I don’t want to hear that there’s nothing to do here

I’ve lived in Charlotte for nearly two years (man, time flies), and not once have I uttered “There’s nothing to do here.” You could say I have a certain appreciation because I grew up in a small town where there actually was nothing to do. Or it could be because there IS a lot to do in Charlotte. I’m a young guy. I like to go out and have fun. Will you see me at a bar every night of the week? No. But if something is worth checking out, I’m going to check it out.

I recently found out about the Pop Life series happening at Prevue on Wednesday nights all summer long. It’s co-sponsored by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen. Because I work for a magazine and receive press releases and other media info that most people don’t get (or wouldn’t care to receive) I am usually pretty well informed of what’s happening around town. And I can tell you, there’s a lot happening. You just have to know where to look.

I found out about the Pop Life series from two sources. One was through Carlton Hargro, the editor of Creative Loafing and a really cool guy. I’m on his e-mail list. The second was through CharlotteVibe.com, which has an entertainment guide. I profiled the guy behind this Web site as well as the guys behind CarolinaNightlife.com in the June issue of the magazine (both sites are great for finding out about local parties). It’s resources like this that inform me of what’s going on. Then I can decide if I think it’s worth my time. And not to brag, because I think my friends would attest, but I do a pretty good job of picking where to go. I went to Pop Life last night and I wasn’t disappointed.

I arrived around 8 p.m. (after leaving a happy hour one of my coworkers had at her home—thanks for the Moe’s and the Coronas, Kate). Prevue, formerly known as Gilda’s, is located in the Highland Mills condos in NoDa. I always thought that whole complex was cool. I strolled up to a red carpet entrance. After a couple of “Wassups” I breezed on in because there was no cover charge. And I was surprised to see that the place was packed on a Wednesday night. The art and fashion crowd were definitely there, as you would expect to find in NoDa. But there was just an all-around good mix of people.

The drink prices were reasonable and, on top of that, there were complimentary hors d’oeuvres. The DJ was playing mellow hip hop. It was a great vibe. I only knew a handful of people there, but it was the kind of place where you come to mingle, meet new people.

This was my first time out at Prevue. This was a Wednesday night. You may go there on a Friday and it might just be five people there—four bartenders and the DJ. But what I’m saying is that on that Wednesday it was great, and I would feel confident in saying on most Wednesdays it would be the same. That’s kind of how Charlotte is. We don’t necessarily have those hotspots that you could go to any night of the week where you’re guaranteed to find a packed house. But that’s okay. You just need to know when to go where.

Pop Life Summer Series
Each Wednesday through August 29
6 p.m.-until
No cover and complimentary hors d’oeuvres 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Prevue
2901 N. Davidson St.