Superbowl XLIX companion: a game day guide to Asheville’s cheap booze, good eats and big screens

While nacho stains are certainly more socially acceptable in the comforts of one’s own home, why not venture out for some game day antics this year? Super Bowl XLIX, New England Patriots versus Seattle Seahawks, kicks off Sunday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m., and Asheville-area businesses have planned a variety of celebrations to suit your football fancy.

Smart bets: The Steppin Stones

“We can’t wait to share our new music with you!” reads the Facebook page for Hilton Head Island-based rock trio The Steppin Stones. Front woman Hannah Wicklund, bassist Andrew Ottimo and drummer Ryan Tye trekked north mid-winter to record their third full-length album at Echo Mountain Studios. Although they can’t celebrate the record’s impending completion […]

Smart bets: American Babies

Although Tom Hamilton counted himself among the many men preoccupied with “chicks and partying” during his 20s, the American Babies frontman found himself “digging deeper” for musical and personal inspiration over time. Last year’s resulting effort, a “40-minute existential meltdown” titled Knives and Teeth, addresses heavy topics like mortality, cruelty and frustration, often vacillating between […]