A live Gourds show, waffles the band’s front man/mandolinist Kevin Russell, is “kind of a cross between a revival and a house party and a pep rally and a pow-wow.” But he’s not afraid to pinpoint what, exactly, distinguishes his band from the pack. “I think what sets us apart from all the other milquetoast […]
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Devil in the details
“Jesus!” I exclaimed blasphemously upon first glimpsing the Rev. McKendree Robbins Long’s “Apocalyptic Scene with Philosophers and Historical Figures,” located so as to confront the visitor immediately upon entering the Asheville Art Museum’s third-floor gallery. “Literally,” observed the guard on duty. This painting — accurately designated Long’s “masterpiece” by whomever it is that writes the […]
A good Bard is hard to find
In the age of reality television, getting large audiences to accept poetic language and thoughtful, humanistic plots would seem to be an uphill battle. But Lou Rackoff, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s artistic director since 1988, has seen the traveling company swell in both dollars and attendance under his stewardship. Alas, the troupe’s upcoming local […]
Multi-grooved
Their name may prompt assumptions that their sound is obsolete, but Vinyl boasts as spirited a vibe as its members’ culturally complex home base of San Francisco. Proving there truly is strength in numbers, this eight-man instrumental band — born in 1995 in Mill Valley, Calif. — smoothly and assertively blends funk, Latin, reggae and […]
Some of its parts
September came into Western North Carolina with a drought and went out with a drizzle. But whatever the weather, October here means tourists. And whether they’re seeking fall color, live music or festivals, our part of the state has things covered. Locals who like to tool around in autumn can get in on the fun, […]
Easing into the wilderness
“It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.” — Horace KephartCamping and Woodcraft, 1906 The return of fall’s cool, crisp mornings and clear blue skies seems to spark an instinctual longing to seek out wilderness. For some, that may […]
Guides to your most excellent adventure
Everyone agrees that a good guidebook can make or break a trip. But how about actually writing a guidebook? That’s another story, as one unfortunate family can attest. I met this particular clan at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where, through some cosmic error, I’d been assigned to write about several trails for a […]
Against the grain
I fell into woodchopping by chance. Truly the fates forced my hand. I came home from work one day to find a tree surgeon shimmied halfway up a large dead oak in my back yard, spikes sunk deep in the bark and chainsaw screaming in the sky. The next morning, I awoke to discover 2-foot […]
The latest word
The People and Places of Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel annotated by Joanne Marshall Mauldin, illus. by Jean Wall Penland (J.M. Mauldin, Publisher 2002). Weaverville resident Mauldin, and Asheville’s Penland will celebrate Thomas Wolfe’s birthday, Thursday, Oct. 3, with the release of their new look at the favorite son’s era — 5:30 – 7:30 pm. […]
The Practical Gardener
When I lived and gardened in southern New England, I heard about the Northeast Organic Farmers Association long before I ever went to one of their gardening conferences. NOFA has a chapter in each New England state, as well as in New York and Pennsylvania. It’s the advocate and local information clearinghouse for organic farmers […]
Asheville City Council
Asheville is a destination of distinction. And that’s not just a matter of opinion: The National Trust for Historic Preservation has bestowed that title on the city. The prestigious award, shared by just 11 other cities nationwide, was announced by members of the Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County at the Sept. 24 […]
Troubled waters
Water can carry a boat and can also sink it. — Chinese proverb Frustration over Asheville’s water policies is at flood stage and rising. Two weeks ago, the news broke that David Hanks, interim director of the city’s Water Resources Department, had decided to gut an award-winning, water-efficiency-education program without informing the Regional Water Authority […]
On the waterfront
“Swannanoa, beautiful river keep flowin’. Swannanoa, where, oh, where are you goin’? Beautiful river, roll on.” (c) 2002 Bert Brown Assorted friends and lovers of the Swannanoa have been watching the latest assault on this hard-pressed little river with varying degrees of interest, outrage and dread. The Metropolitan Sewerage District’s earth-moving machines have been digging […]
Forget those crystals
As an integrative medical practitioner, I keep my mind open to new modalities for evaluating illness and treating disease. My interest in and exploration of complementary or alternative medical therapies has led me to selectively incorporate into my practice some of what I’ve come across. For example, I embrace acupuncture for the diagnosis and treatment […]
On the waterfront
[Editor’s note: It’s often said that those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. In this spirit, Xpress presents the following assessment of the Battle for the French Broad; this is the first of a two-part series.] “At this point … we’ve been able to leverage over $16 million” in grants […]
Connecting the dots
Connecting the dots seems to be a major concern for city officials of late. And while those of us out in the private sector often find it easy and enjoyable to poke fun at public figures, I suspect that, sometimes, it is not all that well-informed, pertinent or even kosher to do so. Public people […]
Let’s build on our assets
On a recent Sunday, the north end of Lexington Avenue (from Walnut Street to Interstate 240) was blocked off and transformed into a street fair. It was a magnificent happening. Artists showed their wares, street performers strutted their stuff, two bandstands kept the music going, and assorted refreshments provided fuel for the troops. Everyone had […]
The last girls of summer
If you’re a woman of a certain age, you may have noticed already the little ways you’ve grown to be like your mother. Of the many alarming prospects raised by Lee Smith’s new novel, The Last Girls (published this September by Algonquin Books), not the least is that you may just become your mother-in-law, as […]
Random acts
Of note Signed! Acoustic Syndicate, the WNC-based “acoustic Americana” group, recently announced their addition to the Sugar Hill label. The group will record a new album for the label this fall, with a release planned for spring of 2003. The group’s most recent recording, the double-album Live from the Neighborhood, was released earlier this month. […]
Local HELP fights an invisible epidemic
Twenty years ago the cover of Time magazine propelled herpes into the national consciousness with an allusion to The Scarlet Letter: the image of a giant red H. Suddenly, the dread disease became all the talk of the town, the fear of the day, and the butt of jokes (remember The Big Chill?) Pretty soon, […]
The Practical Gardener
One of the first things I did when I moved to Asheville was to start networking with local gardeners. And the first group I connected with was the Men’s Garden Club of Asheville. I was involved in the planning for the National Men’s Garden Club Conference held in Asheville a few years ago, and I […]