Reflecting on his development between when he first wrote the songs on Under the Bridge and now, Stephen Evans says the years have mellowed his approach. “Fame isn’t really the goal. We just want to keep making better and better records and having fun with it,” he explains.
His tenure with the Asheville Symphony will conclude with the New Year’s Eve Gala. He conducts his final Masterworks concert — the season opener for the symphony’s 2017-18 season — on Sunday, Sept. 24.
As far as the hurricane that struck Houston last month, Franklin says that those in and around the group remained safe and accounted for. “Everyone’s been volunteering and — as much as we can — trying to provide emotional support to those who have lost everything,” she says, characterizing the response to Harvey as one big, city-wide effort.
As layers are peeled away and details revealed, some viewers will be squirming in their seats — particularly in the second act. It’s a riveting ride and in no way a light night of entertainment.
Unlike most U.S. cities with music scenes, Asheville doesn’t offer lockout spaces or practice facilities for local or touring artists. When a storage unit facility asked local bands to leave, it left many musicians scrambling for creative solutions.
After being selected as a cultural ambassador by the U.S. State Department, Jonathan Scales toured Asia and Africa, where he performed for a wide range of audiences and learned important life lessons.
Randy Shull and his partner/“co-conspirator” Hedy Fischer will open ¡Viva! on Saturday, Sept. 16 — aka Mexican Independence Day. The exhibition features more than a dozen contemporary Latin American artists.
“There’s a lot to be learned from looking back on your life and trying to figure out certain things around your own personal motivations in an intense situation, and if you handled it well,” says playwright Lucia Del Vecchio. “And it’s kind of a fantasy. You don’t get to go back and talk to people very often.”
It’s no wonder that The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [Revised] is such a popular play in the Asheville area. It’s an automatic crowd-pleasing comedy.
The Virginia author will discuss her latest novel at Malaprop’s on Thursday, Sept. 14, and discuss the life and legacy of Zebulon B. Vance at UNCA on Friday, Sept. 15.
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a young rocking horse maker’s art fair entry, a swing dance enthusiast’s revival of old tunes and a musical that aims to counter racial tensions in the U.S.
![BACK TALK: Emily Tynan McDaniel, left, and Andrew Gall star in 'Better Strangers' by local playwright Lucia Del Vecchio. Of the dramatic script, a departure from her previous works, Del Vecchio says, “[It] was like pushing a car up a hill. Because it’s two people, every word matters.”](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Better-Strangers-press-photo-330x214.jpg)
