Charlotte Prowler Magazine - March 15th, 2014

GET GOING Miley /4/7/TWC Arena Michael IMMORTAL 4/8/TWC Arena (Cirque du Soleil) Bruce 4/19/TWC Arena Cher 5/5/TWC Arena Boston 6/10/TWC Uptown Amphitheatre

to

THERE’S LOTS LOVE ABOUT A GIRL NAMED CHARLOTTE Our city is filled with venues and spring brings so many opportunities to find passion in a performance or event—and who knows?—you just might find love along the way.

Ghost—The Musical Get The Led Out Katt Wiliams Jilian Michaels Blue Man Group Kenny Loggins

4/1 and more 4/5 4/12 4/13 4/15 and more 4/27

Belk Theatre/Blumenthal PAC The Fillmore CLT/NC Music Factory Bojangles Coliseum Knight Theatre/Levine Center for the Arts Belk Theatre/Blumenthal PAC Belk Theatre/Blumenthal PAC

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ON THE PROWL

| K N I G HTS BAS E BALL R EAC H ES F EVE R P ITC H

THE VERY FIRST PITCH: UPTOWN

B

aseball in Charlotte, so it seems, was a very, very good idea. It’s everywhere you look and everyone is talking about it. In bars, restaurants, on TV and most certainly those many fans who showed up to purchase Knights baseball tickets at the new BB&T BallPark in uptown Charlotte. Recently, the Charlotte Knights announced their plans for promo nights. Join in the fun.

A JORDAN DANKS BOBBLEHEAD, a Charlotte O's Replica Youth Jersey, theme nights featuring Star Wars, Jimmy Buffett, and Auto Racing, along with the return of Pink Knights, and Thursday Thursdays ™, highlight the full look at the Knights promotional calendar for the highlyanticipated 2014 season at BB&T Ballpark.

On Wednesday, the Knights announced plans for 15 fireworks shows at BB&T Ballpark. A day later, the team revealed their entertainment and celebrity lineup for the upcoming season.

Appearances by "Mountain Man" of Duck Dynasty fame, professional wrestling legends George "the Animal" Steele and Tito Santana, along with thrilling entertainment acts - the ZOOperstars and the Russian Bar Trio - were announced on Thursday.

Today, the Knights are giving fans a full look at the complete 2014 promotional schedule, which features 11 giveaways, monthly heritage nights, tributes to the Charlotte O's, Charlotte Hornets, and Negro Leagues, along with a historic Meck-Dec Day Celebration on May 20 which highlights the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which was signed on May 20, 1775 in Charlotte.

Thirsty Thursdays ™ presented by Hickory Tavern, make their BB&T Ballpark debut on Thursday, April 17. Fans 21 and over can enjoy STAY CONNECTED

|

$3 small draft beers until the end of the 7th inning. The Knights will have 10 Thirsty Thursdays ™ this season.

Sundays are Sunbelt Family Sundays and kids can "Run the Bases" after all non-fireworks Sunday home games. Six of team's Sunday games start at 2:05 p.m., while the Knights will play two 5:05 p.m. Sunday games and one 7:05 p.m. tilt on Sunday, August 31. All nine Sunday games are presented by Sunbelt.

The Knights will honor the Military on three occasions this season and Knights players will wear special Military-themed jerseys on May 25, June 30, and July 4. Fans will have a chance to own the game-worn jerseys during a jersey auction, which benefits Knights Charities, later in the year.

The Knights will hold two Education Day games at the ballpark - both with 11:05 a.m. first pitches. The first Education Day game takes place on Wednesday April 23 and the second is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7. Both Education Day Games are presented by Duke Energy.

Each month of the season, the Knights will host special heritage nights - giving fans a chance to enjoy heritage-themed music and other activities.

German Heritage Night is set for Thursday, April, 24, while May will boast Polish Heritage

Night (Thursday, May 22). In June, Irish Heritage Night (Thursday, June 26) is on the calendar, while July will feature Italian Heritage Night (Thursday, July 10). Greek Heritage Night is the fifth and final one in the series, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 7.

Opening Night is scheduled for Friday, April 11 and all eyes will be on BB&T Ballpark for the team's first-ever game in Uptown Charlotte. A full list of Opening Day festivities will be announced at a later date. A night later, (April 12), the first 2,000 fans will receive a KnightinGals poster, presented

by Hickory Tavern. The KnightinGals - the Charlotte Knights official dance team - will perform at all 10 Saturday games this season.

The month of April features a Baseball Bank giveaway, presented by BB&T, on Tax Day, April 15, and a special Speed Dating Night and College Night is scheduled for April 17. The finale of the first-ever homestand at BB&T Ballpark features a Charlotte O's Tribute Night on April 18 with a Replica Charlotte O's Jersey to the first 2,000 kids 12 and under, presented by Carolinas HealthCare System. Earth Day with a Knights Water Bottle Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans on April 22 and the first of three Social Media Knights (April 25) conclude the first month of the season.

Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated on Monday, May 5 with an appearance by WWE Hall-ofFamer Tito Santana. BB&T Ballpark will feature the 9th Annual Pink Knights with a Pink Baseball giveaway to the first 2,000 ladies, presented by Charlotte Radiology and Belk. Charlotte Knights players will wear special Pink Jerseys and fans will have a chance to bid on the jerseys during the game. Proceeds from the jersey auction benefit Knights Charities.

Also on tap for May is a Mother's Day celebration on Sunday, May 11, a fast-paced Auto Racing Night on Wednesday, May 21, and a Drawstring Bag giveaway to the first 2,000 fans, presented by Carowinds on Saturday, May 24.

The first of two Bark in the Ballpark events will take place on Sunday, June 8 and WWE Hallof-Famer George "The Animal" Steele will be on hand to meet and greet fans and animals of all ages. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Knights Soccer Ball, presented by Carolinas HealthCare System, on June 22.

In July, the Knights will turn back the clock to the 1990's on July 18 for a tubular 90's Night at the ballpark. Faith and Family Night is scheduled for July 20, and a Jimmy Buffett Night will cap off the month of July on July 31.

In August, the first 2,000 fans will receive a BB&T Ballpark Replica giveaway, presented by BB&T, on Wednesday, August 6. On Tuesday, August 19, Charlotte Knights fan-favorite Jordan Danks will be immortalized as a bobblehead. The first 2,000 fans will receive the Danks bobblehead, courtesy of Horizon Eye Care. The second and final Bark in the Ballpark is scheduled for August 25. The Knights will also treat fans to $1 hot dogs, courtesy of Sahlen's on the 25th.

LIKE PROWLER MAGAZINE ON FACEBOOK FOR UP-TO-THE MINUTE UPDATES ON ENTERTAINMENT IN THE QC

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS 2014 REMAINING SCHEDULE

Mar. 17 Mar. 19 Mar. 22 Mar. 24 Mar. 26 Mar. 28 Mar. 31 Apr. 2 Apr. 4 Apr. 5 Apr. 9 Apr. 11 Apr. 12 Apr. 14 Apr. 16

Bobcat Wins Rallying Fans BRINGING BACK THE BUZZ

Atlanta 7:00 at Brooklyn 7:30 Portland 7:00 Houston 7:00 Brooklyn 7:00 at Orlando 7:00 Washington 7:00 at Philadelphia7:00 Orlando 7:00 at Cleveland 7:30 at Washington 7:00 at Boston 7:30 Philadelphia 7:00 at Atlanta 7:30 Chicago 8:00

BUZZ LIFE GET YOUR GEAR

The best dressed Hornet fans are shopping now. You can get your teal-andpurple wear at TWC Arena or NBA.com/Bobcats. Send us your pics!

PROWLER Hornet Fan Photo Prize Giveaway: Info@ProwlerMagazine.com.

As soon as the last buzzer sounds, Bobcat fans will become Buzz City Hornet fans and fans, we can’t wait! If you weren’t around for the original buzz, ready yourself for true fandom!

Valid Through 5-1-2014

LACROSSE RISING | RELEASE THE HOUNDS

HERE TO PLAY HERE TO STAY GIVE

OUR PRO LACROSSE CHARLOTTE HOUNDS ARE MAKING WAVES AND TAKING NAMES, READY TO PLAY AT UPDATED MEMORIAL STADIUM

Charlotteans have enjoyed many sporting teams at the venerable Memorial Stadium in Center City over the years. Did you know that the first Charlotte Hornets organization was not a basketball team but a semi-pro football team? Yep. And how about the Charlotte Barons?

Another semi-pro football team.

But the Charlotte Hounds and Pro Lacrosse is different. Don’t expect these guys to be selling their uniforms in the parking lot and closing up shop (no offense to teams past). Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the US and this pro lacrosse organization is doing things right.

2014 HOME SCHEDULE Saturday, April 26 7PM Machine @ Hounds Saturday, May 10 3:30 PM Bayhawks @ Hounds Saturday, June 07 7:30 PM Outlaws @ Hounds Saturday, June 14 7 PM Launch @ Hounds Saturday, June 28 7 PM Cannons @ Hounds Saturday, July 05 7 PM Rattlers @ Hounds Friday, August 01 7 PM Lizards @ Hounds

TI C K ETS: www.C HAR LOT TE H O U N DS.CO M

Years As A Carolina Panther 13 Career Yards 12,197 Receptions 836 Most Yards Receiving NFL 2005 1,563 Receiving Touchdowns 67 Al-Time Touchdown Leader: 75 100 Yard Games 43 Receiving Yards in a Game 218 NFL History: 100 Yard Receiving Games 11th Receiving Yards 19th Catches 25th Pro Bowls 5 Carolina Playoff Appearances 4 Carolina SuperBowl Appearances 1 SuperBowl Touchdowns 1 I will always be a Carolina Panther No contract can ever change that CLT is my home and will always be my home... I love you #panthernation—Steve Smith via Twitter 2:06 PM - 12 Mar 2014

We will always remember your passion and the the thrills you gave us all...

