Xpress playlist: Holiday edition (part 2)

What’s better than one holiday playlist? Try two! Rock around your Christmas tree/yule log/menorah/kinara/bouquet of mistletoe to these tunes by local musicians. From the sardonic to the sublime, this sonic roundup hits all the key points. • “Christmas Bunnies in the Snow” by Hank West & the Smokin’ Hots from the just-released EP, Christmas 2014 • “Santa […]

Moses: spreading love downtown this holiday season

William Najger is spreading his message this week in an unusual way: He’s dressed up as Moses and hanging out at the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville, channeling his inner McConaughey and telling people to just keep on L-I-V-I-N. The Asheville native said his Moses stunt started with him going to Hollywood in the past […]

Smart bets: Jamie Laval’s Christmas in Scotland

Internationally renowned Celtic violinist Jamie Laval’s Christmas in Scotland performance calls on a patchwork of art forms to revive traditional Celtic celebrations of the winter solstice and Christmas. Local guitarist and banjoist David Brown and multi-instrumentalist Rosalind Buda are among Laval’s supporting lineup of Celtic-influenced artists, in addition to a Welsh harpist and a Scottish […]

Off-Broadway in Asheville: New restaurant­s, bars and nightclubs revitalize downtown’s east side

Check out the quiet side of downtown Asheville, say the restaurateurs and bar owners who inhabit the block of College, North Market, East Walnut and North Spruce Streets. Dubbing the area the “East Village,” the owners of Korean House, Twisted Laurel, Off the Wagon and others want everyone to know that they offer a globetrotting variety of […]

Rainbow Table: Healthy, hydrated holidays

Sugary beverages are everywhere and are connected to every season. Why is that such a big deal? According to The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health’s resource for evidence-based diet and nutrition information, soft drink makers produce 10.4 billion gallons of sugary drinks each year. That is essentially one 12-ounce can for every American, every day of the year.