To say that 2011 was a banner year for bluegrass quintet Steep Canyon Rangers is a bit of an understatement. A short list of highlights includes: Playing at the White…
Louisiana-based Cajun/swing/roots outfit The Red Stick Ramblers takes its name from the English translation of the place of its inception: Baton Rouge. (Baton Rouge is French for "red stick.") But…
Lots of bands hit the road — it's what touring bands do. Not so many hit the Silk Road, that storied stretch of trade routes that connects Europe to Western…
The Suspect: Charley Pride Pride was one of the most successful crossover country artists in the aughts, winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1971 and scoring a Grammy…
Billed as "a volatile black comedy for the darkest night of the year," John Crutchfield's latest play, Solstice, promises (according to the playwright), "Fisticuffs! Bad cell reception! Strange noises! A…
Since it's probably a safe bet that you know who bluesman B.B. King is (his classics include "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Everyday I Have The Blues"), how about introducing…
From spirituals to ballads, any kind of music is welcome at Asheville Community Sing. Singers of all levels are invited to 41 Balsam St. on Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 6:30-8…
Local faith-based publisher Grateful Steps releases a wide array of books, from children's books and photography to historical nonfiction and poetry. Selections from 2011 include YA novel The Old Shoes,…
I must begin with a double disclaimer. I’m not a resident of Asheville or Buncombe County. I am also Not From Here, having moved (from Florida, of course) to our…
You've probably heard of Toms Shoes and their Soles4Souls program (for each pair of the comfy canvas slips-ons purchased, a pair is donated to a child in need). Well, Asheville's…
1. Have the Asheville Tourists win the championship for the community. 2. Make McCormick Field a place where the community gathers to celebrate good times, and comes together when bad…
My big idea for 2012 is to continuously make folks aware that this community's well-being depends on all of us supporting local. Sending your hard-earned money to other states and…
Asheville is poised to get its first dedicated food-truck food court early this year, marking the first time that truck owners will be allowed to vend in the central business…
Jennifer Lapidus is a champion of flour — specifically locally grown and ground flour for bread that reflects a sense of place from field to hearth, as geographically distinct as…
Kentucky has the Bourbon Trail, California has its wine trails and Western North Carolina is poised to get a Cheese Trail, says Jennifer Perkins, one of the faces behind Looking…
Mark Rosenstein, former chef and owner of The Market Place, left the realm of fine dining to pursue his next career: rediscovering and advocating for the family-cooked meal. He’s the…
If the Buncombe County commissioners get their way, one of Asheville's most-traveled landmarks may get a new name. During their Jan. 3 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved asking the North…
Recent budget cuts have left North Carolina’s public schools short on cash. According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, 2,418 public-school educators were laid off this year due to…
What: If you think that all you need to see the constellations is a clear night sky, think again. Nothing quite compares to viewing the sky through a radio telescope…
What: No need to drive to New York City to see Pat Passlof’s work. The late abstract expressionist curated her own retrospective before her death in November and this celebrated…
What are you hoping to accomplish this year? Our focus has to be on economic issues. We will work hard to support efforts for new jobs, efficient government, holding the…
Create a civic forum for discussions about unemployment/underemployment and the long-term systemic ramifications for our region. Citizens in our region require a shared knowledge of 21st-century economies/economic development. At issue…
Chris Pelly’s third bid for a seat on Asheville City Council was successful, and the longtime neighborhood activist (who’s also president of the Haw Creek Community Association) has some big…
Thanks to the efforts of the people of Asheville, we're beginning to see some life in our economy, and we've got to build on that this year. We've also got…
Stop unnecessary foreclosures: In more than 80 percent of our foreclosure cases, Pisgah Legal Services is preventing foreclosures and saving homes. This success rate has convinced us that the vast…
There are several things bubbling around. I think this should be the year that we have a downtown management system in place. This was part of the Downtown Master Plan…
• Maintain a balanced budget without raising taxes while still providing necessary services such as police, fire, water, garbage pickup, recycling and parks. • Continue to strengthen regional partnerships. •…
In 2012, the Campaign for Southern Equality will expand our WE DO Campaign to communities across the South. Same-sex couples request and are denied marriage licenses in order to publicly…
The local Sierra Club chapter has another big idea for 2012: bolstering Progress Energy’s coal-ash ponds in Skyland to avoid a disaster like the massive spill at Kingston, Tenn., back…
Buying only new tires puts more scrap tires into the waste stream; reuse is the highest form of recycling. Lots of folks can’t easily afford a set of new tires,…
If we want to have an immediate, affordable, doable effect on the environment, Asheville needs lots more trees planted to combat the hot summers we've been experiencing, while helping clean…
As a native of Asheville, I want to help most of my friends and neighbors save money and finally move toward getting off the grid. Thank God, it's now not…
Mission Manna has spent the past decade trying to decrease the high death rate among children under 5 in the Montrouis area on Haiti’s west coast. Thanks to twice-yearly clinics…
At the YWCA of Asheville, our mission itself is the big idea: We incorporate “eliminating racism and empowering women” into everything we do. In 2012, the YWCA will continue to…
The local Sierra Club chapter has another big idea for 2012: bolstering Progress Energy’s coal-ash ponds in Skyland to avoid a disaster like the massive spill at Kingston, Tenn. back…
Social innovation and social entrepreneurship are two terms Asheville and Western North Carolina residents are likely to be hearing more about in 2012. One of the things we might want…
The Jan. 4 Food article, “When Pigs Fly,” mistakenly identified chef Camp Boswell as the chef of Storm Rhum Bar. He is the chef of The Junction in the River…
I read Paul King’s letter, “Dear Occupy Asheville,” in the Dec. 28 Xpress, and I felt the need to respond. I’m not as an “occupier” myself, though if I were…
Every time someone writes a letter, blog or article about what they think the Occupy movement should do, where “it” should go or what “its” strategy should be, I see…
Carl Mumpower's lament about our City Council ["Raise a Glass of Kool-Aid for Our Current City Council," Jan. 4 Xpress] is surely misplaced. To say, as he does, that they…
I was just getting cozy with my espresso, skimming the pages of this week’s Xpress, when I almost dropped my cup. Correct me if I have been wrong all this…
There are many among us who are complaining that our citizens are either incapable or unable to get a voter identification card. I believe those who are saying no to…
Would you like to live just 60 miles from a nuclear reactor that could shatter "like a glass cup?" You may have that opportunity if you're an Asheville-area resident and…
Each year, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the largest professional association for dog trainers in the world, proclaims January "National Train Your Dog Month." This campaign’s goal is to…
