arts
There for you
It’s hard to talk about Melissa James Gibson’s This, mainly because the title is tricky, and the subject matter is prickly. Not that the play doesn’t deserve buzz — reviews…String It Up
According to the production credits, “26 Minutes” was created almost entirely on violin. Apart from guitar and bass parts, every other sound featured in the piece — the band Divine…Cold front
As mountain towns go, Asheville is far from the coldest. In January, the city’s most frigid month, the highs hover around 47 degrees, with average lows of about 28. Invest…State of the Arts
A small, cement-floored gallery just off the waterfront in downtown Hudson, N.Y., is currently showing work from an all-female, all-Asheville roster of artists. Les Demoiselles d’Asheville, curated by Asheville artist…Cabaret, cabaret, cabaret
The Full Schedule “Boys Night Out” May 24 with Russ Wilson, Harry Shultz and Jesse Earl Jr. — vocals, Nathan Hefner — piano and vocals, Zack Page — bass, and…Smart Bets: James McCartney
James McCartney took his time building his own recording career. He's currently in the midst of a 47-date U.S. tour in support of his new album, Me. The record is…Smart Bets: The Bus Driver Tour
The Bus Driver Tour is not actually a musical project featuring those long-suffering schleppers of school children. It's the collaboration of three songwriters (Danny Freund, Ian Thomas and Paul Lee…Smart Bets: ABSfest
Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival returns for the seventh year and, as press for the event boasts, "neo-Burlesque is only getting bigger." The Friday-Sunday, May 24-26 weekend-long extravaganza is dedicated…Smart Bets: Rae Whitlock
At this year's Happening, new media artist Rae Whitlock decorated a cabin teenage-girl style, with QR codes placed around the //COMMENT!//SUBSCRIBE!// exhibition linking to internet videos. Her interactive installations "explore…Calendar highlights: Kenilworth Studio Tour, Carl Sandburg Folk Festival and Blues, Brew and BBQ fes
Clubland features: Dark Sister, Floating Action and Asheville FM
food
Breakfast, lunch and everything in between: Biscuit Head opens Friday
Get your catheads beginning at 8 a.m. Friday in West Asheville.The pour-fect match
Perky pints Julie Atallah of Bruisin’ Ales recommends herbal beers for pairing Bison Brewing’s Honey Basil Ale Once a seasonal beer, the California-based brewery started producing it year-round due to…Are we still Beer City?
Talking Asheville Beer “This past September, we drove clear across the country leaving one amazing beer city (Seattle) for another. Why Asheville? This is a true beer community … local…Asheville cedes Beer City USA title to Grand Rapids
After a four-year winning streak, Asheville lost its Beer City USA title to Grand Rapids, Mich., according to poll results released May 13. Conducted by craft-beer guru Charlie Papazian, the…Lunch on the loose
Lunch — say it aloud. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue; more like, it does a belly flop. It’s a mundane word for an equally mundane meal—that is, if…The Official Asheville Beer Week Schedule
All event information, including descriptions, provided by Asheville Beer Week. Events are free to attend, unless otherwise noted, and most are pay per beer. For location information, see the Draft…living
In the garden
Wildflowers and words Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." This is especially true for Peter Loewer, aka The…news
Forward momentum: A-B Tech’s Jon Snover brings people and technology together
Jon Snover thought he’d found his dream job at a fuel-cell company in 2001 — and that, as lead chemist for the company, he was going to change the world…Halotherapy, health and healing
A bed of cotton candy-pink crystals shift underfoot as you walk toward one of seven reclining chairs, complete with pillow and fleece blanket. The crystals are salt, and the entire…Biking the sharrows
Cycling advocates guided local elected officials on a bicycle tour of Asheville, highlighting recent infrastructure improvements and encouraging progress to continue. The May 13 ride was part of the annual,…Hedging the budget
With the details hinging on what North Carolina legislators and the courts do, Asheville City Council gave staff the go-ahead May 17 to start drafting the 2013-2014 budget. The proposal…‘X’ marks the spot
Buncombe County commissioners unanimously approved offering an undisclosed company $18.38 million in economic incentives May 14. The county agreed to spend $15.7 million on land acquisition and facility construction, and…Paying the piper
Passing a new budget resolution and agreeing to hire additional legal counsel were the two top items at the May 15 meeting of the board of the Metropolitan Sewerage District…The soul of local
So you want to help your local economy, and you’re doing everything you can. You’re shopping at stores owned locally. You’ve bought your Go Local CD at CMCU/Self-Help. Or you’ve…opinion
Creating a future from the past
Recently, while enjoying the best chicken ever, I remembered that the bowl it was roasted in was a Bele Chere purchase last year. It got me thinking about the recent…Save North Carolina’s renewable-energy future
If we want a world for future inhabitants, we must work in the interests of our progeny and stop pandering to the short-term interests of the mega-corporate power industry. Since…The sustainability superhero has a serious flaw
A friend visiting from Asheville brought me the April 17 Mountain Xpress “Sustainability” issue. I looked it over, marveling at all the wonderful events and involvements that are going on…The law of intended consequences
You have to hand it to Rep. Tim Moffitt and other Republicans who recently passed N.C. House Bill 488. By commandeering Asheville’s water system, and forcing its merger with the…Let’s breathe a little easier at festivals
We attended our third and last French Broad River Festival recently. It's a fun venue with great music and friendly people. But we were shocked by the number of smokers…