The spring season is fast approaching and with it comes a wide range of events happening across North Carolina in venues as large as Bank of America Stadium or as quaint as a local night club. Some of the best experiences happen in smaller, non-traditional venues and classic “hole-in-the-wall” joints. Many of them can be found right here in the Tar Heel state. Qnotes has collected a list of some of the smaller venues across North Carolina, as well as some of the events which will be taking place over the coming months.
Gay Men’s Chorus & the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte ● March 3 | First United Methodist Church, Charlotte
Members of the Women’s Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte, under the direction of John C. Quillin, will perform a selection of tunes set to the theme of “Forever Young: Stories From the Edge of Aging,” which is based on Robert Cohen’s “Alzheimer’s Stories.” The work tracks the history and experience of Alzheimer’s disease, starting with its recognition in 1906, continuing with the recollections of those who have experienced the disease, and paying tribute to the caregivers, all told through the language of love. Uplifting and cathartic, it’ll leave you a changed person. First United Methodist serves as the performance venue. Located at 501 N. Tryon Street, it was built in 1927 and is a welcoming and affirming congregation with a central sanctuary that seats 1,000. For more information, visit https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
TALK ● March 5 | Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
Coming to the Lincoln Theatre this month is TALK, an androgynous singer and songwriter from Ottawa, Ontario in Canada. TALK found his way into the indie scene when he was forced to move back into his parents’ house in 2020 after losing work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Falling into a state of depression, TALK wrote the song, “Run Away to Mars’ after watching the film “Interstellar.” The music video for the viral hit featured David Bowie-inspired visuals, who has long been known as an icon in the queer community. The Lincoln Theatre is located at 126 E. Cabarrus St. in downtown Raleigh, right in the heart of the Triangle. Tickets for TALK are being sold at the Lincoln Theatre website at https://lincolntheatre.com
The Charlotte Pride Band ● March 9
CPCC Parr Center, Charlotte
Located on Elizabeth Avenue on the main campus of the college, Central Piedmont Community College’s Parr Center is a state of the art facility that includes a 450-seat auditorium, which will host this year’s stage performances by the Charlotte Pride Band. Under the guidance of artistic directors John Stanley Ross and O’Shae Best, the Charlotte Pride will perform a selection of music curated with the theme “A Symphony of Emotion.” CPCC is located at 1201 Elizabeth Avenue. For more details, visit their website at https://www.charlotteprideband.org.
“Dance Your Decade: Party Supporting Reproductive Rights” ● March 9 The Orange Peel, Asheville
The Orange Peel will be the location for “Dance Your Decade: Dance Party Supporting Reproductive Rights.” The event is sponsored by N.C. Sen. Julie Mayfield, state Rep. Lindsey Prather, Asheville Councilwoman Maggie Ullman, Commissioner Amanda Edwards and their committee. The party will be DJ’d by DJ Molly Parti and will feature tunes from the ’60s, through the early 2000s. The Orange Peel is located at 101 Biltmore Ave. in the heart of Asheville and is home to some of the most anticipated local concerts for the area. Asheville is known nationwide for its accepting and affirming community with LGBTQ+ Pride flags flying over businesses and front porches alike. More details can be found at https://theorangepeel.net.
Common Woman Cabaret ● March 10
Motorco Music Hall, Durham
Motorco Music Hall in Durham, located at 723 Rigsbee Ave., serves as a venue for many local and nationwide artists. An upcoming fundraising event at Motorco is for the Common Woman Chorus, a treble chorus made up of woman-identifying, gender-nonconforming, and transgender individuals. The fundraiser will be a cabaret-style show and hosted by Stormie Daie, a popular drag performer based out of Durham. Visit https://www.commonwomanchorus.org for tickets and additional info.
Jimbo’s Drag Circus ● March 13
The Filmore, Charlotte
The Filmore, also known as the Underground, will host the 18+ drag show “Jimbo’s Drag Circus,” which is a part of former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Jimbo’s national tour. The Filmore is a lively music venue doubling as a club located in the AvidXchange Music Factory on 820 Hamilton St. The show will start at 8 p.m. For more details go to https://www.dragfans.com/tour/jimbo-2024.
