Lifeline: 5 Things to Do in Charlotte This Week

Queen City Nerve’s motto has been the same since our start: If you think nothing is happening in Charlotte, you’re not trying. While we’ve always included a Lifeline in our print issue, here’s our online version to help give you weekly reasons to engage.

Fannie Mae’s Hang Suite

Tuesday, April 14 • 8 p.m. • The Long Room • Free

Hosted and curated by DJ Fannie Mae, Old School vs New School R&B: A Conversation Across Eras is dedicated to exploring the evolution of the genre — from the classics that raised diehard fans to the sounds that are shaping today.

Read more: Dennis Reed, DJ Fannie Mae Bring Sainted Trap Choir to the National Stage (2023)

Listeners will move through the vocals, feeling, storytelling, production and intention that defined R&B, from old school soul and timeless ballads of Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin to new school textures and sounds. A deep dive into the 10-year anniversary of Rihanna’s ANTI album will be a linchpin of the conversation. Expect soulful sing-alongs, honest conversation and a fusion of nostalgia and curiosity.

FOMO: Museum Block Party

Wednesday, April 15 • 5 p.m. • Levine Avenue of the Arts • $2 suggested donation

The Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art team up with Charlotte SHOUT!, My Brother’s Keeper, and 5th St. District for an Uptown bash that includes free events at each museum as well as a party in the Wells Fargo Plaza.

The soiree features poets Jay Ward and Bluz at the Wonderdome, Alice in Wonderland-inspired fashion installation Will White’s Wondrous Wardrobe, Nigel Malone’s Song on the Spot mobile studio set up, and more. After 9 p.m., SHOUT! After Dark takes over the 5th Street bars with art by Mullet Vision and music by DJ E Sudd, Dammit Wesley and Harvey Cummings.  

William Shatner Live with ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ 

Friday, April 17 • 7:30 p.m. • Ovens Auditorium • $59 and up

Although there have been more than 10 TV series and 13 Star Trek movies since Star Trek first went warp speed in 1966, it’s impossible to think of the sturdy franchise without picturing William Shatner.

The Canadian actor’s hammy performance as the studly starship commander is iconic for its oddly phased dramatic pauses and the scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where he bellows his antagonist’s name while the camera has a bad case of the bed spins. Shatner goes beyond Trek at this screening to share stories from his 75-year acting career — and hopefully his real-life journey into space at age 90.  

Jackie Venson

Friday, April 17 • 7:30 p.m. • Evening Muse • $38

With searing, emotive, bent-note playing that makes her guitar sing and soulful, gritty vocals to match, Jackie Venson burst onto the blues rock scene with her 2019 debut album Joy. Drawing praise from fellow Black guitarists like Living Color founder Vernon Reid and blues-infused player Gary Clark Jr., Venson continues to grow.

She explored eclectic electro-funk on her 2023 release Ghost in The Machine and unleashed funky, soul-laced reinventions of tunes from her debut on that year’s Evolution of Joy. Throughout her career, Venson has innovated while harkening back to the emotional punch of Black guitarist and godmother of rock ‘n’ roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

CLT Edgefest 

April 18 • 11 a.m.-9 p.m. • First Ward Park • Free

Presented under the aegis of the Charlotte SHOUT! banner, this festival sets up an arts bazaar and creative enclave in the heart of Uptown. Art vendors, yoga classes, spoken-word performances, interactive exhibits, a scavenger hunt and a chalk art display are all on the docket, transforming First ward Park into a garden of earthly delights.

Starting at 3 p.m., mainstage Edgefest acts include spoken-word artist Shane Manier, Carolinas Dance’s breakdancing explosion, designer and street vendor Irena Robinson and Dillard’s Street Fashion Show, and a jam session and drum circle with the Friday Jones Family Band plus Rocky & Kennon.