“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!’”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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! 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.
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 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.
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.
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.”
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.
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 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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Renowned fiddler and Grand Ole Opry veteran Kate Lee, mandolin prodigy Forrest O’Connor and backing guitarist Jim Shirey had a productive post-holiday powwow, solidifying a handful of shiny new tunes for the contemporary folk duo’s February tour.
Jill Andrews return to The Grey Eagle on Friday, opening for Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek (currently on his solo tour), was — not surprisingly — pretty comfortable.
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