BEST OF

MYRTLE BEACH and the GRAND STRAND

The Shag

by Renee Wright

Beach Music Classics

GET TO KNOW Charlotte’s favorite beach destination in Prowler Magazine’s series of Grand Strand profiles taken from the pages of the Countryman Press Explorer’s Guide to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. This month: Shagging on the Strand

FOR GENERATIONS, THE BEACH VACATION has been a treasured tradition and a chance to get back to basics. Soak up the sun.

Play in the surf. Stroll the strand. Eat fresh seafood. And nowhere does this formula come together better than the 60 miles of beaches along the South Carolina shore known as the Grand Strand, consistently ranked as one of the top family beach destinations in the country by everyone from The Travel Channel to AAA.

Shaggers dance to Beach Music, a style of R&B that is still alive, with new recordings coming out monthly. While every aficionado of the shag has their own list of favorite tunes, here’s a list of songs have stood the test of time, and still appear on play lists at shag clubs today.

Sixty Minute Man Billy Ward and the Dominoes Give Me Just A Little More Time Chairmen of the Board Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy The Tams Ms. Grace Tymes I Love Beach Music The Embers Stay Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs My Girl Temptations Under The Boardwalk The Drifters One Mint Julep The Clovers With This Ring The Platters

BEACH MUSIC REIGNS If you’ve heard about the shag, the sweet-stepping cousin of swing that developed on the beaches of the Carolinas back in the 1950s and 60s, you can find the heart of the culture it inspired on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach’s Ocean Drive section.

Since the first Society of Shaggers (SOS) reunion in 1980, shaggers have made pilgrimages to the clubs along Main Street, looking for the sounds that made the summers of their youth so memorable. That first gathering proved so successful that SOS (www.shagdance.com) has expanded to a year-round schedule of events including annual week-long Spring Safaris and Fall Migrations, plus weekend gatherings in winter and summer.

Plenty of shaggers have retired to NMB—or never left—and today you can listen to Beach music, watch shaggers practice their moves, even learn a step or two yourself, every day of the year.

Two clubs that face each other across O.D.’s Main Street a block from the ocean keep the shag fires flaming, hosting live Beach music bands and convivial shag gatherings all year. Duck’s Beach Club (www.ducksatoceandrive.com) and Fat Harolds Beach Club (www.fatharolds.com) have a lot in common—huge wooden dance floors, top DJs spinning Beach music, grills where you can stoke your energy with a juicy burger, and great happy hour prices.

The most iconic of the shag clubs, the O.D. Pavilion (www.odpavilion.net), sits right on the sand at the end of Main Street, an area called the Horseshoe. It’s the last of the open-air dance pavilions that once defined summer on the Carolina coast, and is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus on weekends in spring and fall.

Main Street provides the setting for many North Myrtle Beach street parties, including the Music on Main concert series which brings bands to NMB for free concerts on first and third Thursdays, May to September.

Dancing in the street is highly encouraged.

Originally published in Explorer’s Guide to Myrtle Beach & South Carolina’s Grand Strand (Countryman Press, 2012) by Renee Wright. For current events and guidance on your vacation to Myrtle Beach, contact Visit Myrtle Beach at www.VisitMyrtleBeach.com.

AND

MORE

ACTIVE

PLAYER

ROS-

NC MUSIC FACTORY EVENTS

2014

UPCOMING

PRIVATE EYES Feel-good 80s mega-stars Hall & Oates May 4th SILVER HAMMER STUDIOS Iron Fork, March 19 http://clclt.xorbia.com/ironfork All Ale to the Queen, March 22 www.allaletothequeen.com/ COMEDY ZONE www.cltcomedyzone.com Southern Fried Vegas, March 19 Sarah Colonna, March 20-22 Shaun Jones, March 27 Russell Peters, March 28-30 Rich Guzzi Comedy Hypnosis, April 2-5 Nikki Glaser, April 11-13 DL Hughley, April 17-19 Ralphie May, April 24-27

GAME SCHEDULE

DATE Mar 21 Mar 23 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 29 Mar 30

TIME 7:00 PM 1:30 PM 6:35 PM 8:05 PM 7:00 PM 1:30 PM

OPPONENT San Antonio Rampage San Antonio Rampage @ Iowa Wild @ Iowa Wild Oklahoma City Barons Oklahoma City Barons

Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr

8:30 8:00 5:00 7:00 1:30 8:00 8:00

@ San Antonio Rampage @ Oklahoma City Barons @ Oklahoma City Barons Grand Rapids Griffins Grand Rapids Griffins @ Milwaukee Admirals @ Rockford IceHogs

04 05 06 10 13 18 19

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

UPTOWN AMPHITHEATRE www.livenation.com/venues/14076/uptown-amphitheatre-at-ncmusic-factory Daryl Hall & John Oates, May 4 Boston, June 10 Panic! at the Disco, August 13 THE FILLMORE www.livenation.com/venues/14570/the-fillmore-charlotte George Thorogood & the Destroyers, March 18 Children of Bodom, March 19 2 Good to be T.R.U., March 20 Jana Kramer, March 21 Pentatonix, March 27 On the Border - Ultimate Eagles Tribute, March 29 Weezer, April 2 Railroad Earth, April 3 Twenty One Pilots, April 6 Juicy J, April 7 Cherub, April 11 Drop !t featuring Seven Lions, April 12 Demetri Martin, April 13 Kid Ink, April 16 Karmin, April 18 Local Natives, April 19 YG, April 22 Chevelle, April 23 TruTV Impractical Jokers, April 25 Sleigh Bells, April 29 THE SALOON www.thesalooncharlotte.com JamStain, March 10 RA, Adakain, Auxilia, Beyond Amends, and Red Eyed Romance, March 12 My Darling Fury, Jesse Denaro, & Animal Flag, March 13 Jon Linker Band, March 15 Revelus, Shadow of Myself, and Shadows of Deceit, March 16 Edisun, March 18 Funktapuss, March 19 Jon Linker Band, March 22 Reverend Red and Duane Mark, March 23 Dirt Poor, March 29 Hannah Aldridge, April 2 U-Phonik, April 5 AngeLight, April 9 Hipshack, April 11 Men's Shelter of Charlotte Fundraiser, April 13 Nelo and Melodime, April 15 Copious Jones, April 16

All home games played at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte. For tics: www.charlottecheckers.com. Above: Checkmates

Best Wine Tasting

GOOD AS IT GETS Cu at 131 Main

by Renee Wright and Linda George

These Prowler fans are enjoying an evening at the Cu [Copper] Bar at 131 Main, winner of our Best Wine Tasting award. This little cocktail lounge with a huge copper bar is located next to 131 Main on East Boulevard and hosts once-a-month events featuring liberal pours of small batch wines dispensed by knowledgeable wine reps. To gowith, the kitchen at 131 Main provides an ample buffet featuring its famous, fall-off-thebone tender baby back ribs, house-smoked salmon, chocolate covered strawberries, and much more. Cu recently added a monthly Spirits Tasting to its lineup, showcasing bourbons, tequilas and other spirits, along with unique drinks created by cocktail wizard Amy. Visit www.131-main.com or call (704) 343-0131 for details. (On the Prowl hint: Ask how you can get a 131 Club Card and receive free invites to all of Cu’s tasting events.)

131-main.com Follow this page for more of the Best of Charlotte Award Winners. Submit your suggestions for Best to info@prowlermagazine.com.

Your Charlotte Bobcats Are Hard At Work, On Track For An NBA Playoff Appearance. Keep Your Eyes On Big Al...

Al Jefferson #25 Gerald Henderson #9 Rufus Lynx MASCOT #6 Cody Zeller #40 Josh McRoberts #11 Kemba Walker #15

Harrah’s Cherokee Great Smoky Mountains, NC

Pair-A-Dice Travel turns 20, celebrates 20 years of amazing casino getaways.

I

magine a vacation where your food, beverages, rooms and show tickets, maybe even your travel, is free.

Pretty great, right? But this is no fantasy. It’s what many of the customers of Pair-A-Dice Travel faithful enjoy on every trip.

Pair-A-Dice Travel was founded twenty years ago with one main goal of providing customers with the most casino complimentaries their play affords. Pair-A-Dice Travel specializes in trips to casinos around the world—and in helping its customers get the most rewards possible for their play. With a terrific selection of destinations, and now casino

cruises, Pair-A-Dice has grown to be one of the largest independent casino representatives in the country.

Janet and Ed Sander, the founders of Pair-A-Dice, had their first trip, a charter to Biloxi, Mississipp, in October 1993. Today Pair-A-Dice offers charter flights (big and small), individual and group getaways on commercial air carriers like US Airways and American Airlines, casino cruises and luxury motor coach service. Guests can choose from the largest selection of destinations (over 60) and four cruise lines with sailing ports all around the world, too.

