We have spent seven years telling you what to do in Charlotte, whether you’re new here or a regular, but it’s time we make this easier. We’ve always included a Lifeline in our print issue but now it’s time to give you some weekly reasons to engage.
Queen City Nerve’s motto is always the same: If you think nothing is happening in Charlotte, you’re not trying.
Jazz Classics with the Charles Craig Trio
Jan. 28 • 6-8 p.m. • Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St. • Free
The Gantt Center’s exhibition Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection gets its perfect musical accompaniment from local jazz masters. Mentored by legendary soul-jazz keyboardist Ramsey Lewis, pianist Craig has collaborated with luminaries including Arturo Sandoval and Art Porter. Bassist Ron Brendle has performed and recorded with jazz legends including Mose Allison.
In addition to playing with hip-hop group The Foreign Exchange, drummer Tim Scott Jr. has been a driving force in Charlotte’s music scene, helping shape the seasonal Soulful Noel celebration, lending expertise to Blumenthal Arts’ annual Black Notes Project and more.
Petrov, Street Lamp, Bonfire, Weymouth, Horse Island
Jan. 29 • 8 p.m. • The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. • $15-$18
With their April, 2025 single “Protector,” Charlotte indie-rock powerhouse Petrov expanded their musical arsenal by adding slow-burning majestic rock to their careening guitars, percolating bass and Mary Grace McKusick’s untrammeled vocals. The band remains an unstoppable and nuanced juggernaut. San Antonio’s Street Lamp unleashes driving yet moody gems like “Amageddon.” Charlotte indie-pop/R&B artist Bonfire crafts plaintive ruminations about relationships like the 2025 single “Waiting.” With coruscating guitars and shout-along choruses, Southern Pines’ Weymouth blends alt rock with splashes of pop and emo. Queen city indie-punk-emo four-piece Horse Island unleashes catchy driving tunes with just the right touch of noise.
Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration
Jan. 31 • 1-5 p.m. • South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, 8601 Bryant Farms Road • Free
A quarter of the world’s 8.2 billion people will celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival, on Feb. 17. One of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, it was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024. This celebration is sponsored by Charlotte Chinese Story Time, a nonprofit that brings families together through Chinese stories, songs and cultural activities. This festival gets a jump on the Year of the Horse with an afternoon filled with hands-on activities and crafts including lantern making, Chinese calligraphy, woodblock printing, traditional bead-working, Peking Opera mask-painting and more.
