before rushing there on our urging in the future. While the EDM nights at Marigny welcome all, the club regularly caters to the gay/lesbian community on the weekends. Marigny boast two rooms of big sound and is themed in mardi gras decor with an amazing chandelier over the dance floor. On this night, DJ's Fotizo & Tobi Nurotik were killing an over zealous dance floor when 'IBWT' popped in.
www.dharmacharlotte.com
www.marignycharlotte.com
www.facebook.com/jason.fotizo
www.facebook.com/NurotiK
Uptown (Suite / Osso) -
'IBWT' stopped by the Music Factory and were treated to a free Smashing Pumpkins Concert (from the back deck of Wet Willies) at the Time Warner Uptown Amphitheater When the show was over, we descended on Osso Lounge, where the 'Exclusives Patio Party' was in full swing.
Osso is owned by local restauranteur Alex Myrick who also owns 'Blue' uptown. The place is rocking from 10 PM onwards on Wednesday nights thanks to hosts R Wonz and DJ Red who are consistently bringing new high energy tracks to the place. If you arrive early, the food is A list quality. The Italian cuisine, by executive chef Gene Biggs, is stellar and often decent specials, half priced wine bottles or martinis are available. (Roasted Veal Chop Saltimbocca: mmmmm) The upscale lounge decor and lighting are top notch. Francois Foussard designed the place so you know it was going to be a winning aesthetic. He recently designed Label Nightclub in Charlotte and has done venus such as Mansion, Set, PRIV and major club designs in NYC, Miami and Vegas.
....but Osso went this far....they are almost there......and then seem to drop the ball overall. While there are often DJ's, to not have installed a permanent DJ booth seems strange for a Foussard endeavor. Certainly the owner or manager would benefit by visiting a similar venue in NYC, Vegas or Miami (Juliet Supper Club or Greenhouse perhaps) and noting the caliber DJ's similar clubs bring in, the sound systems, DJ booth design and modeling just a little of that. While we take note the Queen City may not be ready for such a venue, one would certainly expect to have paid a cover to hear a John Dahlback or Louis Vega at least once in the past year at such an intimate v.i.p. setting. It appears Myrick is mainly focused on the dinner crowd and is content attempting to duplicate his success at 'Blue' restaurant with a much prettier interior design. But hey, since the dinner crowd currently has so few options at the Music Factory, it is at least winning in aesthetic design and food. If this Blog was written by a foodie or an architect there might not be a gripe, but when the place is designed to look like an upscale NYC Lounge, puts $38 entrees on the menu, uses Francois Foussard to design the space and fails to consistently deliver on sound in this big a manner, it has to at least be noted.
Gripe aside, on Wednesday, Wonz, Red & Knight's patio Exclusive Party at Osso is always red hot.
Finally and still not tuckered, 'In Bass We Trust' headed over to the Epicenter, where 'Level Wednesday' had invited us to their weekly shindig at Suite. If you want a Saturday night vibe during the week, this is your spot. Packed. As always. Suite is certainly on the cutting edge when it comes to nightlife in Charlotte. The venue has great views of the local skyline and a great sound system to match the views. The entry cue out front is always long and certainly finding room on one of the many guest lists is recommended if you want in the exclusive venue before last call most nights. $2 Miller Lights and 18+ entry age ensures that. On this night, the Oakland rapper 'Wallpaper' was in town with his band for his first ever area appearance. Spotted in the crowd were Awol Nation, who earlier in the night had opened for Smashing Pumpkins. Local celebrity and radio host Otis O-show from Kiss 95.1 FM was hosting the night and made sure the crowd was fully hyped at all times. On the wheels of steel, DJ's Dirty and James Knight tore through tracks like madmen and the capacity crowd seemed to appreciate them all. While we are happy to recommend Suite to you any night of the week, their 'Level Wednesday' should be on the top of your list.
Some of the tracks played at Suite:
Rihanna - Where Have You Been (Vice Club Mix), Scream & Shout - Wil.i.am & Britney, Beauty & a Beat - Bieber & Minaj, Tonight I'm Loving You - Enrique Inglesias (Chuckie Mix), Pursuit of Hapiness - Kid Kudi, Started From the Bottom - Drake, Clique - Kayne West, Jay-Z & Big Sean, Wild Boy - MGK & Waka Flocka, Spaceman - Hardwell (Carnage Festival Trap Mix), Toulouse - Nicky Romero (Tommy Trash edit), Don't Stop the Party - Pitbull & TJR, Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeah's (A-Trak Mix), Molly - Cedric Gervais, All Gold Everything - Trinidad James (Kid Cannibal Mix), Daft Punk - Get Lucky, Harlem Shake - Baauer, Make the Crowd Go - Alvaro, F**kin Problems - A$ap Rocky, Drake & 2 Chainz (Will Joy Mix), I'm Different - 2 Chainz, Birthday Song - 2 Chainz & Kayne West, That A$$ - Bro Safari, Pop That - French Montana, Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne, Bandz a Make her Dance - Juicy J, Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz, Snap Backs & Tattoos - Driicky Grahm, Calling - Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso, Don't you Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia, Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris (Diplo Mix), Molly - Tyga feat Gervais, Wiz & Mali Mal, Magic - Rick Ross, Same Damn Time - Future feat Diddy & Ludacris, Spend It - N.O., Bugatti - Ace Hood feat Future & Rick Ross
www.ossocharlotte.com
www.suitecharlotte.com
www.facebook.com/level.wednesdays
www.facebook.com/djdirtyusa
www.facebook.com/jamesknightsi
www.facebook.com/oshow
www.facebook.com/Kiss951
