X-AwardsAs temperatures climbed into the low 70s on Thursday, March 4, a steady stream of buskers and passersby took to the streets of downtown in appreciation of the day’s allusion to spring.
Japan’s Pirates Canoe docks in Asheville
The roots trio/ sextet is parts Alison Krauss and Union Station, parts Gillian Welch, parts something generations old and part something completely new.
Smart bets: Boing Show benefit for Priya Ray
Lack of mobility stemming from a debilitating spinal injury in 1999 has spurred Ray to raise funds to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van — an asset that would enable her continued pursuits of performance and photography.
Smart bets: Pan Harmonia Sonata Series
The group presents the third of four 2015 Sonata Series programs, reuniting Pan Harmonia co-founder and former Ashevillean Liz Austin with several musical colleagues from her past.
River Whyless lets listeners in with new EP
“I feel like we’re ambassadors out there,” says singer and guitarist Ryan O’Keefe. “I love to say it on the microphone. The reaction is always like, ‘You’re from Asheville? I love Asheville!’”
Local press Orison Books launches its first publication
On March 3, the first book from new publishing house, Orison Books — “a nonprofit literary press that focuses on work that engages the life of the spirit — goes on sale. The first work is I Scrape the Window of Nothingness from poet Stella Vinitchi Radulescu.
Smart bets: Chuck Brodsky
Americana singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky swapped formal education for a musical pursuit all his own. Now, 11 albums later, the pianist-turned-guitarist has mastered the art of adorning his lyrical tales with eccentricity and wit.
Tiger Mountain brings garage, surf and psych-rock to downtown
Long popular in indie havens like Austin, Texas, garage, surf and psych are now enjoying an upswing across the country. Teaming with Asheville booking agents Onward Indian Touring, Tiger Mountain is drawing much of its lineup from California-based Burger Records and its sister label Lolipop Records.
Smart bets: Vio/Miré
The project is that of sometimes soloist, sometimes bandleader Brendan Glasson, who shrinks and grows his lineup as needed to support his sweetly melancholic and orchestral songs.
Different Strokes! tackles domestic abuse in From Ashes To Angel’s Dust
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective has never shied away from uncomfortable themes. In the last five years, the group brought activism to the stage while making a distinct impact on the local theater landscape.
WorldLine’s live art project at UNCA
The show is a sort of come-as-you-are happening, blending visual art with sonic tapestries. WorldLine has long experimented with pushing the boundaries between performer and audience, onstage and off-stage and various artistic mediums
Cullowhee teen wins national film competition
Cullowhee teen Anne Wade took on the complex issue of censorship in schools and won first place in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s 11th annual Youth Free Expression Project Film Contest.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding campaigns
Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise startup capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. This week: self-reliance through chickens, new adventures at Firestorm Books and a re-published Tarot classic.
Experimental percussion ensembles at The Mothlight this weekend
Be aware: Those sounds might be greener on the vine and more challenging to a listener than standards of classic minimalism. “I think contemporary music is far too often imprisoned in academic settings,” says Corey Denham of 10-can Percussion, “We’re interested in exploring performance in as many diverse venues as we can.”
Quiet time: Former Ashevillean writes of adventure, memories and family secrets
It’s the story of Anna Münster and Armand Jacoubovitch that Mouillot recounts — or, rather, unearths. The couple survived the Holocaust only to sever all ties with each other shortly after the end of World War II. Mouillot also weaves her own story into the text. “A lot of what I was grappling with in the book is the daunting realization that life is always very complex,” she says.
Smart bets: Andy Buckner
Buckner had shared stages with the likes of Dierks Bentley, the Zac Brown Band and Blackberry Smoke and won the 2014 Asheville Talent Search. He also fronts his own group, Southern Soul Campaign.
BEAT LIFE event showcases electronic musician AF THE NAYSAYER
BEAT LIFE performances aim to further Asheville’s presence in electronic music by pairing live shows with professional learning and networking opportunities. The event’s latest incarnation spotlights the work of New Orleans-based hip-hop artist Amahl Abdul-Khaliq, also known as AF THE NAYSAYER.
Smart bets: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Now in its third season of presenting childhood favorites through theater, ACA will employ puppetry by co-founder Abby Felder and the talent of professional actors to reveal the big bad wolf’s alibi in this “hilarious rock musical.”
Smart bets: Hello My Name Is…
The free showcase featuring portraits and personal backstories of recovering addicts will be on display in Parish Hall at the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Loud, fast and strange: A look inside Asheville’s art-punk scene
While the roots of punk are deep and varied, artists who identify as such share a common ethos: to freely express themselves despite limitation or oppression and attacking the status quo through self-radicalizing actions.
A-B Tech concert series spotlights talented faculty
Jason DeCristofaro would like to see the community college’s music department receive acclaim similar to what the rest of A-B Tech has enjoyed. In an effort to showcase the talent of his fellow faculty, the adjunct instructor has organized a four-part concert series, which he says is the first that A-B Tech has ever held.