Does a complimentary

by

trip to the Caribbean sound good? How about New Orleans, Atlantic City, Tunica, MS or Las Vegas? With over 60 fantastic destinations to choose from you are sure to find a place to suit your fancy. Pair-A-Dice trips visit Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Biloxi, New Orleans and Tunica casinos regularly, aboard charter and commercial flights, but go far beyond to include trips to Puerto Rico, the islands of the Caribbean and Mexico. Guests can select visits to legendary properties such as the Buffalo Thunder

Renee Wright Resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Greenbrier in West Virginia, and Atlantis Paradise Island, Jewel of the Bahamas.

Luxury Motorcoach was added in 2013 and business has been booming. “Luxury Motorcoach service has exploded since we introduced it last year.

It’s convenient to many of our clients. Scheduled trips to Harrah’s Cherokee in the North Carolina mountains leave regularly from Charlotte and Greenville, SC. “Our business to Harrah’s Cherokee has boomed,” says Ed Sander. “So much so that we have hired two people just

for our Cherokee business.

Kim, our Cherokee Individual Trip Specialist, and Roy, our Motorcoach Specialist, have been very busy since the expansion.

Harrah’s Cherokee in the North Carolina mountains has completed a $650 million expansion, which added the Mandara Spa offering Balinese healing treatments, a rotunda with two 70-foot waterfalls, an additional residential hotel tower and a 3,000-seat concert hall. Dining options are expanded with a food court, the deluxe Chef’s Stage Buffet with food from around the world, as well as new locations of Brio Tuscan Grille and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, both familiar from the Charlotte scene.

The casino’s gaming area was expanded as well, adding a no-smoking section and a wide range of table games, from blackjack to poker, played with real cards, not a digital version, for the first time in NC. “Harrah’s Cherokee did a wonderful job on the expan-

sion,” Ed Sander says. “We have booked Cherokee drive up reservations for about 11 years.

We still have customers say they didn’t know they could call Pair-A-Dice to book their room when they drive up to Harrah’s Cherokee! We are able to do so much for them when they realize this. I have to say that Harrah’s Cherokee did a nice job on the upgrades. In my opinion, it’s one of the top properties we represent now.”

Some 10,000 people travel with Pair-A-Dice every year.

What are their favorite trips?

“Our Atlantic City, Tunica, Biloxi and Bahamas charters have been around for a long time and they continue to fill up,” Janet Sander says. “As for Ed and me, our tops are probably New Orleans, Cherokee, cruises and the Caribbean.”

Casinos are known for the perks they offer frequent players, but you don’t have to be a high roller to take advantage of “complimentaries” on a Pair-ADice Travel trip.

“Most of our clientele are

the middle players,” Ed Sander says. “We have a lot of singles and many couples who travel with us three or four times a year.”

The Sanders have developed strong relationships with the casinos their trips visit, enabling them to offer special exclusive travel enhancements to guests. “Our customers can visit properties for the first time and enjoy casino discounts and complimentaries before they begin play as an example,” Janet says. “We believe customers continue to travel with us because they know us and can

trust us to provide them with good service and a memorable, fun trip every time.”

“Our customers get to visit new properties and enjoy casino comps and discounts even before they begin play,” Janet says.

“When you travel with us, you are assured to receive every possible benefit available.”

For additional information on Pair-A-Dice Travel, and upcoming trips, Prowler Magazine readers can call (704) 542-7772 or visit www.mycasinotravel.com.

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi, Mississippi

Prowler fans! Help us celebrate 20 great years of amazing cruises and vacations from the Carribbean to the Gulf Coast, from Atlantic City to Europe—these smiling faces have hosted hundreds of hot casino tours and always delivered a winning trip! We’re pleased to have Pair-A-Dice Travel participating in Prowler Magazine and Go! See! Do! Events “Everyone’s A Winner!” program—many lucky readers have won great trips. Are you next? Visit the Prowler Magazine exhibit at major Charlotte events and register. Or book your vacation today at www.mycasinotravel.com. Happy 20th Anniversary Pair-A-Dice!

Pair-A-Dice Travel, ESPN 730 and Charlotte Prowler Magazine made one happy fan out of “Casey I.” of Charlotte. Casey registered in the “Everyone’s A Winner!” Program at the Panther PLAYOFF Pep Rally at The Epicentre and won a dream trip for two!

NOW in PROWLER MAGAZINE

Monthly insight by the man who wrote the book on Charlotte, literally

Sports and Recreation in Charlotte and the Piedmont Region

by Greg Greenawalt

A U T H O R O F D E S T I N AT I O N C H A R L OT T E , T H E B O O K

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA the 18th largest City in the U.S. is a big league sports town and Charlottean’s are always ready for competition. Football, basketball, baseball, softball, hockey. lacrosse, soccer, NASCAR racing, drag racing, hiking, road and mountain biking, swimming, diving, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, sailing, power boating, rowing, golfing, running, triathlons, marathons, ice skating, kayaking, white water rafting, canoeing, rugby, tennis, volleyball, boxing, wrestling, Frisbee golf, wake boarding, wind surfing, table tennis, darts, lawn bowling, water and snow skiing you will find it all in the Charlotte area. Our mild climate averages 214 days of sunshine annually and allows for year-round sports and recreational activities. No matter if you are a serious athlete, sports fan or just someone that enjoys outdoor activities and competition among friends you will find a multitude of professional, collegiate, amateur and recreational sports to enjoy throughout the year.

THE BIG LEAGUES Pro and Semi-Pro Teams and Events CAROLINA PANTHERS NFL (August-January) www.panthers.com CHARLOTTE BOBCATS NBA (October- April) www.nba.com/bobcats WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP PGA TOUR April 28- May 4, 2014 www.wellsfargochampionship.com GREATER HICKORY CLASSIC PGA Champions Tour (October 2014) www.greaterhickoryclassic.com CHARLOTTE EAGLES SOCCER USL (April-August) www.charlotteeagles.com CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS BASEBALL AAA Minor league (April- September) web.minorleaguebaseball.com CHARLOTTE CHECKERS HOCKEY AHL (October-April) www.gocheckers.com CHARLOTTE HOUNDS LACROSSE (April-August) www.charlottehounds.com NOVANT HEALTH INVITATIONAL CRITERIUM BIKE RACE April 12, 2014 www.charlottecriterium.org QUEENS CUP STEEPLECHASE April 26, 2014 www.queenscup.org BASS PRO SHOPS BASSMASTER CLASSIC Southern Open Fishing Tournament Lake Norman October 2-4, 2014 www.bassmaster.com/open2014

W W W. D E S T I N AT I O N C H A R L OT T E T H E B O O K . C O M

COLLEGE BALL Collegiate Athletics and Tournaments UNC CHARLOTTE 49ERS Atlantic 10 Conference www.charlotte49ers.com DAVIDSON WILDCATS Southern Conference www.davidsonwildcats.com JOHNSON C. SMITH GOLDEN BULLS CIAA Conference www. goldenbullsports.com QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE Royals Conference Carolinas www.queensathletics.com WINGATE BULLDOGS South Atlantic Conference www.wingatebulldogs.com WINTHROP EAGLES Big South Conference www.winthropeagles.com JOHNSON AND WALES WILDCATS Great Northeast Athletic Conference http://charlotte.jwuathletics.com BELK BOWL Bank of America Stadium, December www.belkbowl.com DR. PEPPER ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BOA Stadium, December www.accfootballcharlotte.com CIAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT February 23-28, 2014 www.ciaatournament.org

Sailing, NASCAR, US National Whitewater Center, Charlotte Checkers and ZMax Dragway, and there’s more...

NASCAR and Other Racing Events Charlotte Motor Speedway and Z Max Drag Strip NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE May 17, 2014 NASCAR COCA COLA 600 May 25,2014 NASCAR BANK OF AMERICA 500 October 11,2014 NHRA FOUR WIDE NATIONALS April 11-13, 2014 CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY 2014 EVENTS www.charlottemotorspeedway.com CHARLOTTE DIRT TRACK 2014 EVENTS www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/dirt Z MAX DRAG STRIP 2014 EVENTS www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/dragway

To read more about Charlotte, past, present and future, be sure to pick-up your copy of Greg Greenawalt’s beautiful book Destination Charlotte, available at favorite booksellers or at www.DestinationCharlotteTheBook.com

AMATEUR ATHLETICS and Competitions MECKLENBURG AQUATIC CENTER MAC ULTRA Swim Meet May 15-18, 2014 www.charlotteultraswim.com THUNDER ROAD MARATHON November 2014 www.runcharlotte.com/races-marathon.htm LAKE NORMAN TRIATHLON August 17, 2014 www.ymcacharlotte.org CAROLINA CARDINALS East Coast Fireworks Girls Fast Pitch Softball Tournament June 27-29, 2014 www.carolinacardinals.com U.S. NATIONAL WHITE WATER CENTER Olympic Trials Men’s and Women’s Whitewater Kayak and Canoe March 28-30 2014 www.usnwc.org/2011/12

CHARLOTTE SPORTS CLUBS and Recreational Organizations CHARLOTTE RUGBY CLUB www.charlotterugby.com CHARLOTTE TENNIS ASSOCIATION www.charlotte.usta.com CHARLOTTE SPORTS COMMISSION www.charlottesports.org SAILING LAKE NORMAN YACHT CLUB www.lnyc.org/ SAILING LAKE WYLIE CATAWBA YACHT www.catawbayc.org/ CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG PARKS AND RECREATION www.charmeck.org/mecklenburg/.../ParkandRec/Parks/ YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE www.charmeck.org/mecklenburg/.../ParkandRec/Parks/.../default.asp CAROLINAS FIGURE SKATING CLUB www.carolinasfsc.org/ CHARLOTTE BOXING ACADEMY www.charlotteboxing.org/ CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB www.touchdownclub.com SNOW SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING Boone N.C. www.onthesnow.com/boon/skireport.html

M O R E > > W W W. D E S T I N AT I O N C H A R L OT T E T H E B O O K . C O M

2014 What’s the best way to get fit in CLT? Do you want to bike, hike, work out in a gym, swim, dance, lift a kettlebell, or swing on a trapeze? The options in Charlotte are endless. With Spring on the horizon, we offer this list of favorite facilities and the hottest fitness trends compiled by our editorial staff to get you moving. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to vote for your nominees for best fitness clubs and activities on ESPN 730 Radio, with WCCB TV THE CW and with Charlotte Prowler Magazine.