Mimosa Fest ● March 17
The Grey Eagle. Asheville
The Grey Eagle is located at 185 Clingman Ave. in Asheville and is a popular venue in town for private events, concerts and more. A fun event coming up at The Grey Eagle is the annual 21+ Mimosa Fest. The event will go from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, and will feature a live DJ, a brunch food menu, themed mimosa flavors and more. Regular tickets — which are $15 — include just admission into the event. The VIP package includes three mimosa vouchers, admission and a free tee shirt. For more information, go to https://www.thegreyeagle.com.
Delighted Tobehere with the Gay Men’s Chorus & the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte ● March 21
Lee Street Theater, Salisbury
From the genius of Clay Smith and his drag alter ego, Delighted Tobehere, comes this comedic and entertaining event. Fabulous looks, amazing singing and a razor-sharp wit make for a presentation of side-splitting laughter. Spend the evening with Delighted as she pulls out all the stops to prove she has what it takes, and will do whatever it takes, to get the role. Any role. The Lee Street Theater is located at 329 N. Lee Street in Salisbury. For more information go to https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
Delighted Tobehere with the Gay Men’s Chorus & the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte ● March 22, Dowd Theater, Monroe
See March 21 listing. The Dowd Theater is located at 120 S. Main Street in Monroe. For more information go to https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
One Voice Chorus ● March 22-23
Unitarian Universalist Community, Charlotte
One Voice Chorus brings LGBTQ+ and affirming people together to celebrate our lives in song. Since 1989 when five Charlotte residents met to form the chorus, the 25 singers at our first rehearsal in January 1990 have become a dedicated group of over 70 singers, support members and musical staff. Through the guidance of artistic director Cory Davis, One Voice will perform a selection of songs under the theme of “Mindful Music.” The Unitarian Universalist Community Charlotte is located at 234 North Sharon Amity Road. For more details, go to onevoicechorus.com.
Delighted Tobehere with the Gay Men’s Chorus & the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte ● March 29, Fullwood Theater, Matthews
See March 21 listing. The Fullwood Theater is located at 100 E. McDowell Street in Matthews. For more information go to https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
Gay Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus Ensembles of Charlotte ● April 5-6
St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte
The three small ensembles of the Gay Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus of Charlotte – 7th Son, Vox Dominae, and Spite & Malice – offer an unforgettable evening celebrating the vocal artistry of a cappella and more. The presentation includes Sara Bareilles’s achingly beautiful Breathe Again, the Podd Brothers’ knock-your-socks-off setting of Big Yellow Taxi, the beautiful world envisioned by Norwegian songwriter/performer Aurora, among others. The venue, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church is located at 1510 East Seventh Street in uptown Charlotte. Originally built in 1880, the welcoming and affirming congregation features a large central sanctuary. For more information, visit https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
The Charlotte Pride Band ● May 11
CPCC Parr Center, Charlotte
Central Piedmont’s Parr Center is located on Elizabeth Avenue on the main campus of the center city college. A state of the art facility, it also includes a 450-seat auditorium, which will host performances by the Charlotte Pride Band. Under the guidance of artistic directors John Stanley Ross and O’Shae Best, the Charlotte Pride band not only performs in the annual Pride parade but also offers concerts during the year. With the theme of “Spring Fling” guiding their presentation, the volunteer performers will keep you entertained with a selection of music reflective of the season. CPCC is located at 1201 Elizabeth Avenue. For more details, visit their website at https://www.charlotteprideband.org.
Women’s Chorus of Charlotte ● June 14-15
The Galilee Center, Charlotte
Members of the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte, under the direction of John C. Quillin will perform a selection of songs connected by the theme of “We Are.” To guide us on this journey, we have road maps provided by composers like Ysaye Barnwell (We Are and Ella’s Song) and Jason Robert Brown (Sanctuary). We’ve also got Sly and the Family Stone (Everyday People) and Sister Sledge (We Are Family). You won’t be able to help stop tapping your toes and singing along! The venue, The Galilee Center, is located at 3601 Central Avenue near Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood area. For more information, visit https://www.gmccharlotte.org.
