31. Club Ice
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 334-8700
Address: 300 East Stonewall St.
Description: Rock out to the latest hip-hop and R&B jams at Club Ice, which bills itself as the “hottest urban nightclub in North Carolina.” Celebrity acts have included Young Jeezy, Lil’ Kim, and Three 6 Mafia. You might even see a celebrity guest like NBA star Lebron James or boxer Floyd Mayweather. Fri is ladies night.
32. The Excelsior Club
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 334-5709
Address: 921 Beatties Ford Rd.
Description: For more than 60 years, the historic Excelsior Club has been a prominent institution in Charlotte’s African-American community. It has hosted such legendary performers as Nat King Cole and was designated a historic landmark in 1986. The Excelsior caters to an older crowd. Patrons must be 30 or older and show ID. The club features disco and old-school R&B.
33. Halo
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 246-1755
Address: 820 Hamilton St.
Description: Uptown got its Halo in the summer of 2009 when this dance club opened in the N.C. Music Factory complex. The club is hard to find, separated from Uptown proper by railroad tracks and a weird street configuration. However, once you locate Halo, it’s like discovering something new. Halo sets itself apart from other Uptown venues by offering free parking, no lines, no pretension, and no stairs. Customer-friendly service too—now there’s a novel idea in Queen City nightlife. The clientele is mostly 20-somethings, especially on Fri nights, which are ’90s rewind nights. They also have pre-concert parties from 4 to 8 p.m. prior to shows next door at the Music Factory’s 5,000-capacity Uptown Amphitheatre.
34. Cajun Queen
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 377-9017
Address: 1800 East Seventh St.
Description: If you’re looking for Dixieland jazz at its best, plan on a visit to Cajun Queen, which serves up live music seven nights a week. A visit provides fabulous ’Nawlins-style food mixed with great conversation and music for a genuine Cajun experience in Charlotte. Don’t miss a Dixie beer, the brew that made New Orleans famous.
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1423 South Tryon St.
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1218 Charlottetowne Ave.
37. The Fillmore Charlotte
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 549-5555
Address: 820 Hamilton St.
Description: The Fillmore is a new venue in the Queen City, part of the N.C. Music Factory complex on the northwest corner of Uptown. The Fillmore occupies a former textile mill and is patterned after the famous Fillmore in San Francisco. The place is owned by national concert promoter Live Nation and therefore has leverage with top name bands. Some of the performers from its first year include Alice in Chains, David Allan Coe, Train, Uncle Kracker, Megadeth, Roger Daltrey, Foreigner, Wolfmother, Blues Traveler, The Black Crowes, Indigo Girls, Collective Soul, and The B-52s.
38. Milestone Club
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 398-0472
Address: 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd.
Description: The Milestone is a real dive and proud of it, too. It features up-and-coming bands from the rock/punk/metal/indie and underground scene, 30 of which have gone on to grace the cover of Rolling Stone (R.E.M. and Natalie Merchant, for example). The walls are covered with graffiti, but it has an eclectic charm that attracts punks, yuppies, matrons, and even some brave mainstreamers—throwing them all together for a great time. The Milestone, which proudly serves beer and colas in cans, has been open since 1969. It’s now owned by people who watched bands there during their youth. Shows are for age 18 and up, and the club is open Wed through Sat nights.
39. Neighborhood Theatre
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 358-9298
Address: 511 East 36th St.
Description: A renovated movie theater in Charlotte’s hip NoDa district, the Neighborhood Theatre books a truly eclectic mix of music—American jug bands, folk guitarists such as Doc Watson, Louisiana smokin’ slide guitar, bluegrass, acoustic string, funk fusion, ethereal rock, projection art set to live music and country acts from David Allan Coe to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. South Carolina native Edwin McCain makes an appearance or two yearly. The setting is intimate, with a capacity of 956, including the bar area. Open only when concerts are scheduled.
40. Smokey Joe’S Café
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 338-9380
Address: 510 Briar Creek Rd.
Description: A hardscrabble shack on the corner of Monroe Road and Briar Creek, Smokey Joe’s attracts a T-shirt and flip-flip crowd for live music several nights a week. Smokey Joe’s is a Charlotte institution with a sandy-beach patio that includes a Ping-Pong table and fire pit. There’s no food, even though it is called a café, and everyone is on a first-name basis. Beers are cold and cheap. The bands play hard, chasing their dreams and hoping to win fans.
41. Tremont Music Hall
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 343-9494
Address: 400 West Tremont Ave.
Description: One of Charlotte’s best places to see live music that’s far from mainstream. All kinds of bands are booked here, from Rob Zombie to the Rollins Band. They describe the genres as “modern rock, indie rock, punk, hardcore, metal, SKA, and roots rock.” A former warehouse with no frills and no plans to change, Tremont is a place where people actually listen to the music—not consider it background for their conversations. No seats, hot temperatures, and beer that tends to get warm, but still a big draw with younger music fans, especially those dabbling on the dark side of musical expression. Open dodge ball games are held every other Mon at 8 p.m.
42. Visulite Theatre
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 358-9200
Address: 1615 Elizabeth Ave.
Description: A cinema from the late 1930s, this is a multipurpose entertainment venue with concerts, film screenings, poetry readings, and theme parties. The adventurous music schedule books everything from alternative country to Southern redneck rock, with performers such as Lucinda Williams, Col. Bruce Hampton, Bellglide, Dillon Fence, Bob Schneider, Southern Culture on the Skids, the Rev. Horton Heat, and Los Lonely Boys.
43. Champions Sports Bar
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 358-6562
Address: 100 West Trade St.
Description: Located in the Marriott City Center overlooking The Square, Champions is not your typical hotel bar. There is autographed memorabilia on the walls and 18 televisions and video projectors. Thirsty fans find 25 types of beer and a menu with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and burgers.
44. Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 377-3808
Address: 911 East Morehead St.
Description: A great place to catch a game with five separate viewing areas, eight 120-inch high-def screens and another 20 smaller flat-screen TVs. DNG is home to alumni groups from Auburn, Georgia, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. Also a popular spot for fans of the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the hometown Carolina Panthers and Bobcats.
45. Jillian’S
City: Charlotte, NC
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (704) 376-4386
Address: 200 East Bland St.
Description: Simulator rides, driving games, hoops, air hockey, virtual reality, and video games are the draw at this arcade and bar. When all the noise starts getting to you, head over to the Sports Cafe with big-screen TVs and a casual menu, or sit down for a hibachi-style meal.