By

RENEE WRigHT

Best Private Club Uptown Charlotte Athletic Club

www.charlotteathleticclub.com

if you have deep pockets, this lux club strategically located in the Bank of America Plaza building has everything—and we do mean everything—you need to keep fit, from squash, racquetball and basketball courts, weight training, personal trainers, a spin studio and a wide variety of classes to a spa, sauna and steamrooms, laundry service and more.

Best Daily Fee Uptown Health Club Childress Klein YMCA www.ymcacharlotte.org you don’t need to be a member to enjoy the amenities at this branch of the y in One Wells Fargo Center. The guest fee ($10/day, $20/week) gives you access to an indoor heated swimming pool, indoor running track, state-ofthe-art fitness center and more.

Best Place to Swim Laps Meck. County Aquatic Center www.parkandrec.com One of the gems of the county park system, this facility just a few blocks from up-

Serious Swim Time at Meck. Aquatic Center

town offers a wealth of water options including an Olympicsize lap pool, a heated pool with handicapped access, and a hot tub for adults only, plus a fitness center, kayak classes, swim lessons, water polo and aqua-exercise classes. Meck-

lenburg County residents can use the facility for $5 a day, with lower prices for kids and seniors.

Best Year-Round Water Park Ray’s Splash Planet www.rayssplashplanet.com Another facility operated by the county park system, this indoor waterpark with a lazy river, water slides, heated pools and more, is a godsend for parents with water-loving kids. A favorite for birthday parties, school holidays and summer camp, Splash Planet offers a day full of fun at fees ranging from $3 to $8 for Mecklenburg County residents.

Best Indoor Playground Sports Connection Family Entertainment Center

www.sportsconnectionnc.com

This huge facility in the Ballantyne neighborhood offers a wide range for fun things to keep every member of the family active, including an inflatable bounce zone for the youngest set, laser tag and video games for teens, and bowling, indoor rock climbing and a ropes course for the whole family. There’s a snack bar on-site as well, plus free WiFi. Best Health Club for Families YMCA www.ymcacharlotte.org With 19 different locations throughout Mecklenburg County, the yMCA of greater Charlotte can’t be beat for its convenience or wide variety of classes and facilities, including pools, gyms, fitness centers, and more. it’s reasonably priced as well, with monthly fees based on a sliding income scale that cover free access to hundreds of group exercise classes, all yMCA pools and gyms, personal training, and participation in y-sponsored sports leagues.

Best Place to Paddle/Bike U.S. National Whitewater Center www.usnwc.org Challenge yourself in kayak, raft or paddleboard on the man-made whitewater course, or paddle the flatwater on the Catawba River at this unique facility just west of town. The Whitewater Center also has 20 miles of challenging mountain bike trails that are free to ride.

Best Place to Ride Horses Latta Plantation Equestrian Center

www.lattaequestriancenter.com

Enjoy trail rides around the 1300-acre Latta Plantation Nature Preserve year-round.

The stable also offers pony rides, sunset dinner rides, therapeutic riding, and more.

One of four Charlotte locations, the Modern Salon & Spa in the Hearst Building uptown offer a lunch-time Executive Suite package for men with a one-hour massage, Modern Man mani/pedi, and lunch.

Best Day Spa The Spa At Ballantyne www.theballantynehotel.com Unique nature-based treatments at the spa inside the Ballantyne Hotel include daylong access to the property’s pools, both indoor and outdoor, sauna, Jacuzzi, steam rooms and fitness facility.

Best MedSpa Voci Spa www.vocispa.com Charlotte’s first medical skincare facility continues to lead

THIS IS THE GOOD LIFE—The SPA at BALLANTYNE Best Inexpensive Massages Zen Massage Center

www.zenmassagecharlotte.com

When you need a massage fast, this Dilworth massage center can fill the need seven days a week, with no memberships or contracts required. Best of all, the one-hour signature Zen Swedish Massage costs just $49.95 all the time.

Best Men’s Spa Services In Uptown Modern Salon and Spa

www.modernsalonandspa.com

the pack, offering only medically tested and FDA-approved services, including facial fillers, laser treatments, microdermabrasion and endermologie, in addition to more traditional spa treatments.

Best Investment in Stress Relief Massage Envy www.massageenvy.com A low-cost monthly membership at Massage Envy includes a customized massage every month, low rates on fa-

cials and other treatments for yourself and your family, and discounted prices on Murad products at one of the five Charlotte area locations, or any of the 950 Massage Envy centers in North America.

Best of all, unused massages roll over, so you never lose out on your benefits.

Most Creative Hair Styles Planet 21 Salon www.planet21salon.com Founded in 1998, and dedicated solely to styling hair, Planet 21 offers the latest trends in haircutting and coloring. Hairdressers at the three Charlotte locations

Best Fitness “Seen” The Booty Loop www.24hoursofbootty.org Join Charlotte’s most beautiful bods as they jog, bike and rollerblade through the shady streets of Myers Park. The 2.8-mile Loop is the scene of Charlotte’s most renowned charity biking event, the 24 Hours of Booty, held annually in July. See the map on the event’s website, and remember to go clockwise—it’s all right turns, no slowing down for lights or to cross streets.

Best Greenway for a Run Little Sugar Creek Greenway www.parkandrec.com

PLANET 21 SALON DELIVERS LUX STYLE learn both British and French haircutting techniques and train at the Wella Studios in NyC to keep up with emerging styles in haircolor.

Best Place for a Body Tune-Up Re Salon and Med Spa

www.resalonandmedspa.com

This spa in the Old Dilworth Fire Station combines traditional spa and salon treatments with medspa body improvements under the supervision of a licensed cosmetic surgeon. get your skin tightened, your wrinkles decreased, your face resurfaced, your hair styled, your teeth whitened all under one roof.

2014

Easily the most scenic of Charlotte’s greenways, this paved path runs for more than 4 miles from East 7th Street near CPCC to Brandywine Road near Park Road Shopping Center, passing along the way the Capt. Jack statue, Freedom Park, and the Charlotte Nature Museum. Stop for refreshments at Metropolitan Square.

Best Gym for Triathlon Training Pride Conditioning www.prideconditioning.com This Plaza-Midwood gym’s Special Ops Team Run group cross-trains for triathlons, marathons, and endurance runs of all kinds, including

Duke Energy’s Race to the Top stair climb.

Hottest Running Fad Mud Runs www.mudrunguide.com The latest in obstacle and endurance runs, mud runs are sweeping the country and North Carolina is leading the charge. With events named things like Spartan Sprint, Rugged Maniac, Dirty girl, Warrior Dash, and Tough Mudder (all scheduled in NC for 2014), you get the feeling that the competition is tough and—well—dirty.

Best Hiking Trails near Charlotte Crowders Mountain St.Park www.ncparks.gov At this state park, the closest to Charlotte, you can climb to the top of Crowders Mountain for a 25-mile view, hike along the ridgeline into South Carolina, or master the King’s Pinnacle, highest spot in gaston County. The easy Lake Trail is a popular spot for walking your dog.

Best Hiking Trails in Charlotte Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve www.parkandrec.com This county park located in near UNCC has over 10 miles

RE SALON + MED SPA of trails dedicated for hikers use only, the most in the park system, crossing a wide variety of terrain, as well as a nature center and historic ruins.

METRO BALLROOM

Best Underground Hiking Reed Gold Mine www.nchistoricsites.org Trails at this free historic site in nearby Cabarrus County lead through the old gold mine tunnels. you can also pan for gold here.

Best Night Hiking McDowell Nature Preserve www.parkandrec.com McDowell, on the shores of Lake Wylie, offers monthly Hiker’s Palate programs for adults featuring evening hikes or kayak paddles followed by a meal around a campfire, as well as Full Moon Hikes for all ages.

Best Ballroom Dance Studio Metropolitan Ballroom www.metropolitan-ballroom.com if you’d rather get your exercise pounding a parquet floor, Metropolitan is a good place to get acquainted with ballroom dance. individual and group lessons are offered here at reasonable rates with no long term commitment.

Best Special Sporting Events Rural Hill www.ruralhill.net This unique park just north of town features many unique events, including sporting events for both humans and dogs. Annual events include the Loch Norman Highland games with traditional Scottish field events, the Warrior Dash, the Amazing Maize Maze every fall, the First Footin’ walk and trail run on

As Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, as Superman’s Pa on Smallville and Jim Cryer from The Haves and Have Nots, John Schneider has been an important part of American pop culture for over four decades.

Q&A

with PSY-KO SMILEY

Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: Does it bother you, that with all you’ve done, you are probably most recognized and known for being Bo Duke?

John Schneider: That’s a big assumption. It actually depends on the age of the person seeing me. Many folks call me Jonathan Kent from Smallville. Many more, lately, believe I’m Jim Cryer from the Haves and the Have Nots.

