Video a-go-go

Does this video pass the “Asheville Test”? Let’s see. Experimental didgeridoo performance? Check. Polyrhythmic world-music beat backing it? Check. Abstract video projection in the background? Check. Held at a small venue that serves as a bar/gallery/performance space? Check. Two world-class performers who often have trouble filling even a small venue when they play Asheville? Check. Yeah, I guess it passes. Here’s John Vorus and River Guerguerian at a recent show at Bobo Gallery.

Speaking of Asheville music, here’s internationally known indie/dark Western/alt-country band Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers recording some vocals for their upcoming EP, Banana Shark. It’s a nice little window into just how strange, slow and awkward the recording process can seem when viewed from the outside. Here we have six guys—the band and producer Brent Rademaker—standing around the microphone to get just the right sound for a single element of a track. There’s also a nice little clip from the unfinished song at the end, which is a cool bonus for Hellsayers’ fans.

I’ve been waiting for months for impossible-to-categorize multi-media artist Lou Majors to post a video that I could present on Video A-Go-Go without having to take up a whole paragraph explaining that his work is supposed to be exactly as you see it. It’s disjointed, bizarre, lo-fi and ironic, and all of that is intentional. And just when I’d almost given up hope of Majors making it easy for me, it finally happened. Here’s “How To ‘Pick Up’ Beautiful Women: Asheville Edition.”

You know what we don’t have enough coverage of here? Clogging, that’s what! I mean, this is Appalachia, right? And yet, I’m willing to bet that you haven’t been putting in your time when it comes to keeping up with your culturally mandated clogging practice. Am I right? Well, here’s some mere children putting most of us to shame with with their superior clogging techniques.

The opening seconds of this video handily answers the question “Why aren’t there more live-vlogging motorcyclists?” Here’s the Smokey Mountain Harley Owner’s Group doing what they do best: riding around, looking at Harleys, and using every available wipe option on their video software.

And since it’s never a bad idea to end on a song, here’s something you (probably) don’t hear every day. It’s a musical depiction of “Pickett’s Charge” at the Battle of Gettysburg as performed by the Asheville Community Band.

Each week, dozens upon dozens of interesting local videos are uploaded to YouTube. It’s a lot to keep up with. Did we miss a particularly interesting, recently uploaded local video? Share it by leaving the videos URL (but not the embed code) in the comment fields below. Also, please mark it Not Work Safe if there’s any controversial content to the video.