The Queen City was deep in the summer heat on a
Friday night and Yelpers made like rockers to the NC Music Factory’s premier
rock venue – The Fillmore. Throwing caution to the wind with enough badassery
to bring back images of youthful rebellion, our rock fest of ages was on like
an old mix tape of power ballads. Charlotte
Rock City housed plenty of local eats, great drinks, and fun fit for a
lifestyle of yelpful rockin’. The motto? Rock n’ roll all night, and Yelp
everyday.
There was no short supply of delectables. Kevin L notes, “Cast Iron Waffles, what a treat! Amazing little waffles and, in my opinion, best plain. Caramelized sugar inside the dough makes for a tasty
little waffle!” Mike C tells us “the sushi from 505e was excellent, Shrimp and Grits from The Flying Biscuit Cafe made me want to leave and go to the restaurant
to order a whole meal.” Many of
our fair city’s treats, sweets, and savories made out that evening indeed –
Plenty of wrapping from Crunch Bistro, noteworthy Italian fare
from our friends at Libretto’s Pizzeria,
AMAZING glow-in-the-dark breads and treats from Local Loaf, a smattering of samples from Mama Fu’s, mini sandwiches and cheese from Orrman’s Cheese Shop, plenty of pizzas from The Pizza Peel, and masterful Mexican fare from Three Amigos.
The sweets were in abundance as well! barCHOCOLATE tantalized many palates with their French Macaron and Tastebuds Popcorn’s varieties of
popcorn found their way throughout the venue.
Drinks? Where to start? Central
Coffee Co’s coffee cocktails which Eric
B calls “some of the best iced coffee I've ever had,” Red Bull ensured energy levels were at an all-time high with their
new favors, and Zico Coconut Water
lined the rails and inhabited many a free hand.
Plenty of variety from the adult beverages, too – Redd’s Apple Ale and Strawberry Apple Ale,
Batch 19 Lager, Blue Moon Belgian White, Leinenkugel’s
Summer Shandy, Crispin Hard Cider,
and Coors Light rocked out. A fun
fact from Will H: “Did you know Coors Light made it snow on the
amphitheater?” Yes. Yes, they did. Wine poured by Cupcake Vineyards – “Cupcake makes my very favorite Savignon Blanc,
so I knew there was no way this could be a bad night. My favorite vino coupled
with food from several of my favorite restaurants and a good number of my
favorite people equated to a night of serious fun,” tells Rachel S.
Plenty of activities found under the roof and also on the
amphitheater stage/patio – bar games from Charlotte
Bar Athletes, a vintage photobooth from Vintage Charlotte, Lax gear to wear and photo yourself from our own Charlotte Hounds, and the Charlotte
Roller Girls were even skating about!
Yelpers even had the opportunity to get their beauty on with
Shine Salon – “You know I love
getting my hair did! Even better in a bar,” says Tonya P. Also, why not stop for a quick massage? Massage 101 held it down and worked out
every knot onsite.
A rock show, is a rock show, is a rock show and the music
matched perfectly. DJ Mark Coltrain spun
nothing but classic vinyl to get the crowd riled up. “I love rock n’ roll! Put
another dime in the juke box, baby!” Then, taking the stage whilst many faces were melted – “The Black Cadillacs
were awesome (I rocked hard), the crowd was fantastic,” tells Justine S. Also, Bruce K spills “The
Black Cadillacs can ROCK. That drummer has a whole lot of energy going on, and
let's be honest, he has a killer 'stache!”
After a few more rounds of food, booze, and a few Yelp foam
fingers, 24 Hours of Booty was
onsite with a bike racing station. Our crowd raised over $250 for this cancer-fighting local organization.
The evening drew to a close as The Fillmore’s lights
dimmed….only to bring a little Karaoke to the stage! Many *ahem* great singers made their way up
for a tune…or two. ‘Twas a great night full of fun. Here’s to you, Charlotte. You’re
a city worthy of rocking hard.
Check out the
reviews here.
Photos (courtesy of Poprock Photography) here.
Video coming soon courtesy of Tim Alden Grant!
Ben G – Charlotte
Community Manager