Soon they will call me the guy who made the most successful Horror/Comedy of all time!

MMP: Do you think a show like Dukes of Hazzard could work today? Do you think a regular network would carry it or would it have to go cable?

JS: Dukes is working today. It’s very successful on CMT. I think networks have changed to the extent that they would never take a chance on a show as expensive as Dukes. We were a 1.2 million show in 1979!

MMP: You, along with Marie Osmond, founded the Childrens Miracle Network in 1983. Are you amazed at what it has grown in to? Is it over-

whelming to think about what a difference your organization has made to so many children and their families?

JS: The success of CMT humbles me beyond words. Being a father myself, I know that we need all the help we can get even when our kiddos are healthy. Much more when health issues are entered into the equation.

MMP: Actor/Singer/Writer/Director/Stage Actor - Which hat is your favorite?

JS: I have to combine two... writer/director is my favorite designation/hat. This combo allows me to see the inspiration through from flash to finish.

MMP: Was writing & directing just a natural progression from acting, or was it always your goal and acting the means to an end?

JS: The writing and directing was always the goal. Acting is more of a means to the end. I wrote and directed the last episode of Dukes. Thought I’d do it again before this!

MMP: Is it hard as an actor to jump between the more Christian projects like I Am Gabriel or October Baby, to the sci fi/horror projects such as Ogre or Supershark?

JS: It’s not really hard to jump from one to the other. It’s all play and great fun much like summer stock in the old days.

MMP: You’re kind of known for very uplifting, wholesome values films. How did you decide to make the jump to a horror film? Are you a horror fan?

JS: Smothered is something that’s been lurking in the back of my mind for decades. Remember... The films I have done in the past have been means for other people to realize their dreams. I was a cog in their wheel... from now on I am concentrating on my wheel. The stories in my mind are dark and hopeful. I’m told you have to look really hard for the puppy dogs and fluffy clouds in my screenplays... but they are in there!

MMP: Did you catch any backlash from any fans for making a movie like Smothered which is so different from what you’ve done before?

JS: Some folks want to keep you in the little box they cre-

ate for you. As artists... Our job is to make sure they never have a chance to close the lid.

MMP: I, among many others I’m sure, are really looking forward to the premier of Smothered. How did you ever get so many horror icons involved?

JS: I am honored to say that all of the icons I sent the script to responded favorably right away. In fact... to a man they said “Why hasn’t anyone done this before? This is great!”

Then it’s just a matter of schedule and the deal.

MMP: If you could put on the mask of any horror icon and play the part who would it be?

JS: Like a lot of people... clowns freak me out. We created an angry clown called Colonel Wilson (the polar opposite of Captain Spaulding).

That’s who I would be.

John’s new horror movie “Smothered” premieres at the Mad Monster Party Friday, March 21st at the University Hilton in Charlotte, NC. Join us at this Red Carpet event! Visit www.TheMadMonsterParty.com to get your tickets now.

Q&A

with RANDY STIMPSON

Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: Did you consider that you might actually have made a great radio DJ in the age of great radio DJs? Adrienne Barbeau: I’ve always said being a DJ seems to me the greatest job ever. You don’t have to dress up, wear make-up, or endure the elements for an outside shoot. And you get to listen to music non-stop!

MMP: Creepshow, directed by Stephen Spielberg with special effects by Mad Monster Party guest Tom Savini)… how does an actress that is a poster model adapt to becoming a victim, ghoul or just plan undead?

AB: I rarely get cast as a victim, but I had a great time playing my first zombie in Alice Jacobs is Dead. The real adapting came when I had to eat the raw meat - I’m a vegetarian.

MMP: Escape from NY with Kurt Russell (Snake Pliskin) and (a guest here at the Mad Monster Party, Ox Baker) was a heavy, dark political statement with some characters we hadn’t seen before. An early comic book movie that was camp at it’s best —Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing a leading lady Alex Cable (Adrienne Barbeau). You’ve referred to this as a sort of Beauty and the Beast.

AB: Actually I can’t think of another film I’ve done where I was pined for by anyone - beast or human. Swamp Thing may have been my first on screen romance. My characters don’t end up in love scenes as a rule. I mean...Billie, in Creepshow?

MMP: Fans couldn’t get enough of

Adrienne Barbeau…it seems you were essential to movies as you rose to stardom! Was there a point where you realized you were the IT girl for movies and horror in particular?

AB: It wasn’t until I began attending horror conventions that I realized how memorable some of my characters were and how the films I did in the early 80s were still fans’ favorites.

MMP: Your career has been almost ideal…you’ve starred in sitcoms, movies and even won a Tony award for your take on Rizzo in the Broadway Musical “Grease”… did you ever imagine you would be doing all of this in a lifetime? How did you make the move to Broadway?

AB: I started acting on stage when I was a teen-ager, so that when time came to see if I could make it a career, theatre was all I knew and all I considered. I moved to New York and began auditioning for musical comedies. Tevye’s daughter Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof was my first Broadway role. Then Broadway led to television and television led to film. But I never thought about the what the future might hold; I was just overjoyed to be earning a living doing something I love. The last “job” I had was as a discotheque dancer back in 1967. I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life since then — it’s all been pure pleasure.

MMP: A quick thought about your appearances in the 70s and 80s most popular TV shows?

MMP: Fantasy Island AB: I did the pilot of Fantasy Island,

playing a Polly Bergen type CEO of a make-up company (if I remember correctly) and then later, I did two more episodes. I played Marie Antoinette in one and a 200 lb. woman in the other. That was great fun because I worked with Tim Thomerson. We have since done three films together and he’s so much fun, whenever I hear he’s cast, I immediately consider signing.

MMP: and then, there’s Maude….

AB: I write all about my years on Maude in my first book There Are Worse Things I Could Do. That show shaped my life in so many ways, I needed a whole chapter to really tell the tale. It remains one of the greatest joys of my life.

MMP: Your voice was a star by itself as the heroin Stevie Wayne in The Fog. It seems your sultry and recognizable voice has had a career of it’s own: Batman: Arkham Asylum Video Game, God of War, Catwoman and Judge Dredd. Are there new voices in your head for upcoming animated projects?

AB: I’ve done several more video games that are in the finishing stages of production. Dr. Tilson in Halo 4 was my first experience with motion capture and I really enjoyed that. Again, it’s one of those jobs where I don’t have to worry about hair and make-up! But the voices I use for animation, or commercials, or video games really spring from the words on the page. I’m not one of those incredibly talented voice actors who have twenty or thirty characters in their repertoire just waiting to be heard. That’s a talent I’m in awe of. What I am good at, maybe because reading is my great love, is putting books on tape and doing hours long narrations. I can record a full length novel in six hours. Lately I’ve been video cap-

tioning films and documentaries for the blind. Although I spend more time reading the script and watching the time code than I do looking at the screen, it gives me a chance to see films I’d probably never see in a theater.

MMP: Cannonball Run...

AB: Again, this is a chapter - well, more than one, really, because I dated Burt (Reynolds) long before we did Cannonball Run - in my memoir. Suffice it to say, the audience had more fun watching the film than I did making it. But I loved working with Dom and Dean and, especially, Roger Moore.

MMP: The as-of-yet unreleased Bring Me The Head of Lance Henrickson—sounds interesting…

AB: Tim Thomerson doesn’t really want Lance’s head — he wants his career! I haven’t seen the final cut yet, but I think you’ll be laughing.

MMP: Recently you’ve done stints on some of our favorite shows— CSI: New York, and Sons of Anarchy...

AB: I’m filming an episode of Criminal Minds right now and I’m not so sure you’d call my character charming, but I’m sure having a good time with her. In fact, all the women I’ve played lately, in CSI:New York, and Sons of Anarchy, and Revenge, are pretty nasty characters. There’s something really satisfying about getting inside them and understanding what makes them the way they are.

Fans can get more of Mrs. Barbeau right now by grabbing her latest novel Love Bites, which is available as an ebook (and hardcover, but easier to download digitally) on Amazon. She is also on FB and Twitter (@abarbeau).

In her groundbreaking role in perhaps the ultimate Grindhouse-style shocker, Camille Keaton portrayed the model for survivalist females in movies and television that reign supreme even today. It’s been remade, but never outdone. Will this role endure indefinitely?

Q&A

with MARK BARANOWSKI

Mark Baranowski, special to Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: Were you always interested in acting, or did your first opportunity come to you by chance?

Camille Keaton: When I was a little girl playing with my movie star paper dolls, I was thinking, “I want to wear that gown and look like her... .. Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor,” etc. That’s when I first wanted to become an actress.

Eventually, I planned to run off to Hollywood, but this idea was sidetracked by a car accident. Instead, a couple years later I took off for Rome, Italy. I had seen some Clint Eastwood westerns (Sergio Leone) and decided Europe was the way to go. While there, I learned to speak Italian and was introduced to various fascinating cultures.

MB: Although you’ve appeared in several important genre films since the early 70’s, you’re surely best remembered‚ and revered‚ for 1978’s I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (aka Day of the Woman). Much of the film is quite brutal as it depicts not only the ordeal your character must endure, but also that of your tormentors as you exact your revenge. What attracted you to the project, and did you find it difficult to play such a demanding role?

CK: I took on the role of Jennifer Hills in I Spit On Your Grave for different reasons. One reason was that I would have the opportunity to express a wide range of emotions, the happy “girl next door”, the victim and then the villain.

