This weekend on a shoestring *UPDATED*

Thursday, Oct. 13

• “Anna Fariello is an associate professor at Western Carolina University where she is director of and spearheaded the Craft Revival Project, an online directory of the historic Craft Revival and its impact on Western North Carolina,” reads a Facebook page for her upcoming appearance at American Craft Week. “Her lecture will examine how academic disciplines and cultural institutions have assigned meaning to expressive objects over time. The talk is derived from the speaker’s written chapter, “Regarding the History of Objects” in Objects and Meaning, a book she co-edited. The talk challenges today’s art world vision of the arts and is sure to spark a lively debate.” Held at Haywood Community College’s Charles Beal Auditorium, 185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde. Info: info@handmadeinamerica.org. 4-6 p.m. Free.

• “The Pulp Lounge will be the new place to be for comedians and supporters of the rapidly growing local comedy scene,” reads a press release for the new Slice of Life Comedy open mic. “Slice of Life, a destination comedy venue, will be attracting comedians from all over the region with the option of having professional videos taken of their set. There will also be experienced photographers snapping headshots throughout the evening. After being contacted by the Orange Peel to start a weekly comedy room at the Pulp, [local comedian Kelly Rowland] paired up with Michele Scheve to present Slice of Life, the first booked comedy open mic in Asheville. Scheve, creator and longtime parody writer for The Asheville Disclaimer, has put her experience into this new venture. ‘Knowing the comedy scene that already exists in this town created a special interest for Kelly and me to not let this new venue be just one more open mic,’ says Scheve. ‘We already have several comedy rooms that fill the needs of our growing scene and offer unique environments. Our goal with this new venue is to not eclipse the other comedy venues but instead provide a supportive and unique new platform that enriches all of the hard working comedians in the Asheville and surrounding areas.’” 103 Hilliard Ave., below the Orange Peel. 8:30 p.m. $7 includes membership to PULP.

Friday, Oct. 14

• We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: this band is worth checking out for the name alone. Spicy Moustache and the Flavor Saviors are self-described “funk-hop” and “soul rock,” and the Asheville 10-piece’s Facebook asks, “Who wants to get funked up?” If you answered yes, check them out at The Garage at Biltmore (101 Fairview Road, 505-2663). 10 p.m. $5.

• Embrace your inner child at the Autumn Rails All Scales model train show, featuring 26,000 square feet of model and toy trains, hobby and collectable vendors, clinics and operating model railroads, door prizes and more. Held at the WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher. Fri., 1-7 p.m. & Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $6/Free for children under 12 and scouts in uniform.

• Local musician/gear guru Matthew Sherwood has long been the local go-to for repairing recording equipment and musical instruments. This weekend, the former Strike Anywhere guitarist and current member of Cobra Horse celebrates the grand opening of his public shop, Sherwood’s Music, with a party, featuring performances by Electric Owls, Curtains and Ice Cream. 180 Patton Ave. 7 p.m. Free.

• “It’s that time again,” begins a press release for Elvet Velvis, “that time when it is our bounden duty to cast off our quotidian cares, set aside our worries for the future, put the diet off until tomorrow, and go out and indulge in some good, greasy rock ‘n’ roll party music. As many of you know, Albert, Chris, Dennis and Dave spent much of the summer slaving away over a hot mixing board. Now we are ready once again to unleash the roiling sonic gallimaufry that is Elvet Velvis. No, really, where else are you going to hear a band that covers Grand Funk Railroad and Gillian Welch? That provides a musical setting wherein Dennis’ kamikaze guitar wackitude blissfully coexists with Chris’s too-cool-for-school bluesiness? Where Albert’s crack-of-doom kick drum punctuates the wandering-large-wild-animal rumble of Dave’s bass? Yes, all this, and ‘singing,’ too.” The band plays the Boiler Room (11 Grove Street, 505-1612) with Zack Whittaker. 9 p.m.

