PAST MEETS THE PUPPET: Although Lisa Sturz never met her grandfather Cantor Izso Glickstein, she's bringing his story to the stage.

Local puppeteer strings together a family tale

Posted on June 14, 2017June 6, 2017 by Thomas Calder

‘My Grandfather’s Prayers’ will debut on Sunday, June 18, at the Asheville Jewish Community Center auditorium.

PUTTIN’ ON THE FRITZ: Local funk band The Fritz will take the stage at Xpand Fest on June 10. Other performers include indie-rocker Ian Ridenhour and 1960s-inspired Carpal Tullar.

Three free summer festivals worth visiting

Posted on June 6, 2017June 2, 2017 by Lauren Stepp

This season, two new events — the Better Dads Festival and Xpand Fest — are launching in downtown Asheville. A little further out in Hot Springs, ballad singers and hikers are coming together to celebrate the Bluff Mountain Festival’s 22nd year.

STRINGS ATTACHED: The story of "Kibwe: A Marionette Puppet Performance" centers on Asha, a character who “must journey forth to find ancient relics in order save their nation.” The marionettes — there are three, one of which is a bird — were a school project for artist Devin Lancaster, center. But from the beginning, he knew the undertaking would expand into a production.

‘Kibwe’ convenes marionettes, myth, music and visual art

Posted on May 29, 2017May 25, 2017 by Alli Marshall

“Kibwe is a Swahili word for ‘blessed,’” says Devin Lancaster. He chose it because, regardless of what we go through, whether positive or negative, the opportunity for the experience is a blessing, he says.

Smart bets: The Orbiting Human Circus

Posted on May 25, 2017May 16, 2017 by Emily Glaser

Julian Koster, whose musical saw can be heard in Neutral Milk Hotel and The Music Tapes, created a narrative podcast last fall. “The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air)” explores the dreamlike phenomena in the daily life of the Eiffel Tower’s janitor. The Music Tapes released an EP this spring with music inspired by and featured […]

Smart bets: ABSFest

Posted on May 22, 2017May 18, 2017 by Emily Glaser

The Orange Peel hosts the Saturday Spectacular, featuring headliner Sydni Deveraux, the Golden Glamazon.

Smart bets: Moth Story Slam champions

Posted on May 17, 2017May 8, 2017 by Emily Glaser

The Moth Story Slam champion will visit Asheville along with two other champions—host Steve Shell and Alison Fields—at The Mothlight on Sunday, May 21.

Alesa Bryant and Michael Lilly star in "On Golden Pond". Photo by Britt Kaufmann

Theater review: ‘On Golden Pond’ at Parkway Playhouse

Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017 by Kai Elijah Hamilton

Sometimes the very best stories simply drift along, serving as a delicate reflection of the ordinary. After all, for the most part, that is life. The poignant play On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson — just such a story — opens Parkway Playhouse’s 2017 season. It runs through Saturday, through May 27.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: After recently celebrating its first year in Asheville, New Belgium Brewing will host the inaugural local iteration of Fat Tire's Tour de Fat. Organizer Sam Sawyer calls the outdoor event "so much more than a typical concert," since a troupe of circus acts and "wandering weirdos and performers" add to the interactive entertainment.

Conscious party: Tour de Fat

Posted on May 13, 2017May 12, 2017 by Kat McReynolds

For its first year in Asheville, Tour de Fat will bring Third Eye Blind to the stage plus additional zany entertainment and a party atmosphere. The event takes place at New Belgium Brewing’s outside grouds on Saturday, May 20.

GOOD SOUNDS, GOOD CAUSES: Ghana-born musician and humanitarian Rocky Dawuni has performed with Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, John Legend and others. He’s also joined forces with Product (RED), UNICEF, the Carter Center and the United Nations Foundation, among other global organizations. He and other LEAF performers will not only play the festival but will work with local students while in the Asheville area.

The 44th LEAF features ‘Legends of Africa’

Posted on May 4, 2017April 26, 2017 by Daniel Walton

The program that emerged from Pickering’s trip, LEAF International Rwanda, is now sending four of its performers to LEAF. The young Rwandans will join over 400 other artists at the festival’s 44th edition, which takes over Camp Rockmont from Thursday, May 11, to Sunday, May 14.

Smart bets: The Amazing Acro-Cats

Posted on May 3, 2017May 2, 2017 by Emily Glaser

Catch The Acro-Cats on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m. at Diana Wortham Theatre.