This was a demanding character to play. There was nothing easy about filming “Grave”. This was an opportunity that came my way via the trade paper, Backstage. Usually you make your own opportunities in my experience.

MB:The males in the film show little restraint or compassion while they repeatedly abuse your character on-screen. How was your relationship with these actors behind the camera? Did any of them make you truly uncomfortable and especially anxious to get the required scenes over with?

CK: It has been pointed out to me that the rapists show no restraint and compassion. Well, what rapist does? Although “Mathew” allowed me to live, he was a part of the action and therefore guilty too in the detached mind of vigilante Jennifer. And speaking of other characters and actors, we all got along well on the set of “Grave” and respected each other. We concentrated on our work.

MB:My wife, Ryli Morgan, and I produce our films together; something oftentimes easier said than done. Since you later married Meir Zarchi, writer/producer/director of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, was this film a similar partnership between the two of you? Were you his only choice to play the lead character, and did watching you do so ever make him uncomfortable during the shoot?

CK: The part of Jennifer Hills came down to three actors. There

were many call-backs and auditions. That’s how I came to know Meir Zarchi, the director. When you work with someone you are close to, I find being professional becomes more challenging. You know what buttons to push.

There isn’t that distance between you that you would have otherwise had. Sometimes that works well and other times it doesn’t work..

MB: Do you ever regret doing the film? In other words, do you feel it might have limited subsequent job offers of a more, mainstream nature?

CK: Was “Grave” a bad choice?

Did it affect my career? I think not. First of all it “slept” for years.

So few people knew about it. It takes a lot to mess up ones career or to make the most of a career.

An actor needs to be 150% devoted and dedicated, thickskinned, and aggressive. Treat your career lovingly and give it all your focus. When I remarried, I put my career aside to concentrate on my marriage. (don’t do that).

MB: Do you welcome offers from independent filmmakers to appear in their films? If folks such as Ryli and myself could entice you to be a part of an upcoming project, what type of role(s) interest you most?

CK: I would like to play a vampire or ghost. That’s something I’ve never done... . fang up! Horror movies have changed considerably over the decades shifting the action of the actor to special effects and of course digital enhancements. One thing for sure, horror will always have an audience. We love them.

MB: What are your thoughts on horror conventions, based on your experiences so far? Anything they’re missing, or could do without?

CK: I always look forward to Horror Conventions. They are so much fun. People dress up and really use their imagination. There are contests. One thing we need for the conventions is wider promotion. Looking back to the conventions that I have been invited to, there is the first one that comes to mind. I didn’t know why I was there. A friend called me and said, “Camille, come to the Beverly Court on Saturday and bring some photos”. The next thing I know someone was explaining to me why they wanted my “John Doe”. I was thinking, “Oh yea, I made that movie.”

MB: Thanks so much for your time, Camille! We certainly hope you enjoy your visit to Charlotte... and that you have a blast at the Mad Monster Party!

CK: PS: We just did a documentary on the “making of “Grave”.

We can’t say when it is coming out. We don’t know. I am looking forward to coming to Mad Monster Party in Charlotte in a couple of weeks. Starting the countdown!

Mark Baranowski On Mark Productions createtolive.com

facebook.com/onmarkproductions twitter.com/OnMarkProds

That devious face in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez films is also the effects mastermind behind a thousand evil and tortured faces—the modern master of the macabre—who is living up to his idol (Tthe Man of 1,000 Faces) Lon Chaney, Sr.’s legend. He’s that good...

Q&A

with RANDY STIMPSON

Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: You’re known as The Godfather of Gore‚ a modern day heir to the Chaney throne of special effects and many faces. Let’s start with the early masterpieces. Dawn of the Dead 1978. Looking back on creative work sometimes gives us an outsider’ perspective... what are you proud of? What would you like to have done differently?

Tom Savini: There’s a lot I would do differently in Dawn of the Dead, especially the color of the zombies. Night of the Living Dead was in black and white and I thought if I just simply made all the zombies in Dawn gray that that was how you would know a zombie from a real person. but the lighting sometimes made them look blue or green and that is not my intention. In Day of the Dead I caught hell cause all the zombies looked different and that is how it should have been in Dawn. People rot and decay differently in real life depending on where they died, and how, and what ethnic group they belong to and that is what I did in Day. I would also like to see more “chunks of flesh” when a zombie bites someone. You know, more stretchy skin snapping kind of thing I did a lot in Day.

You don’t think you are part of some movement when you are doing something like Dawn, you are just doing your job the best that you can and for me that was killing people.

I remember the telegraph I got from George Romero telling me we were going to do Dawn. It just said...”Start thinking of ways to kill people...we got another gig.”

MMP: Creepshow—Bringing pulp comics to life far before Pulp Fiction. Were you a fan of comics?

TS: I was a fan of EC comics growing up so I knew what George was after...the biggest challenge was just simply doing this movie...it was five movies in one and it was just me and a 17 year old kid named Daryl Ferucci, who also played Fluffy..(the creature under the stairs in the crate) who did all the effects in all five movies. We created Fluffy, and Nates corpse, and the spectre in the window, and the water-logged walking dead Ted Danson and Gaylen Ross and so much other stuff including all the cockroach stuff.

EG Marshal was so great to work with but so was Hal Holbrook, and Fritz Weaver and of course Leslie Neilson, who had great Forbidden Planet stories.

Everyone was great. I’ve never

had to work with any jerks.

I’ve been lucky that everyone was so very much fun.

MMP: The movie that some say changed it all—the first splatter movie: Friday the 13th. Which scene comes to mind ?

TS: Probably cutting Betsey Palmer’s head off followed by driving an arrow through Kevin Bacon’s neck, and creating Jason’s look, and living at the camp and not some hotel with the cast and crew. Me and my assistant Taso Stavrakis actually lived at the camp. We had the lake, a boat, a motorcycle.....great fun.

MMP: Did you begin to feel like a rock star as this grew in popularity?

TS: There is a certain amount of joy that comes from inventing one of the most notorious serial killers in the franchise world of splatter movies. But again, you don’t know that when you are making this stuff, but yes...the fans make you feel like a rock star.

MMP: Scaring kids to death for generations...do you feel good about this (we do)?

TS: Of course I love to scare people. It’s what I do.

MMP: From Dusk ‘til Dawn— You stepped in front of the camera alongside a slithering Salma Hayek and grizzly Fred Ward to battle neck-tattooed Clooney and a drooling Taran-

tino—who named your character Sex Machine?

TS: Wasn’t that Quentin?

MMP: Did you design the crotch pistol?

TS: No, that was a left over prop from Desperado. They couldn’t get it to work on that movie and lucky me...they got it to work on Dusk...and I got to wear it.

MMP: Any injuries from firing?

TS: No, it was just flash paper that was fired through that thing.

MMP: You’ve directed, acted, and shared your incredible make-up skills with the world.

What’s next?

TS: Well, I am writing my biography, and there is a documentary I am helping create called Smoke and Mirrors about my life in the movies, and I am being courted to direct the next Friday the 13th movie, and possibly a remake of Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, and a movie I wrote called Death Island, and I’m off to play a Disney villain later this month, and I am constantly painting and sculpting.

MMP:Your children and grandchildren‚ one named Lon and one named Chaney—will they carry the torch?

TS: Maybe my grandson James will carry it on as far as Make-up Effects. He is very interested in the magic of it all.....

Q&A

with RANDY STIMPSON

Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: It appears that the magnificent mind that your father Rod Serling so generously shared with all of us has been passed along to his beloved daughter. Your moving tribute to your father—As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling— has received praise from critics and the public alike—with an Amazon highest rating of 5 stars—and some emotional responses to this father/daughter tale.

AS: Thank you!

MMP: To Anne Serling, the imposing figure the public saw hosting The Twilight Zone each week, intoning cautionary observations about fate, chance, and humanity, was not the father she knew. Her fun-loving dad would play on the floor with the dogs, had nicknames for everyone in the family, and was apt to put a lampshade on his head and break out in song. He was her best friend, her playmate, and her confidant. (From Amazon.com) For many children, the weight of being the daughter or son of a superstar talent can be crushing. Your bond seems to have transcended such pitfalls and provides all engaged an uplifting experience. Sharing your father/daughter expe-

riences from a starting point of loss—his unexpected death at 50, when you were just 20—to an ultimately heart-warming and insightful tale of the man we all have watched and listened to intently for so many years is quite an accomplishment. We would recommend the book for anyone who loves The Twilight Zone or simply any father or daughter. It’s beautiful.

Q & A for our readers if you will:

MMP: You mention memories summoned by a certain light, color or smell...give us a few associations?

AS: We still own the cottage that I talk about in the book. It was built by my great and great great grandfathers on my mother’s side. The passage that you mention has to do with all of those memories there, where we spent every summer. Sometimes it’s like no time has passed—the smell of the lake and of freshly cut grass; memories of my dad in the hammock, boat rides, playing miniature golf at sunset. All very specific to summers there, and even now, so present.

MMP: The prolific tales of

warning from your father and sci-fi collaborators of the day stunned audiences on The Twilight Zone. Was there a specific episode that scares you still today?

AS: “The Dummy” and “Talky Tina” –whose title is actually “Living Doll.” My dad didn’t write that one, but it still scares the hell out of me. I suppose that some of the episodes are still frightening in the sense that many were prophetic and still so relevant today. Nuclear war (“Time Enough At Last”) “The Obsolete Man”…The end of civilization as we know it. “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” is timeless. There is a program in Binghamton where all of the fifth graders watch “The Twilight Zone” and learn about prejudice, scapegoating, mob mentality, etc. When one of the teachers showed the “Monster” episode, she asked: “Who are the monsters?” and the entire class stood up.

