Firestorm Books & Coffee is back. And though the doors are currently open — the coffee flowing and the pages turning, the 7-year-old cooperative will host its official grand opening celebration on Sunday, July 12.
Mystical visions: Open Hearts Art Center spotlights artist Jacob Blankenship
In many ways, Jacob Blankenship is a typical 23-year-old: He likes video games and anime, and he works part time at Pizza Hut. But one look at Blankenship’s sketchbook reveals that beneath his affable façade lies a talented and focused artistic soul.
Drunken Prayer returns to Asheville with The Devil & The Blues
Morgan Geer, leader and core member of folk-rock-noir outfit Drunken Prayer, to Asheville on Friday, July 10, for a pre-album release show at The Mothlight. New effort The Devil & the Blues officially drops in August; the local show promises not to be just a homecoming but a reunion of members from alt-country band (and Drunken Prayer predecessor) The Unholy Trio.
Burning Can sports, music and beer fest, July 17-18
Dozens of canning breweries from around the country will be at the Friday and Saturday, July 17-18 event; there’s running, paddling, riding and dirt-jumping and live music. Presumably any of those activities can be accompanied by a canned adult beverage.
Smart bets: Ritual Runway
Hosted by exotic local clothier Royal Peasantry, Ritual Runway takes place at New Mountain on Friday, July 10, at 7 p.m.
Crafts with creatures: The furry, fuzzy and fantastical animals of Big Crafty
The Big Crafty, Asheville’s biannual craft marketplace, will feature more than 150 artists selling their wares on Sunday, July 12, in the indoor-outdoor space of Pack Square and the Asheville Art Museum. Well represented: critter crafts ranging from adorable and playful to wildly imaginative.
Smart bets: Wild Goose Festival
Wild Goose Festival is a spiritually-charged four-day gathering held in Hot Springs from Thursday to Sunday, July 9-12.
Theatre review: Pump Boys and Dinettes at SART
Pump Boys And Dinettes continues its run at North Buncombe High from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 19, and Owen High from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, August 2.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a Smash Box’s expansion into a brick-and-mortar location, two locals’ efforts to empower citizens of Nepal to build resilient housing and The Village Potters’ new wood kiln project.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
There’s a simple and straightforward theme around this edition’s picks. All four shows are worth paying to see and hear, but all four shows are FREE. And they all start and end at a family-friendly hour.
Stage sights: Local concert highlights from June 2015
Each month concert photographer David Simchock of music news and reviews blog Front Row Focus shares some of his favorite images, captured on stages in and around Asheville.
Mica Gallery hosts a cross-disciplinary craft exhibition
Mica Gallery’s current show, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is on display through Tuesday, July 21. The exhibition features Bill Brown’s steel sculptures, Lisa Blackburn’s prints, and Thor and Jennifer Bueno’s glass stones.
Conscious Party: High-end drama
Born from Asheville Community Theatre’s desire to attract a wider audience, this competitive runway show sees 40 local designers vying for titles in four zany categories: tape, nature, inflatables and Christmas in July.
Acoustic Asheville: Andrew Scotchie
The latest videos for Acoustic Asheville feature local singer Andrew Scotchie of Andrew Scotchie & the Asheville River Rats. He performed three songs, including two with trumpet player Alex Bradley, ahead of a Saturday, July 4 show at New Mountain. “Always with You” “Love in a Rush” *with Alex Bradley “I Call it Home”
Smart bets: Patsy in concert
Crest Mountain Dinner Show stages its own commemoration of country music pioneer Patsy Cline. Local vocalist Liz Aiello channels Cline with help from backing band The Bobcats on Sunday, July 5.
Sierra Nevada unveils new outdoor spaces, amphitheater
The brewery is rolling out a four-pack of outdoor spaces for visitors to the Mills River Taproom: the Back Porch, Beer Garden, Estate Garden and perhaps most impressively, a 600-person amphitheater.
Take a walk: Local musician finds path to recovery in the woods
In February 2015, Hendersonville resident and acoustic guitarist Eric Congdon suffered a severe concussion after another driver ran a stop sign and struck his vehicle. Though he had been playing guitar for more than 30 years, when he picked up his instrument after the accident, he found it was impossible for him to play.
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ deconstructed
Since debuting in the mid 1980s, Atlanta-based Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ has crafted its own take on Southern rock. Led by guitarist/songwriter Kevn Kinney, the group has distilled its many influences into a sound all its own. A recent series of EPs set out to explore those various styles, and selections from those albums have been compiled on the new vinyl-only release, Best of Songs.
Smart bets: Mates of State
Indie twin sisters Good Graeff open the pop duo’s show at the Mothlight on Tuesday, July 7, at 9:30 p.m.
Swannanoa Gathering puts everyone, from amateur players to folk stars, on even footing
Swannanoa Gathering, which runs Sunday, July 5, through Saturday, August 8, is five weeks’ worth of instrument or genre-specific camps all take place under the broad umbrella of folk music. The session leaders are often nationally or internationally celebrated, and end-of-week concerts are open to the public.
Smart bets: Teatro del Gusto
Local bands open and close each segment of this body-inspired entertainment extravaganza, which will be hosted at the Orange Peel on Sunday, July 5, at 7:30 p.m.