It may be hard to believe, but local newgrass band Acoustic Syndicate is about to hit a major milestone: its 20th anniversary. In a way, the band goes back even further than that since Bryon (vocals, banjo, guitar) and Fitz (vocals, percussion) McMurry are cousins and Steve McMurry (vocals, guitar, mandolin) is a cousin. According […]

As part of YWCA of Asheville's Stand Against Racism campaign, local performing arts collective Different Strokes is staging A Lesson Before Dying (in Black and White), the theatrical adaptation of Ernest J. Gaines' 1993 novel. The story is told from the perspective of an educated black man living in the racially-charged American south in the […]

Really, the press release says it all: "You're walking down a dark alley, then suddenly, you're hit from behind. Wham, bam, puppet slam! Your funny bone is broken by a furry little creature with a large shadow. Don't worry, though, soon you're left sobbing from a poignant piece constructed entirely from foam and pantyhose." Asheville's […]

Brooklyn trio Bear in Heaven may be filed under psychedelic, electronic and even krautrock, but the sound, as much as it's parts of all of these, is also something altogether different. The band is fronted by Jon Philpot; its offerings are moody, dreamy, brooding, booming, mechanical, other worldly and at turns dark and expansive. Bear […]

Local foodie, bartender and man-about-town Jonathan Ammons is also a musician (in case you didn't know), formerly heading up Americana act Electric Ghost. After taking some time off from performing, he went into the studio to record his solo EP, Swinging for the Fences. An early listen reveals steel guitar, an easy two-step, hints of […]

Although Indonesia is a world away, its rain forest is worth protecting (as are the 400 Sumatran tigers remaining in that habitat) and you can take action without leaving Asheville. Advocacy group The Environmental Paper Network is "working to leverage the purchasing power of the world’s biggest brands … to buy paper products that are […]

Yes, the original Sound of Music film, with Julie Andrews spinning through a flower-strewn meadow, was set in the Alps. But the stunning scenery recalls Western North Carolina — a good reason to launch the production here in Asheville. Plus, pretty much everyone knows pretty much every word, from the "whiskers on kittens" of “My […]

If you've been missing the gritty '50s girl-group sound of Back to Black, Tressa's pays tribute to the late Amy Winehouse with a set by J'Amy Winehouse and The Retro Kings. The 10 p.m. late-night show on Saturday, April 21 promises "a full night of Amy Winehouse and retro favorites with special guest Ruby Mayfield." […]

Theatrics, music, talents, comedy, naughtiness … and a benefit for Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. That's the gist of High Skirts: Illicitly Yours, the latest production by local Burlesque troupe Bombs Away Cabaret. The story is about Iona Traylor, who "finds out that her family farm is about to be bought-out and demolished to build a […]

Worship, loss, ceremony and regeneration are the themes of Somewhere Beyond the Constellation Norma, a black-and-white photography exhibition by Ralph Burns. The show, which opens at Pink Dog Creative (348 Depot St. in the River Arts District) on Friday, April 20, is Burns' first solo exhibition in N.C. since 2005. Images include a Santeria healer […]

It's been several years since The Baker Family Band (led by Baker spouses singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Stuart and vocalist/keyboardist Liz) left Asheville for the sunny climes of Austin. Seems like Texas has done right by the Bakers. They recently released new EP When the Internet is Down (stream/download it at http://thebakerfamily.bandcamp.com) which showcases Stu's existential-meets-fantasy-meets-surprisingly-poppy song craft […]

Knoxville-based Christabel and the Jons have been bringing their jazz-informed indie-folk to Asheville for a number of years now, but it never gets old. Just old-timey. The band centers around Christa DeCicco, lead singer/songwriter/wearer of vintage hats/player of a 1950s Silvertone archtop guitar. She's joined by Seth Hopper (violin, mandolin, trumpet and accordion), Jon Whitlock […]

Asheville rockers Archers of Loaf reunited just about a year ago, but lead singer Eric Bachmann has been carrying on without the Loaf in his own Americana project, Crooked Fingers. That group started in N.C. in the late '90s before moving to Seattle, Atlanta and finally Denver. The band is a platform for Bachmann's powerful […]

Asheville-based teachers/dancers Lisa Zahiya and Mahsati Janan and pooling their talents to put on a weekends' worth of classes and performances — all about bellydance. Study the basics of Saidi Egyptian folkloric music and dance, take a holistic approach to hand drumming or try Urban Fusion, "a fun and unique spin on contemporary belly dance." […]