The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 63

Little Charlie and the Nightcats: The California band brings its biend of rock and blues to the Double Door tonight Story page 7F Cyi i ROCKTOBERFEST: On a fall WJJraf i weekend uptown Charlotte fills id I Jv I with music food arts and crafts I and more "MOVIE GUIDE 2F -uzzzzz I BlNT0THENIGHT 7F JW It BE V0 Friday (the Charlotte (Observer SECTION September 29 1995 Washington makes it look so Easy Hot buttons FAMILY FARE Movies I LAWRENCE TOPPMAN Denzel Washington has become the Catherine Deneuve of American acting: gorgeous dignified always conscientious enough to be professional aloof when material is beneath him (as it of- ten is) powerfully responsive if a story or director lights a fire under him You can catch du at the Movies at Sardis to see Deneuve in action or rather elegant inaction and then compare her to Washington operating near his peak in the new in a Blue Carl Franklin is the writer-director striking the sparks efficiently condensing Walter debut novel into 105 minutes of mystery Washington is too patrician to play an out-of-work machinist in 1948 Los Angeles but he settles into the role and gives a dedicated performance as Ezekiel Rawlins Easy as invariably called has been laid off at an aircraft plant and is halfheartedly looking for a job A mutual acquaintance connects him with Albright (Tom Sizemore) looking fora hireling to find a missing woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals) Albright claims to be representing Carter (Terry Kinney) a millionaire candidate for mayor who quit the race soon after Daphne disappeared But by the time Easy figures out the modestly involved series of double crosses two people are dead and the cops figure a likely candidate to take the hot squat for their murders Some folks have complained this which is as much to the point as beefing that the NationsBank tower the World Trade Center No this the definitive film noir about Please see page 3F Devil in a Blue Dress Stars: Denzel Washington Tom Sizemore Jennifer Beals Writer-director: Carl Franklin Rating: (violence profanity brief sex) -Good Average Poor -Wretched Showing at Arboretum Clear Springs Delta Mat thews Festival Movies at the Lake Park 51 Queen Park Town Cinema FIROOZ ZAHEDIColumbiaT riStar Devilish behavior Denzel Washington is private investigator Easy Rawlins in in a Blue Starting this week The Townhouse restaurant will serve family Sunday dinner yes family as in Bring The Kids Not the usual menu either Soup du jour mini crab cakes quiche a the menu hastens to add) fried cheese ravioli tenderloin lollipops with french fries gratin of macaroni and country ham fried salmon fingers with remoulade sauce and hold tight burger on a brioche bun Chef Etienne Jaulin has been experimenting on his and wife Amanda's sons (Etienne says the oldest is 8 and whatever I the middle is 7 and only eating and the youngest is 2 'A and Will the 7-year-old eat quiche? it looks like a Dressing up is not expected and 5 of Sunday sales will go to arts organizations (Opera Carolina in October) Helen Schwab Sunday family dinner served from 530 until 10 Sundays at the Townhouse 1100 Providence Rd Reservations encouraged Call 335-1546 10 am-IO daily CARMEN CARMEN coming up at this Carolina Renaissance Festival Opera Carolina opens its season with at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center at 8 tonight and Saturday NC native Victoria Livengood stars as the sexy gypsy woman who lures the soldier Don Jose sung by tenor Craig Schulman into an obsessive violent love affair Other cast members include baritone Gregory Rahming as Escamillo Tonya Currier as Mercedes and Jennifer Jones as Micaela Karen Keltner conducts the Charlotte Symphony for the production which director Michael Ehrman has staged in its original setting Seville in the 1820s Tonight is family night when kids 12 and under can get half-price tickets Willa Conrad Opera Carolina: sung in French with English supertitles 8 pm today and Saturday North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 Tryon St 372-1000 10 a m- 6 pm today and Saturday DAY By KENNETH JOHNSON Staff Writer he signal goes up the horses gallop toward each other two knights in shining silver armor lower their lances and prepare for impact Seconds later SMASH some brave soul has landed hard on sod Welcome to the Carolina Renaissance jousting exhibition one of the most popular attractions the Middle answer to the World Wrestling Federation or maybe the NFL very according to Jeffrey Siegel the producer and director taking full-bore True but expect any blood and guts For these brave knights are actors who make their living performing at Renaissance festivals around the country The knights do use weaponry although the lances and swords have been modified for safety The Festival which gets under way Saturday at Renaissance Festival Park near Huntersville stages jousts at noon 2:30 and 4:30 pm each day of the festival The first is a show of skill The second is the a (Translation: a joust for the pleasure of the court) The third joust is the big daddy the a (Translation: a joust to the death Well not the death really but you get the idea) Jousting is said to have originated in classi cal Rome though the sport was most popular in Europe in the 1400s or so Jousts evolved from mock battles knights on horseback took part in to keep their skills sharp Today there are jousting teams in Europe that compete in national and international festivals according to Siegel And even a British jousting federation The Carolina Renaissance royalty and musicians will view the action this year from a new two-story reviewing stand in the Royal Tournament Arena (Commoners and peasants Joust the facts get to take that vacation to an exotic spot this summer? Fret no more International festivals at both Davidson College and UNC Charlotte on Saturday will give you the opportunity to soak up the culture and cuisine of faraway countries without having to spend a month's salary on airline tickets to get there Both events will feature plenty of food music and dance in addition to arts and crafts poetry readings displays and more Sample some Turkish coffee at Davidson or take in the Parade of Nations an international fashion show at UNCC Both festivals mark milestones this year: festival celebrates its 20th anniversary while the Davidson fest turns 1 0 years old Kenneth Johnson Davidson College International Festival 1 1 a m-2 pm Saturday College Union Davidson College Davidson Free 892-2140 8 a -1 a today 9 a m-l a Saturday UNC Charlotte International Festival 10 a -6 Saturday UNCC Free 547-2410 8 am-5 pm today What: Carolina Renaissance Festival When: 10 a pm Saturday-Sunday Oct 7-8 14-15 21-22 28-29 Where: Renaissance Festival Park NC 73 (Sam Furr Road) and Poplar Tent Church Road between 1-77 and 1-85 east of Huntersville Off 1-77 take Exit 25 (NC 73 exit) off 1-85 take Exit 55 (also an 73 exit) or Exit 52 (Poplar Tent Church Road) Admission: Advance tickets: $995 $9 for 55 and older $395 for ages 5-12 Available at area Harris Teeter stores Tickets $1 more at gate Visitors younger than 5 get in free Parking is free Details: 896-5555 830 am-5 pm weekdays Is there a doctor in the castle? Please see Joust page 3F How good was medicine in olden days? Monday in Health AL PHILLIPSStaff Maniac no more Merchant is touring what the ego struggle would be or the lack of ego struggle or how open it would Merchant found in Tlirner a compatible partner The two were able to communicate musically in a way she had never experienced taught me a lot about how to listen to music and how to play with other Merchant said the Maniacs I played (keyboards) on the last couple records but I think of myself as a musician Jennifer taught me how to listen and she taught me all about the From the smoldering the first single to Andreas dark take on Hollywood songs on slither and slide Please see Merchant page 4F commute 375 miles to get to my job I think that was when I discovered that maybe my life was somewhere else instead of in that rehearsal Those feelings signaled a larger dilemma for the 31 -year-old singer think 1 1 years is a long time to try to come up with something original with the same group of Merchant said was tired by art-by-committee I just felt like I wanted to pursue a vision that was much more my own" That vision has led to solo CD a moody entrancing collage of songs colored by piercing introspective strokes from her lyrical paintbrush was born in Upstate New York house where she and her new band (drummer Peter Yanowitz and bassist Barrie Maguire formerly of the group the Wallflowers and guitarist Jennifer Tlirner) hunkered down for six months of rehearsals and recording The collaboration with Tlirner was particularly fruitful wanted a girl in my band someone 1 could talk to that was female And I was really interested in how collaboration would be with another woman By KENNETH JOHNSON Staff Writer The obvious question: Why after more than a decade leave a successful band you helped build from the ground up? The answer: The thrill was gone That according to Natalie Merchant was her simple reason for leaving 10000 Maniacs had to do with growing up changing having a relationship go stale creatively" the waifish folk-pop chanteuse said over the phone from a New York hotel room a few days before kicking off a solo tour that brings her to Ovens Auditorium on Saturday It was during the recording of 10000 last studio record Time in that Merchant realized she was ready to leave the band she co-founded in Jamestown NY in 1981 It a surprise to the rest of the band was something that they sensed I suppose We were writing the last record and we had been in preproduction for months I had moved away from Jamestown and they knew I was really dissatisfied with having to The new Natalie Who: Natalie Merchant with Jimmie Dale Gilmore When: 8 pm Saturday Where: Ovens Auditorium 2700 Independence Blvd Tickets: Available at area Ticketmaster outlets Details: 335-3100 10 am-5 pm today DANA LIXENBERQ i.