Welcome to A&E

Sad for us, good for them: Electro-anthem dance-partiers EAR PWR play their Asheville finale at BoBo on Friday, March 13. While our claim on the band is now tenuous (Devin Booze graduates from UNCA’s music technology program in May, and Booze and PWR duo-mate Sarah Reynolds are moving to Baltimore), we’ll take what we can get.

Now we’re missing our EAR PWR: Superfun electro duo sign with indie label, move to Baltimore. But not before one final Asheville show.

Especially now that EAR PWR has signed with Washington, D.C.-based Carpark Records (home of Dan Deacon) for a release of Super Animal Brothers III (May 19). Catch this hyper-infectious duo while there’s still time to say you saw them when.

In an e-mail to Xpress, Reynolds writes that it may be a very long time before the PWR returns, citing a lack of venues that fit their mission.

“Most places in Asheville are 21 and up, and that really doesn’t cater to our fan base. We love D.I.Y. spaces but it seems like, in Asheville, they close almost as soon as they open. So basically, if we ever become worthy of the Orange Peel we may return, but don’t hold your breath!” she says.

In other music/film news…One night only, Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company (Merrimon Ave. location) shows the coming-of-age comedy The Graduates. What’s special/Asheville about the film? It features lots of music from uke-abilly duo Mad Tea Party. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, and $5 tickets are available at the door or at www.thegraduatesmovie.com. Director Ryan Gielen’s first film was Larry Keel:Beautiful Thing.

A scene from The Graduates, which features music by local retro duo Mad Tea Party and shows at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company on Thursday night.

Here’s your early notice alert on a couple of don’t-miss events. Early bird tickets for Merlefest are on sale now at www.merlefest.org. The dates are April 23 to 26 at Wilkes Community College, with a stellar lineup (per usual) including David Bromberg (folks raved about his recent Orange Peel performance), Carolina Chocolate Drops, Donna the Buffalo, Emmylou Harris, Tift Merritt and even Linda Ronstadt.

And get your applications in now for the next Big Crafty! The biannual, juried indie craft fair will be on July 12. The December event was an unabashed success (starry-eyed hipsters, friendly crafters, darling creations, goodtime music, free beer, Oh! we could go on). Vendors can apply through June 1, but early application is recommended, say Crafty organizers. For more, go to www.thebigcrafty.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.