• “Mandolin Orange is songwriters Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz,” reads the band’s website. “The Chapel Hill, N.C. duo ornaments lyric and harmony focused tunes with acoustic and electric guitars, fiddle and mandolin. Their understated instrumentation draws on bluegrass and rock and roll alike, keeping Marlin’s dark lyrical themes at the forefront of their folk-country sound. Together, they deliver a sound uniquely their own yet satisfyingly familiar, recently called an ‘unmitigated pleasure’ by Rosanne Cash, who acknowledged the duo as ‘very exciting young people making great music.’” But don’t take Cash’s word for it. The band stops in Asheville for a show at The LAB (39 North Lexington Avenue, 252-0212). 10 p.m. $7.

Mandolin Orange – Running Red from Alex Loops on Vimeo.

• Do you enjoy the gritty sounds of early garage rock? Do you like getting rowdy? Do you partake in reckless abandon? If you said yes to any of these, do yourself a favor and check out The Critters. The band’s sound ranges from the melodic sway of early-‘60s British invasion to the screeching howls of early punk, but one thing is constant: rowdy, flailing, all-over-the-damn-place antics. Catch them at The Get Down (1045 Haywood Road, 505-8388) with Pallas Cats and American Sun. 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 15

• According to a press release from White Horse Black Mountain, “Our first annual Holistic Wisdom Faire will feature a variety of transformative opportunities to broaden your perspective and deepen your inner and outer self. The Faire will include booths for alternative healers, intuitive consultants, readers, vendors and more. There will be free lectures on a variety of topics of interest plus opportunities to explore various alternative healing and transformational services in our area.” 105C Montreat Road. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $4.

• When people hear Nashville, they tend to think modern country, ten gallon hats and two-for-one cowboy boots. Think again. Music City’s Space Capone is about as far from country as it gets. This seven-to-eight member powerhouse of ‘70s-inspired funk, soul and R&B comes complete with a full horn section and backup singers. The band returns to Wild Wing Cafe (161 Biltmore Ave., 253-3066) for its second Asheville appearance in as many weeks. 10 p.m. $5.

• From a feature in this week’s Xpress, “‘These are songs about love and octopi or whatever, but there’s definitely still a dark underbelly and kind of a subtext of menace,” says Miles Holt, one half of John Wilkes Boothe and the Black Toothe. “I really like that juxtaposition between accessibility, catchy melodies and good vibes, but just as in reality, there is something dark under the surface.’ He’s just captured the band’s essence in one sentence. John Wilkes Boothe and the Black Toothe are high-energy folk absurdism, delivering comically dark and bizarre tales packaged in warm harmonies and acoustic traditionalism.” Join the duo as they celebrate the release of their debut album at BoBo Gallery (22 Lexington Avenue, 254-3426). 10 p.m.

John Wilkes Booth & the Black Tooth for My Side of the Mountain from Jesse Hamm on Vimeo.

(Filmed as part of the Xpress’ ongoing My Side of the Mountain music video series)

Sunday, Oct. 16

• Art hits the streets this weekend as the City of 1,000 Easels self-guided tour turns the city into an open air studio. From organizers, “Last year nearly 100 artists descended on downtown Asheville, set up stations along the sidewalks and shared their creativity directly with the community. The project seeks to illustrate the magnitude of the visual arts sector through a self-guided walking tour among individual artists creating new work in real time. Accomplished artists and amateurs alike will have designated ‘spots’ throughout downtown and will compose or complete a new piece of art between 3-6pm. Witnesses will also have the opportunity to bid on the work in progress should the artist choose to auction it. ‘Besides artists with open studios, most people never get to witness the creative process that goes into visual art,’ observes the Arts Council’s Director, Graham Hackett. ‘Not only is this rare feature on display, but the sheer spectacle of turning all of downtown into a gallery is nothing short of stunning.’’ Maps will be available through the Arts Council detailing which artists are participating and where they are located.”