Tig Notaro is funny without trying too hard. Her standup is self-effacing and offhandedly clever, her impressions are … unexpected.
Terrestrial perspective: Photo exploration at Castell Photography
Photography was only a fledgling art form in the early 1850s when it became a vital source for documenting otherwise unseen corners of the American West. Despite the technical difficulties, the resulting images — sweeping, magisterial views of plains and cliff sides — are unforgettable. The process has found new life in Objects in Perspective, an invigorating collaborative exhibition by Charlotte-based artists Aspen Hochhalter and Natalie Abrams.
Theater review: “An Iliad” by Immediate Theatre Project
Tales don’t get much older than Homer’s Iliad — a tale almost as old as time. But An Iliad, now showing at N.C. Stage Company, is a modern variation of the tale, with an intimate approach, giving us a lone poet and a piano player set among the bare stage of a theater.
Smart bets: Sidecar Honey, Mangas Colorado and The Sun Cans
Three bands, five bucks — that’s the basics of the local showcase taking the stage at The Orange Peel on Friday, April 3, at 9 p.m.
Smart bets: Karen Noel and Laura Loercher
Watercolors, colored pencil, collage and ink converge in the surreal artwork of Karen Noel, who says she feels “captivated by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the colors of the seasons.”
What screams may come: Asheville’s evolving metal scene
Any examination into heavy metal in Asheville runs into the inevitable gray area of what metal music is. And while this variety makes it difficult at times to tell who fits in where, one uniting and striking quality of Asheville’s metal scene is the joy its players take in their craft, regardless of material success.
Smart bets: The Wham Bam Bowie Band
After several months away from stages, the quintet is eager to resume its mission of presenting the bedazzled pop icon’s lesser-known gems alongside chart-topping hits, all while preserving original musical arrangements.
Raleigh’s 6 String Drag regroups and releases a new record
The reunited group shares the bill with Holy Ghost Tent Revival at The Grey Eagle on Saturday, April 4.
All together now: {Re}HAPPENING invades Lake Eden
On a summer evening in 1952, a handful of people at Black Mountain College forever changed the course of modern art with a single performance — the world’s first happening. On Saturday, April 4, the sixth annual {Re}HAPPENING will aspire to recapture that mythic spirit at the long-defunct school’s former grounds at Lake Eden, now the home of Camp Rockmont.
Smart bets: Skip Horack
The story is as chilling as it is compelling, and early reviews (from the likes of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson and Lauren Groff, author of Arcadia) suggest the novel lives up to its spooky promise.
Acoustic Asheville: The Sun Cans
The Sun Cans stopped by the Asheville Area Arts Council for the latest Acoustic Asheville videos. They’ll be at The Orange Peel on Friday, April 3, as well as at One Stop on Saturday, April 11. “Wildflower” “Everyday She’s Waiting”
Re-introducing Asheville’s Ponkinhead Entertainment
While the do-it-yourself ethic in music is often associated with punk bands, in Asheville, there is a hip-hop label that fully embodies that spirit.
Sound track: “Out from the Harbor” by Nikki Talley
Dark clouds form, roil and drift through Out from the Harbor, the new album by Nikki Talley. It’s a moody collection, though the barometric pressure is impressive rather than oppressive.
Theater review: Private Lives
Once upon a time, before the fast-paced world of entertainment we’re accustomed to, there was Noël Coward. His plays were the height of upper crust British humor, depicting high society and often sinking to the lowest depths of humanity (thereby mocking the stereotype). Coward’s style and wit became the forbear of early cinema and the […]
RiverLink releases 2015 lineup for free RiverMusic concert series
2015 marks the fourth year of River Link’s al fresco music series aside the River Arts District’s beloved French Broad River. The concerts, held on five separate Friday evenings from May through October, “assemble a top notch mix of quality national acts and local favorites” at no charge to attendees.
Local author Sara Gruen pens an all-consuming new novel
Author Sara Gruen gets lost in her books. “I wasn’t able to immerse myself completely with Water for Elephants,” she says of her 2006 best-seller that became a film starring Reese Witherspoon. “The type of circus I was writing about no longer existed.” For her new book, Gruen spent a total of five weeks in the British Isles, researching, absorbing the culture and immersing herself — literally.
Smart bets: Carolina Sketchfest
There are a number of do’s and don’ts when it comes to the third annual Carolina Sketchfest: Do buy tickets in advance (they sold out the first two years), don’t bring the kids (there’s adult language and themes), do like dogs (concession proceeds benefit Brother Wolf Animal Rescue).
American Idol Caleb Johnson premieres new video for “Fighting Gravity”
Local musician Caleb Johnson, winner of the last season of American Idol, debuted a new music video for “Fighting Gravity” today on Yahoo Music.
Keller Williams plays benefit shows for Wild South
The Virginian easily accepted an offer from longtime friend Bob Robertson of Asheville-based Mountain Roots Management to partner with Wild South for a trio of benefit shows across the Southeast. Following consecutive nights in Birmingham, Ala., and Chattanooga, Tenn., the last of the concerts takes place at The Orange Peel on Saturday, March 28.
Smart bets: Mikey Wax
Despite churning out a steady stream of upbeat piano anthems, Mikey Wax turns the diva pop star stereotype on its head.
Smart bets: Evie Ladin and Keith Terry
Thigh slaps, hand claps, finger snaps and foot taps typify Evie Ladin and Keith Terry’s uniquely percussive performance style. The energetic pair marries old-time- and blues-inspired folk.