But, I don’t think I would actually characterize “The Twilight Zone” as “scary.” They’re more— messages. My dad said, “It’s a writer’s job to menace the public’s conscience” and he told some of his students: “The massive fear is not being able to trust self; the worst fear of all is the fear of the unknown working on you, which you cannot share with others.”

MMP: Do you have memories

of discussion/writing of specific episodes? Which one(s)?

AS: The only one I specifically remember discussing was a Night Gallery “Clean Trophies and Other Kills.” I had a friend whose father was a hunter. He went on safaris and would slaughter these beautiful creatures and then bring home their body parts to use for various accessories in his house.

(Tables, ashtrays, rugs, etc.) the house was so full, many of these “parts” were stored in the garage. Anyway, both my dad and I had a particular antipathy toward hunting and in this Night Gallery episode, we discussed the ending, what comeuppance this hunter should get—his head on the wall.

MMP: What memories of the enigmatic actors/actresses of the day stand out in your mind?

AS: Oh there were so many excellent actors. Some that come to mind are: Robert Redford, Ed Wynn, Jack Klugman, Buster Keaton, James Dean, Vincent Price, Burt Lancaster, Burt Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, William Shatner, and Ron Howard.

MMP: He worked with Gleason, Shatner, Rooney and dozens of other tremendous stars? Do you have memories of interactions on the set or with specific actors?

AS: No. I only went to the set

once and I was only four years old. My sister and I were very shielded from the whole “Hollywood” life. Most of my parent’s friends were writers or producers. I do remember, though, Betty White coming to our house. She and my dad were great friends. She was lovely. I recall that she loved our dogs.

Also, I begged my dad to meet Shari Lewis. She brought “Lamb Chop” to dinner (not for dinner!)

MMP: Night Gallery, a darker, more horror-based show was one of our favorites (we Mad Monster Party folks) —is there an episode that is your favorite?

Your father’s favorite?

AS: My favorite and my dad’s, too, was “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar.” It’s a nostalgic, biographical piece, similar to the Twilight Zone episode “Walking Distance.” Both truly represent my father’s writing at its absolute best, and both evoke the theme of going backward and going home again.

Randolph Lane, the main character in the story, lives on Bennett Avenue, just like my dad. Lane was also a paratrooper in World War II. And, like my dad, he has a preoccupation with the past and a particular sense of nostalgia and infinite longing.

MMP: Your Dad is remembered for narrating to glued audiences around the World. What tale was he most proud of?

AS: “Patterns” certainly launched my dad’s career and he was proud of “Requiem For A Heavyweight.” My father was a very humble man. In an interview, when asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said, “Oh, just that they can say, ‘He was a writer.” That’s sufficiently an honored position for me.”

MMP: Rod Serling’s big screen opus—Planet of the Apes—was laden with political and social commentary, yet was one of the epic movies of all time. Give us some insight into the environment and thoughts of the man who created this masterpiece of modern thought and film?

AS: “Planet of The Apes” was based on a novel written by Pierre Boulle. My dad’s first adaptation proved too expensive to produce. He really wanted to keep it true to the original story.

Another writer was brought on

HOLLYWOOD LANDS IN CHARLOTTE The Mad Monster Party 2014 DAY

board but the iconic ending my father’s.

MMP: If your father were alive today—what would he say to us through his work?

AS: He would continue to speak out about social issues and would be quite saddened that there is still so much prejudice in our world. The school shootings would have broken his heart. He would have been adamant about gun control. He also might have focused on politicians. In his final interview he was quoted as saying: “I’d love to be able to write an in-depth piece of what causes men like Nixon and Haldeman and Ehrlichman and all the rest of them not only to run, but what causes us to vote for them.”

MMP: Thank you—and your father for many, many great travels into thought and suspense.

AS: Thank you, Randy!

Anne has been published in The Twilight Zone, The Original Stories; and The Twilight Zone Magazine in which she adapted two of her father’s teleplays into short stories; she has had poetry published in The Cornell Daily Sun and Visions.

Her works have also appeared in Salon.com and Huffington Post and she is currently writing a novel: AFTERSHOCKS. (From Amazon.com)

EVENT

LOCATION

FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST 5:30pm R.I.P. Entry 6pm Show Opens 6:30-8:30 Shatner Auotgraphs TBD Shatner Photo Op 6:30 Rocky Horror Panel 8:11 Smothered Red Carpet 8:43 Smothered Begins 10:13 Smothered Q & A Midnight Gia Nova-Burlesque 10pm Bar-Skaraoke

University Burnham Tent Tent Tent Tent Tent Hotel

SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND 10:30am R.I.P. Entry 11am Show Opens 11:11 Forry Tribute Panel Tent 11am Shatner Autographs University 12:30pm Shatner Photo Op (til 1:15) Burnham 2pm Shatner Panel Tent 3pm Shatner Photo Op (til 3:30) Burnham 3:30pm Shatner Autographs (til complete) Depart at 5pm 3:30-4:30pm Friday the 13th Panel-Corey Tent 5pm Auction Preview Tent 5:30pm-6:30pm Auction Tent 7pm Costume Contest Tent 8pm Ms. Mad Monster Tent 9pm R.I.P. Party Pool 10pm Bar-Skaraoke Hotel Midnight Rocky Horror Hotel SUNDAY, MARCH 23RD 10:35-11:05 Hulk Hogan Private Auto 10:30am R.I.P. Entry 11am Show Opens 11:11am Hogan/RoddyPiper Panel 12pm-12:45 Hogan Photo Op 12:50-3:50 Hogan Autograph 1pm Creep Show 2pm TBD Winkler Panel TBA

TBD Tent Burnham University Tent Tent

Hulkamania Package Session

FRI/SAT/SUN ATTRACTIONS Crypt Critters R.I.P. Guests Film Festival Vendors/Celebs Models

Walden Glenwaters Lakeview University & Lakeshore Audobon & Olmstead

See the Charlotte Prowler Magazine exhibit for your free copy of the Mad Monster Party Program...while they last!

Q&A

up. The spirit of Nancy won’t let me.

with CORINNE L. BARRIOS

Prowler Magazine for the Mad Monster Party: First and foremost, I have to tell you that your role as Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street is something I have idolized since I was a young girl. The strength and ingenuity you brought to life in Nancy gives me strength and hope to this day. I was absolutely thrilled to have finally met you at Mad Monster Party Gras in New Orleans, LA last year! My most favorite films from the Nightmare franchise are absolutely 1, 3 and New Nightmare. (New Nightmare is probably my most favorite and a big part of why my second born is named Dylan.) Which one was your most favorite to film and why?

HL: I have the fondest and proudest feelings for the original, of course; that film inspired everything that followed. But what I realized a while ago is that very few women in film have had the chance to take a character from her teenage years, to her early adulthood and then into motherhood. You see that in Nightmare on Elm Street 1,3 and 7, and also in Terminator. I’d also say my hero, Ripley, takes a similar journey through her Alien films. I would suggest that this female journey is as interesting as the notion of the final girl, which is always how NANCY is discussed.

MMP: In your documentary, I am Nancy, Robert Englund said that you represented a “great feminist spine” in horror films. As most ‘slasher’ films have over sexual-

ized women, portraying them as extremely vulnerable with no brain power, how honored/proud are you to have immortalized such a strong female protagonist in a horror film and at what point did you realize the importance of Nancy?

HL: I always wanted people to appreciate Nancy for the qualities you and Robert mention but I never really felt that in the early years. In the late eighties, early nineties, the celebration of the final girl started as a cultural discussion about the role of women in horror and “slasher” movies.

The analysis of the final girl has become quite a sophisticated subject in film studies now. But I’d say that we’ve come full circle, in that the final girl is practically a cliche in and of itself and I truly look forward to a continuation of the genre to include boys, men and old people!!! Everyone has the ability to face their fears and kick ass.

MMP: In I am Nancy, you revealed your distaste for the imbalance in popularity between your character and Robert’s. From tattoos to action figures, Freddy keeps Nancy in his shadow. Will you be creating your own line of “Nancy” figures to fight Krueger back into the shadows?

HL: I would consider creating a Nancy action figure as high up on my bucket list. However, it is a complicated endeavor and I have met several dead ends in the process so far, regarding rights and licenses. But I am not giving

MMP: You and your husband own and operate AFX Studio, a Special F/X Make-Up Studio in Los Angeles. Did your Elm Street experiences help push you into that line of work and what is your role at the studio?

HL: From the first day I worked on a set, I fell in love with all the departments that come together to create a film’s reality — the set decorators, wardrobe department, make-up and cinematography and even the stunt department. My husband and I have a motto that we can make anything and that is really how we like to approach creating things in our shop. Whatever a director wants, we feel that with ingenuity and the expertise of the artists who work for us, we can bring anything to life. I don’t usually input much to the creative design part of our business. I let my husband, David Anderson, take the lead on that but I step up and find out where to get the materials together and how to make the thing in the time frame allotted. I make sure that all of the pieces of the puzzle come together by the shooting day. And I also feel it is my job to let everyone know how important they are to the process.

I really respect people who decide to become artists. It is often not well paying. So there has to be other ways to let people know that they are important to the process and that their skills are highly valued. I like to think that’s the best part of my job.

