Jan

Filter and Charlie Daniels Added to Downtown Live

Downtown Live has added two big acts to the upcoming summer calendar. On June 13 Filter will be playing, while the July 25 date will feature the Wilmington-native Charlie Daniels Band .

Too bad the two couldn’t play the same date and collaborate: “The Devil said to Johnny,”Hey Man, Nice Shot!”

Jan

Dead Revival

The remaining members of the Grateful Dead are hitting the road this spring, and will kick off the tour in Greensboro. Presale tickets for the 4/12/09 show will be available thru dead.net on Tuesday (1/13). Official sales for the tour begin on January 23.

The lineup for this edition of The Dead will be "The Core Four" of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, joined by Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (both veterans of the 2004 Dead "Wave That Flag" tour).

"It’s not a concert! It’s a showww" – Dillon Fence’s "Preppie Deadhead"

Jan

New Openings

A couple of long-awaited businesses have reached their opening dates. The Renaissance Hotel at North Hills has officially opened, however not all floors are completed. The restaurant and bar are also open.

In Cameron Village the Flying Biscuit Cafe, the newest offering by Raving Brands will officially open on Monday.

Posted by Dana on January 10, 2009 | Tags: Cameron Village , Food , North Hills . | ( 1 ) Comment

Jan

Grahame Appealing Russian Decision

ESPN is reporting that former Cane backup goaltender John Grahame is appealing his recent contract termination by his Russian hockey team, Avangard Omsk. The club accuses Grahame of “repeated occasions of regime breach by Grahame that was expressed in common alcoholism.”

It’s a little-known fact that one of Grahame’s Avangard Omsk teammates is Jaramir Jagr. That should do it for today’s episode of “Where Are They Now”.

Posted by Dana on January 8, 2009 | Tags: Sports . | ( 2 ) Comments

Jan

Rocky Top Restaurants Offers Early-Bird BOGO

The Rocky Top Restaurant group announced yesterday that they are offering a buy one get one free deal for diners between 5pm and 6pm. The deal, which runs through the end of January, consists of a complimentary entrée with the purchase of an entrée at equal or greater value. This offer is valid at Michael Dean’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar, The Twisted Fork Grill, Market & Bar, The Red Room Tapas Lounge, Bogart’s American Grill and Hi5.

Posted by Dana on January 7, 2009 | Tags: Food . | ( 2 ) Comments

Jan

Antiques Roadshow Coming to Convention Center

WRAL is reporting that the popular PBS Series, Antiques Roadshow , is coming to the Raleigh Convention Center on June 27. Tickets are free, but limited and required for entry. Each person attending is allowed to bring two items for a free appraisal. Tickets are available on January 25. See the AR website for more ticket info.

Posted by Dana on January 7, 2009 | Tags: Home & Garden . | ( 0 ) Comments

Jan

Blount Street Commons Slows, Loses Local Management

TBJ is reporting that LNR Property Corp is asking for more time to purchase parts of the Blount street property it had agreed to buy. Also, the state is keeping the lieutenant governor’s office, the Hawkins Hartness House. The economy is being blamed for the changes.

The delays aren’t the only bad sign revealed in the article. It also mentions that Doug Redford, the local guy who made this his pet project from the start, has left LNR. The project is being managed by executives in Charlotte and Atlanta. Uh oh.

Posted by Dana on January 6, 2009 | Tags: Downtown , Renovations , Replacements . | ( 4 ) Comments

Jan

Wake County Schools Calendar Reminder

Just as a reminder of some old news, Gogoraleigh is your source for downloadable Wake County Public School calendars. The calendars for traditional as well as all four tracks is posted in a downloadable CSV format, which allows users to import the calendars into Treos, iPhones, Outlook, and other calendaring applications. Simply click on the “Calendars” tab above and scroll down to the WCPSS section.

Posted by Dana on January 6, 2009 | Tags: Other . | ( 0 ) Comments

Jan

Remedy Diner Nearing Opening

The Remedy Diner is almost complete, is accepting job applications, and has posted a website. The menu (.pdf) a comfortable selection of vegetarian and meaty sandwiches, salads, and a few sides, all priced in the $6-$8 range. The diner’s hours will be: Monday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm, Friday & Saturday 11:30am-12am.

Posted by Dana on January 6, 2009 | Tags: Downtown , Food . | ( 8 ) Comments

Jan

Jibarra Opens Wednesday

Starting tomorrow, Jibarra will open its doors for lunch (only). They will also serve brunch on Sunday, however they will not be open for dinner hours for several days as kinks are worked out and the liquor license is finalized.

Posted by Dana on January 6, 2009 | Tags: Downtown , Food . | ( 1 ) Comment

Jan

"Not Just Blues" Jam Starts at Big Easy

The Big Easy (at 222 Fayetteville Street) is getting ready to host open jam nights. On Tuesdays around 9pm, the restaurant and bar will host “Not Just Blues” jam sessions. Bring your guitar, harmonica, oboe, or whatever. A drum set and some guitar amps will be provided.

Posted by Dana on January 5, 2009 | Tags: Downtown , Music . | ( 0 ) Comments

Jan

2008 – The Year In Review

The year 2008 will most likely be best known for its financial crisis and its election, however it was chock full of many other fascinating stories. While the nation was taking a financial and emotional beating, Raleigh remained a buoyant market, full of growth and opportunity. Compiled below are the top 100 stories that shaped 2008 for Raleigh. The list appears in reverse order of importance (“Convention Center Opens” was the most important event of the year…). While each person could create their own permutation of this list, it is still fun to review and remember the busy year that was 2008.