Morris dancing, Pritchard Park drumming, Tommy “Trauma” Sauer fights Michael Hueser … and seeking a cool name for this weekly blog of Asheville-based videos.
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Skate park
Lexington Courtyard
This weekend on a shoestring
As the weather heats up, so do the musical offerings. This weekend brings plenty of free listening ops.
Junker’s blues
Watching the gas prices creep up past $2.30 is giving me flashbacks to those awful months in 2008 when gas was nearly five dollars a gallon. Those times were hard on everyone, including the junker. This is a nickel-and-dime game, and for a while, I was really wondering how I was going to continue to […]
The soul of Motown, the grit of ‘60s rock’n’roll and a modern pop sensibility
Seth Kauffman better watch out the next time he plays in New York: If Wes Anderson sees him, he just might lock him up in his basement and force Kauffman to write the soundtracks to his movies for the rest of eternity. Laid-back vibe: Kauffman (second from left) with the rest of the Floating Actin […]
Life after Springsteen
The Enemy Lovers (the indie-rock vehicle of brothers Tim and Steven Scroggs) is a rare act that can claim to have had financial backing, a producer, a manager and a lawyer in place before picking out a band name. But, as much as the Scroggses — with their made-for-Paste-magazine haircuts and radio-ready pop hooks — […]
Spork
A lot of folks know Josh Phillips’ raspy-rich voice and the soulful optimism of his band, Josh Phillips Folk Festival. But didya know he’s also a champion ping-pong player? Phillips won a regional ping-pong tourney last month, part of the Bud Lite Hard Bat Ping Pong Tournament. He played two nights and beat 10 people […]
Soundtrack
There is a lot to recommend singer/songwriter Zach Blew: He plays guitar with a nimble, jazzy fluidity; he sings with the sultry ease of John Mayer (back when Mayer was earnestly "Waiting for the World to Change"). Blew also has the wherewithal to back himself with a stellar band — guitarist Tom Leiner (Kellin Watson's […]
Outside Green Sage
Edgy Mama: Fatter, but wiser
Not that I want to talk too much about the ravages of aging, but some obvious differences between us at 18 and us at 45 include more adipose tissue and less hair. And those 25,000 beers we’ve drunk over the past 30 years? Some of them stuck around to pad our middles — making us more huggable, right?
Asheville video-blog log
For a town of its size, Asheville has a remarkably active community of video-bloggers, multimedia activists and filmmakers. Starting this week, Xpress will be taking a regular look at this wealth of content.
The Bard at a Bargain: Review of Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
A high-intensity comedic romp: The show appeals to anyone who has enough experience with Shakespeare’s work to find him profound, intimidating and more than a little annoying. Which is to say, most of us.
Two more Bele Chere acts announced
Dar Williams and Old 97s have both announced plans to play Bele Chere.
Show the love for Joel at Static Age on Saturday
Show support for Joel Hutcheson, owner of Static Age Records on Lexington Avenue, a bastion of local culture. He’s got to have back surgery; an all-day event Saturday dubbed Joel Fest will raise money for his medical bills. A ton of great bands are playing and there’s a bunchof awesome prizes to win in the raffle.
Book Report: A Camouflaged Fragrance of Decency
Of the 25 short stories in his book, A Camouflaged Fragrance of Decency author Tim Josephs jokes, 19 are “actually pretty good.” That, and many more upcoming author events make up this week’s Book Report.
Pickin’ and not really grinnin’
This weekend on a shoestring
Here’s another roundup of budget-friendly music options. From benefits to new bands; from honky tonk to hip-hop (like Funk-Sway, pictured), there’s nothing on this list over $5 (except for one worthy show—but even it comes with a get in free option).
Back Track
Sixteen years ago, Charlotte- and Asheville-based rock band, Charlie’s On Acid, was at the top of its game. The band’s members appeared as Hangman’s Joke, the backing band to Brandon Lee’s rocker character in The Crow. Then, Lee (son of action star Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed during filming in Wilmington. “Back when it was […]
Mountains to sea, North Carolina brew stars in locally made road-trip documentary
What happens when seven guys, including four who comprise a band called Rat Jackson, hit 27 breweries and play five gigs during a two-week road trip from North Carolina’s mountains to its coast? Watch the movie Beer Y’all and find out. Cheers, mates: Asheville’s Curt Arledge and friends make a real fun film called Beer […]