MMP: AFX is credited with special fx make-up for such films as Angels and Demons, The Cabin in

the Woods, Dawn of the Dead, Dead Silence and Star Trek Into Darkness. How did it feel to don the make-up and prosthetics to play “Moto” in Star Trek, both physically and emotionally?

HL: It was a five hour make-up application. We had worked on the make-up for weeks. My father-inlaw, Lance Anderson, had painstakingly worked on all the mechanics of the make-up. It wasn’t on film, but the bottom lip of that make-up blew up like the throat of a frog and glowed. It was left out of the film but I feel we created truly original and beautiful make-up. I’ve always wanted to wear prosthetic make-up to experience what acting is like with all that foam latex covering your face. It is hard to express yourself, obviously, but you find ways to move that indicate your feelings.

I gained a lot of admiration for Robert Englund. To endure the process of going in and out of make-up for all those hundreds of times is a feat of strength and concentration that not many people could endure.

MMP: Was acting always something you wanted to do? Or was it a spur of the moment decision because The Outsiders was being filmed in your hometown?

HL: I loved acting since I was a child. I was always a kid who loved being in front of a crowd. I felt the strong love of acting in high school in Washington, DC and I got to play in plays and musicals that gave me some wonderful experience. However, meeting the casting director in Tulsa for The Outsiders was a turning point.

Janet Hirshenson, the casting director, let me know that she would offer me her help and as-

An offscreen moment with Langenkamp, Krueger and cast. sistance if I wanted to move to Los Angeles and try to act professionally there. I had some real successes due to her help; Nightmare being the biggest.

MMP:MMP: I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Steele at a convention in Atlanta, GA last year. In Jonathan Zarantonello’s 2012 American-Italian thriller-horror film, The Butterfly Room, you had the opportunity to play Ms. Steele’s on-screen daughter. Her elegance is astounding. What was it like working with her and had you seen any of her earlier thriller-horror films like Black Sunday or Piranha before working with her?

HL: No. I watched Fellini’s 81/2 before we worked together and I had seen Pit and the Pendulum as well. I was so honored to be able to play her daughter. I felt we had a very interesting dynamic and some excellent scenes together. The script for The Butterfly Room was one of the most intriguing parts I had been offered in a very long time. I tried to absorb as much as I could from her.

She is gracious, graceful and elegant.

She has a lot of power in her beautiful eyes, which I believe is the secret to her success and her goddess-like stature in our industry.

MMP: You’ve been traveling the convention circuit for how many years now? — Will you share your favorite fan encounter/story and your craziest fan encounter?

HL: While I’ve attended conventions for almost 25 years, off and on, the circuit has been keeping me very busy for the last five years. I really enjoy every encounter with fans. I know that sounds crazy but I feel that people really want to share their love of this film experience by telling people like me all about it. Watching A Nightmare on Elm Street has become a right of passage, of sorts, in our culture and everyone remem-

bers the details of that moment so vividly. In I AM NANCY, you get to see my favorite encounters. There are several. I am pleased to say I AM NANCY is now available for online streaming on the Internet!!! It was available on VHX.TV and CreateSpace as of March 15th.

MMP: This year marks the 30th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street. What can those of us attending a convention, at which you will be a guest, expect to see? Will there be any ANOES reunions for which we can hope?

HL: As the word gets out that this important anniversary is upon us, I hope that promoters will work especially hard to create these reunion weekends. Robert is in so much demand, it is often difficult to coordinate with his schedule. But I am confident that, as the year rolls out, a few reunions will take place. In terms of what you get from me, I hope people will visit my table and tell me about the first time they saw A Nightmare on Elm Street.

MMP: Thank you so very much for your time.

Corinne L. Barrios Dead, Buried, and Back! LLC 770-904-9341 corinne.dbb@gmail.com

PROWLER TRAINER Coach Clark Comes Out Swinging

30 MIN KICK-BOX WORKOUT with the elbow.

B. Front Kicks: 30 seconds C. Jab Cross, Hook, Elbow-Left: 30 seconds D. Jab Cross, Hook, Elbow-Right: 30 seconds E. Left Roundhouses: 30 seconds F. Right Roundhouses: 30 seconds G. Rest: 60 seconds H. Repeat Cycle

Circuit #4 1 Round: 2 Minutes A. Up and Down Neck Tilts: 30 seconds B. Left Side Stretch: 30 seconds C. Right Side Stretch: 30 seconds D. Seated Leg Stretch

SO YOU’VE GOT A GOOD RUN ON SUMMER but you’re not where you want to be? Sounds familiar. Here’s a good way to test your mettle and craft your body.

The kick-boxing routine is grueling, but this twist, which gives you 30 minutes to wrangle your whole body into fighting form will shorten your road to great looks and a better level of fitness. You’ll likely find this to be the most important 30 minutes of your daily life—if you can stick to it.

Circuit #1 1 Round: 1 minute, 30 seconds A. Jumping Jacks: 30 seconds B. Butt Kicks: 30 seconds C. Power Walk: 30 seconds D. Rest: 10 seconds

Circuit #2 3 Rounds: 15 minutes A. Right Side Kicks: 30 seconds B. Left Side Kicks: 30 seconds C. Double Knees: 30 seconds Stand in a staggered stance with your weight resting on your back leg. Throw your back knee forward while you pull both arms down to the knee. Place your foot all the way to the to the back and throw another knee. Quickly switch your stance so that the other leg is in back.

Throw the back knee twice. Repeat switching feet and throwing double knees.

D. Strike Downs: 30 seconds E. Power Punches: 30 seconds F. Jabs: 30 seconds G. Sprawl and Knee Tuck: 30 seconds Start in your fight stance and jump up to a knee tuck. Land with both feet planted. Go to the ground and shoot your legs out and quickly back in. Return to your fight stance.

H. Uppercuts: 30 seconds I. Rest: 60 seconds J. Repeat Cycle

Circuit #3 3 Rounds: 12 Minutes A. Elbow Strike and Knee Strike: 30 seconds Stand in a staggered stance with your weight resting on your back leg. Take a step out with your front leg and plant your front foot while launching a knee with your back leg. Return to your original stance. Take a step out with your front leg, plant your front foot and strike

Coach.C: “Helping achieve and exceed athletic goals is my passion and commitment to I.T.S Student-Athletes” Website:www.impacttrainingsystem.com Email:impactfitnesscompany@gmail.com

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IRISH FAVORITES LOVED BY ALL

Irish Cheesy Beer Soup INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1 Tbsp. flour 1-3/4 cups milk 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA, cut up 1/2 cup beer 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce A few drops hot pepper sauce

STIR in milk until well blended.

Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

ADD remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and soup is heated through, stirring constantly.

DIRECTIONS COOK onion and garlic in butter in large saucepan on medium-high heat until tender, stirring frequently. Add flour; mix well. Cook 2 min. or until hot and bubbly, stirring frequently.

Bacon Cheddar & Chive Scones INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter 3 eggs, divided 1/2 cup half-and-half 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 8 slices center cut bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 1 tbsp. water

DIRECTIONS PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Mix flour and baking powder in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture

CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES Whiskey-Filled with Irish Cream Icing INGREDIENTS 1 cup Irish stout beer (such as Guinness) 1 cup butter 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2/3 cup sour cream 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon Irish whiskey 1/2 cup butter, softened 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Bring Irish stout beer and 1 cup butter to a boil in a saucepan and set aside until butter has melted, stirring occasionally. Mix in cocoa powder until smooth.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Beat eggs with sour cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low until well combined. Slowly beat in the beer mixture, then the flour mixture; beat until the batter is smooth. Di-

vide batter between the prepared cupcake cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely. Cut cores out of the center of each cupcake with a sharp paring knife. Discard cores. Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat; stir in bittersweet chocolate until melted. Mix in 2 tablespoons butter and Irish whiskey until butter is melted; let mixture cool to room temperature. Filling will thicken as it cools. Spoon the filling into the cored cupcakes. For frosting, whip 1/2 cup butter in a bowl with an electric

resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 of the eggs and the cream; beat with wire whisk until well blended.

Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in cheese, bacon and chives. Shape into ball.

KNEAD dough on lightly floured surface 10 times. Roll out to 12x6inch rectangle. Cut into 8 (3-inch) squares; cut each square diagonally in half. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Beat remaining egg and the water with wire whisk until well blended; brush over dough triangles.

BAKE 14 to 16 min. or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

mixer until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Set mixer to low speed and slowly beat in confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in the Irish cream liqueur; adjust thickness of frosting with more confectioners’ sugar if needed. Spread frosting on filled cupcakes.

FOUR TASTY TREATS WITH A BITE

A DASH OF FIREBALL WHISKY DOES THE TRICK

|

BY LORI SCOTT

Boston Cream Pie 1 oz Vanilla Vodka 1 oz Chila Orchata Rum 1 oz Fragelico 1 oz Fireball Whisky 1/16 oz Godiva Liquer

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Creme Brulee Martini 1.5 oz Vanilla Vodka .75 oz Hazlenut Liquer 1.5 oz Fireball Whisky .5 oz Cointreau 1 oz Half/Half In a shaker, add ice, shake and strain.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Martini

Caramel Apple Pie

1.5 oz Marshmallow Vodka 1.5 oz Chocolate Liquor 1.5 oz Fireball Whisky .5 oz Cream .5 oz Milk Chocolate Shavings

2 oz Caramel Vodka 1 oz Apple (Dr. Apple) 1 oz Fireball Whisky Whipped Cream Ground Cinnamon

For More Cocktails Please

Visit The Prowler Magazine Archives Online.

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