Sweethearts/bitterhearts: Valentine’s events for duos, singles and everyone else


Chelsea LaBate

All events are on Thursday, Feb. 14 unless otherwise noted. For a complete listing, visit Clubland and Calendar.

The annual Anti-Valentines Day Pillowfight returns. In case the name doesn’t say it all, there’s a video of the event at http://vimeo.com/20203667. It’s based on one of the same name held in San Francisco, “just another way to have fun and protest the commercialization of human relationships,” says the Facebook invite. No feather pillows and take off your glasses, but otherwise, go nuts. Pritchard Park, 5:30-6:30 p.m. http://avl.mx/pa.

The Hop Ice Cream
Café sets the stage at its Merrimon Avenue location for a couples’ show: “An evening of love and happiness (and music),” says the venue. Adding ice cream to that mix can’t hurt, either. Ryan Barrington Cox and Emily Keebler of Lassos share a bill with Dulci Ellenberger and Jason Mencer of Now You See Them. 6-8 p.m. http://thehopicecreamcafe.com.

Eat, drink and be romanced: The White Horse serves up a Valentine’s dinner (6:30 p.m., gourmet meal from Black Mountain Bistro) and concert by vocalist Wendy Jones with accompaniment by pianist Michael Jefry Stevens at 8 p.m. Music is from the songbooks of Johnny Mercer, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and more. $30 for dinner and show / $17 show only. http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com.

Mechanical Eye Microcinema (MEM) hosts a screening of a dozen short films exploring topics of love and heartbreak. “The film program is a mix of handmade, animated, collage, cut-paper animation, live-action and even a glitched video game,” says a press release for the event, which is a mix of video and 16 mm. 8 p.m. at the BeBe Theatre. $5. http://mechanicaleyecinema.org.

The Moon and You (the on and off stage duo of cellist Melissa Hyman and guitarist Ryan Furstenberg — you might know them from Sweet Claudette and Uncle Mountain, respectively) plays a romantic evening of music at The Lab on Feb. 14. And, because it’s a date night thing, they’re not going it alone. Hyman and Furstenberg will double date with another cello-guitar duo: Prypyat (Leah Gibson and Duncan Webster) from Durham who are also members of Lost in the Trees and Hammer No More the Fingers. Very special guest Mother Explosives (the newly-engaged Eric Janoski) opens. 9:30 p.m., $6. http://lexavebrew.com.

“In Developer, Social Studies has succeeded in evoking a set of feelings and emotions that will linger with listeners long after the last notes have faded away,” says press of the new album by quintet from San Francisco. “There is a connection between the personal and universal.” And romance. At least for one night. Social Studies plays a Valentine’s Day-themed show at the Emerald Lounge, along with Ramona Falls (the new project of former Menomena member Brent Knopf). 9 p.m., $10. http://www.emeraldlounge.com.

Local singer-songwriter-comedian Jeff Thompson performs a Funny Valentine Show at Dobra Tea House on Friday, Feb. 15. He’s the guy who made the “Shit New Age Guys Say” video. He promises to have equally funny Valentine’s Day-related material. “Bring a date! Or don't! Be your own date!” Thompson suggests. 8-10 p.m. http://www.dobrateanc.com.

Ten Cent Orchestra (that’s Chelsea LaBate’s Ten Cent Poetry with orchestral accompaniment arranged by Silas Durocher of The Get Right Band) presents its In the Name of Love show at Asheville Music School’s Performance Loft. “Come indulge in love songs by Ten Cent Poetry, several from the album Picking Through the Pawn Shop, with soul-stirring violins, violas and cellos,” says the Facebook event. Saturday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m. $10-$20 donation. http://www.tencentpoetry.com.

Alli Marshall can be reached at amarshall@mountainx.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.