Win VIP passes to Kellie Pickler's free concert

Albemarle sweetheart and former "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler is coming home to North Carolina during NASCAR’s All-Star weekend for a free concert on Thursday at Whisky River at EpiCentre (210 E. Trade St. in uptown Charlotte).

Sponsored by WSOC’s Redneck Yacht Club, the free concert is first-come, first-entry until venue capacity is met. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the Whisky River Race Week Pit Crew Challenge After Party; Pickler will take the stage at 10 p.m. Show is 21 and older.

Want to win VIP access, which will put you and a guest in a special area roped off in front of the stage ... plus a pair of Alive After 5 VIP tickets so you can enjoy some free beer/wine before heading into the concert? E-mail tjanes@charlotteobserver.com with your name, age and phone number and tell us in 50 words or less why you deserve this great prize. Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Monday night. Good luck!

Carrie Underwood sets Charlotte concert date

Carrie Underwood announced this morning during her appearance on Good Morning America that she will headline a North American arena tour this fall that will include a stop at Time Warner Cable Arena on Nov. 3.

Hunter Hayes will open. Additional information: www.carrieunderwood.fm.

Underwood is donating $1 from each ticket sold on the North American leg of “The Blown Away Tour” to support Red Cross disaster relief.

Her two previous headline tours -- 2008’s “Carnival Ride Tour” and 2010’s “Play On Tour" -- performed for a combined total of nearly 250 shows with 2.2 million fans in attendance, and she wrapped both years as the top-ranked female country touring artist.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 11, through timewarnercablearena.com, ticketmaster.com, the box office at Time Warner Cable Arena, all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Wal-Mart stores, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

'Apassionata' horse show postpones dates

APASSIONATA, a live entertainment show featuring more than 40 horses, is moving its four performance dates at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte from May 4-6 to Dec. 7-9.

According to a press release, "the U.S. tour premiere, taking place in Louisville, Kentucky April 27-29 has had such overwhelming advance sales that the producers extended the run into May and rescheduled its Charlotte performances."

Patrons holding tickets for May 4-6 in Charlotte will be able to use the same tickets for the corresponding performance day and time in December. Refunds or exchanges can be obtained at the point of purchase. For more information, contact 704-335-3100.

The family-friendly live show -- with original music scored specifically to work with the horses -- features dressage and stunt riding performed by different breeds, from Bretons to Friesians.

Visit www.apassionata.com for a trailer and full tour schedule.

One Direction is actually NOT sold out. Yet.

Tickets for One Direction's June 27 Charlotte concert sold out within minutes, but the band has announced that there will be a second opportunity for fans to purchase tickets.

Additional seats for the Time Warner Cable Arena show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.LiveNation.com. Tickets will also be available at the arena box office, Ticketmaster, select Wal-mart stores or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

Score passes to 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits'

The Charlotte Observer is giving away 160 “Admit One” passes to a special advance screening Saturday of the new 3D animated film “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” featuring the voices of Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek.

The adventure-comedy takes viewers on a quest with our pirate heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London as they battle for the coveted Pirate of the Year Award.

The special advance screening will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21, with the location of the theater to be revealed when you pick up your passes. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” will be released in Charlotte on Friday, April 27.

How to get your free pass: Come to the security console in the main lobby of the Charlotte Observer building, 600 S. Tryon St., between noon and 1 p.m. FRIDAY, April 20. You may take a maximum of four “Admit One” passes, while supplies last.

The film is rated PG. On the morning of the screening, it is recommended to arrive early since seating is not guaranteed and on a first-come, first-served basis.

For details on the movie, visit www.thepirates-movie.com.

Brooklyn Decker featured in May GQ

Model and actress Brooklyn Decker of Matthews is featured in GQ’s new May issue, on newsstands next Tuesday.

In case there was any question, the steamy photos in GQ’s May issue leave no doubt why Brooklyn Decker is the object of many men’s fantasies. But the stunning supermodel and star of the upcoming blockbuster "Battleship" isn’t afraid to poke fun at herself, too, admitting to GQ that she finds herself to be a lot like Kristen Wiig’s character in "Bridesmaids" and that Gisele Bündchen sits atop her list of five biggest crushes – a list that also includes Dave Matthews.

Some highlights from the article, titled "Brooklyn's Finest":

On relating to Kristen Wiig’s Bridesmaids character: "I feel like her character is my inner soul. The ways she acts are my inner thoughts, but I just can't express them because they're too nerdy. So if he [Andy Roddick] was calling her crazy, I guess that makes me slightly crazy."

On her Gisele Bündchen bias: "I have a top-five list, and Gisele is my number one. So she can do no wrong in my eyes. ...everyone has a top-five list of their biggest crushes, you know? Usually, it's guys on my list, but Gisele is just so perfect in every way."

On Dave Matthews’s place on her top-five list: “Yeah, I know. I know. I know! I know, I know. My husband is really gonna make fun of me for this."

'Idol' contestants to sing at Bobcats game

Three singers who got air time on "American Idol" -- including Charlotte Bobcats dancer Brittany Kerr -- will perform at Time Warner Cable Arena during halftime of Wednesday night's game between Charlotte and Chicago.

Kerr will be joined by David Leathers Jr. and Ariel Sprague. Leathers nearly made it to the semifinals after the judges announced plans to add a 13th male semifinalist, but was beaten out in a sudden-death-style competition with two other contestants.

The trio is also scheduled to appear on WCNC's "Charlotte Today" show at 11 a.m. Tuesday.