A positive twist on the caustic opening line of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” the Paved Paradise tour seeks to turn parking lots across the Midwest and East Coast into joyful spaces throughout September. Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Road, is among the venues selected for the 15-stop adventure, which organizers describe as “equal parts pop-up shop, block party and roadside fruit stand.” The Asheville gathering takes place Sunday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
The concept was forged in 2020 when Secretly Group — a consortium of revered indie record labels of Secretly Canadian (Whitney; Cherry Glazerr), Jagjaguwar (Bon Iver; Angel Olsen) and Dead Oceans (Phoebe Bridgers; Kevin Morby) — added Ghostly International (Phantogram; Mary Lattimore) to its roster.
“We were thinking about ways to work together on a project with all of the labels and also find ways to have a presence in different cities where maybe we don’t have as much representation or as many opportunities to connect,” says Amanda Colbenson, Ghostly International special projects director.
The Secretly team drew inspiration from archival record label The Numero Group, which has been conducting traveling pop-up shows for over five years, and brought them on as collaborators. Together, they charted a circuitous route from Secretly’s Bloomington, Ind., base to Milwaukee, looping in dates at Third Man Records in Nashville and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Each stop will feature two tents full of LPs, 45s, cassettes, CDs and limited-edition merchandise from across the labels’ catalogs. DJs from West Asheville staples Asheville FM and Harvest Records will also be spinning records throughout the day, and local electronic instrument makers Moog and Make Noise will offer demos. Colbenson says Archetype has been a joy to work with and that the brewery’s entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to the local community and artistic interests — namely, its weekly Sunday Sessions live music series — make it an excellent partner.
“The most rewarding part of this experience has been working with all these different local businesses and venues that are really on the pulse of their town,” Colbenson says. “And now I get to meet them in person.”
Learn more at avl.mx/ac3.
Marking history
Rafael Guastavino was born in Spain in 1842 and immigrated to New York City in 1881 but ultimately decided to call Western North Carolina home. Now the state will recognize the influential building engineer and architect with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker.
The marker, located at the Interstate 40 interchange in Black Mountain (Exit 64), will be dedicated on Monday, Sept. 13, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
“Guastavino came to North Carolina to work at the Biltmore Estate — [George] Vanderbilt only hired the best,” says Suzanne Fisher, co-chair of the Guastavino Alliance. “The beauty of the mountains and the climate led him to build his home in Black Mountain.”
Guastavino’s work includes 11 sites in North Carolina, notably the Basilica of St. Lawrence on Haywood Street, which is the largest elliptical dome east of the Mississippi. Guastavino, who died in Asheville in 1908, is interred at the site.
Anne Chesky Smith, executive director of the Western North Carolina Historical Association, initiated the request for the marker while at her previous position with the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center. The process was delayed a few years because of budget issues and the pandemic.
Those attending the dedication ceremony should meet on the sidewalk at the stoplight on the southwest corner of the intersection. A reception and tour will take place after the event at Christmount Conference Center, 222 Fern Way, Black Mountain.
For more information, go to avl.mx/aco.
Chance to shine
“It can be tough to get a foot in a gallery or art-showing space,” says local artist Zander Stefani.
Taking matters into his own hands, Stefani launched the pop-up gallery ZanZan earlier this year. The first show ran in April. The second series, Back 2 Basics, debuts Friday, Sept. 10, inside blu29, a clothing and apparel store on Church Street.
“People can expect to see evocative artwork, some that has a clear narrative, some that is quite abstract, some portraiture, pottery, printmaking and painting, among other mediums,” Stefani says.
Along with Stefani, additional participating local artists include Andrew Mastriani, Betsy Kendrick, Caleb Clark, Cyrus Glance, Daniel Bradley, Jodi O’Hara and Lisa Blackshear.
The opening reception runs Friday, Sept. 10, 5-8 p.m. at blu29, 146 Church St. The show will remain on display Mondays-Saturdays, Sept. 10-25, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Music to remember
The Blue Ridge Orchestra will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and thank essential workers who sacrificed through the pandemic — with a concert at the Diana Wortham Theatre, Saturday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
The program, Heroes Among Us, pays homage to everyday men and women who made sacrifices for the greater good, according to a press release. Anyone who was an essential worker in 2020 or 2021 can attend the performance for $5, a $15 discount from the general admission price.
The event, the first performance of the full orchestra since the pandemic hit in 2020, will feature works by Beethoven, Mahler and Edward Elgar. Local cellist Franklin Keel joins the orchestra as featured soloist in Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor.
The Diana Wortham Theatre is at 18 Biltmore Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/wordcap6.
Industrial arts
Craft Your Commerce, a Mountain BizWorks entrepreneurial program run in partnership with Center for Craft and UNC Asheville, will offer a series of online workshops designed to educate artists on legal, insurance and financial issues Friday, Sept. 10-Friday, Oct. 8. Beyond a $5 placeholder, participants can pay what they consider a fair price based on their individual, economic situation.
“These six workshops intentionally set creative businesses up to thrive by helping creatives gain an understanding of best business practices and how to gain more profit,” Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, the group’s project manager, says in a press release.
Craft Your Commerce will hold an informal mixer via Zoom for those interested in the workshops on Friday, Sept. 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
For more information, visit avl.mx/aaj.
With additional reporting by Justin McGuire
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