Smart bets: Stories on Asheville’s Front Porch spring concert

Posted on April 26, 2017April 19, 2017 by Emily Glaser

The storytellers will gather at the Folk Art Center on Sunday, April 30

HUMOR ME: Walter Beals, left, and Keith Campbell of comedic juggling troupe Forty Fingers & a Missing Tooth will perform at the inaugural Magic Moments of Asheville festival. "Their wit is so entertaining, they really don't even need to juggle," says organizer T.J. Shimeld. "But their skill and dexterity just add to their entertainment value."

Conscious party: Magical Moments of Asheville

Posted on April 22, 2017April 21, 2017 by Kat McReynolds

The Vanishing Wheelchair and Rainbow Community School are teaming up for a two-day magic festival that takes place on the school’s campus Friday-Saturday, April 28-29.

PUT A BIRD ON IT: Asheville-based artist Clarissa Sligh reworked white supremacist writings into peace-evoking paper cranes for her project-in-progress, Transforming Hate. Sligh will speak as part of UNC Asheville's annual Arts Fest.

UNCA’s Arts Fest activates ‘Arts for Social Change’

Posted on April 5, 2017April 7, 2017 by Alli Marshall

This year’s Arts Fest features visual artist, writer and photographer Clarissa Sligh; singer-songwriter and peace activist David LaMotte; and found materials artist and lecturer David Hess. The three-day event includes lectures, exhibits, readings and much more.

SEEN AND UNSEEN: Nicole Townsend, left, came to activism through her concern about HIV stigma and LGBTQ rights. While performing poetry and spoken word pieces at benefits, she began to realize that “things are not as pretty as they seem,” she says. “It shifted me toward questioning why people of color aren’t really visible in Asheville.”

Local spoken-word artist creates a platform for dialogue about race

Posted on March 29, 2017March 22, 2017 by Ami Worthen

Nicole Townsend’s upcoming production, Existing While Black, was created because she was “wanting a platform to where we can go deeper and talk about things that are uncomfortable, that hurt, and that make people angry.”

SAFE SPACE: Providing a place of respite away from thumping music, bright lights and festival crowds, Harmonia aims to equip individuals with tools for inner calm and self-betterment. Meditation, intentional decision-making and tactful communication skills are among the practices that Harmonia representatives discuss with those who wander into the nonprofit's tent.

Conscious party: Harmonia by the River

Posted on March 25, 2017March 24, 2017 by Kat McReynolds

Harmonia brings sanctuary spaces to festivals of various sizes, and on Sunday, April 9, the nonprofit will host its own event — a donation-based fundraiser at Salvage Station.

LINEAGE: “As an experimental movement research group, Anagnorisis could not have existed without the pioneering conceptual work of John Cage, Merce Cunningham and other Black Mountain faculty and alumni,” the Durham-based collective wrote in its {Re}HAPPENING proposal. From left, Porter Witsell, Silvia Sheffield and Zach Aliotta rehearse. Photo by Steven Paul Whitsitt

{Re}HAPPENING projects take cues from Black Mountain College alumni

Posted on March 22, 2017March 17, 2017 by Alli Marshall

This year’s {Re}HAPPENING, taking place Saturday, March 25, at Camp Rockmont (the location of BMC, which shuttered in 1957), features a number of performance taking cues directly from alumni of the institution.

MAESTRO MADNESS: “Mozart loved art and he loved wine and he loved sopranos and he loved theater,” says David Whitehill, executive director of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. Asheville Amadeus touches on all of these areas, including a production by Igudesman & Joo, trained musicians whose shows combine classical music, comedy and pop culture.

Asheville Symphony’s Amadeus festival returns

Posted on March 8, 2017March 3, 2017 by Alli Marshall

Asheville Amadeus — held Friday, March 10-Sunday, March 19 — is about music, of course, but it also includes art, wine, comedy, sing-alongs, theatrical productions and a symphony-meets-hip-hop EP.

Phil Mechanic Studios, photo by Christina Geneve

The Young Society: Art is Power/Art is You

Posted on February 26, 2017February 22, 2017 by Christina Geneve

Local artist Adam McMillan recently launched the project Art is Power/Art is You at the Phil Mechanic building in the River Arts District. The inaugural event took place Feb. 5.

Smart bets: WORD! Honoring Black History

Posted on February 22, 2017February 15, 2017 by Emily Glaser

Hosted in conjunction with The Friends of the Buncombe County Library, WORD! takes place at the Pack Memorial Library auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Smart bets: The Vagina Monologues

Posted on February 21, 2017February 15, 2017 by Emily Glaser

The local production, benefiting Helpmate, takes place at The Orange Peel on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Smart bets: Salvation in Steel

Posted on February 7, 2017February 10, 2017 by Emily Glaser

Roach and The Fly By Night Rounders play at The Mothlight on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Performance Art