Democracy by decree

Most people consider classical music to be old music, unless you’re at a conservatory, which we aren’t. Even the term conservatory implies preservation, commemorating rather than creating. Composer and musician…

It’s a night at the symphony and a night at the theater, says Dominic Aquilino, assistant director of Asheville Lyric Opera’s upcoming production of Carousel. He means it’s like an…

For a rock ‘n’ roller, Kurt Vile is a pretty perfect name. Like Johnny Rotten or Captain Beefheart before him, the rising indie rock star has a moniker that suggests…

The twice-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands (which “began in 1948 as a way to provide a regional market for the mountain craftspeople,” according to press) returns to the…

On nearly every weekend of the year, somewhere in the Kingdom of Atlantia, a passionate group of everyday citizens from South Carolina to Maryland recreates the best aspects of the…

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what constitutes a permanent collection, according to Nancy Holmes. For Holmes, the long-time exhibition organizer at Tryon’s Upstairs Artspace, a true art collection has…

Here's something to do with the kids (especially if you have seven): Start a Mardi Gras Indian tribe and then travel and perform together in eye-poppingly ornate costumes of lace,…

Although, of his most recent LP (2012's Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now), singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle said, "This time I’ve gone in a Memphis-soul direction,"…

The latest project from local hip-hop outfit CrazyHorse and Colston is Colston's Cold Cuts. It's a new collection of songs by Max Hupertz and Bryan Godleski, with contributions from Molly…

The exhibit for The Art of John Lennon, coming to Asheville this weekend, avows to continue the Lennon legacy of peace and love through his prints. That’s a mighty task.…

Learn about coffee in like-minded company at this two-hour class.

This weekend, watch almost 25 grill masters compete for barbecue glory. The Spruce Pine BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival draws grill geeks from around the Southeast. It's even regulated by…

Since it first opened in 1995, Burgermeister's has forged new territory for Asheville restaurants. It closed Saturday, July 13, but could reopen somewhere else, says co-owner Tom Gaddy. The restaurant…

Read more about the local bottleneck with the state growler law here. Since our local breweries have been filling growlers for years, the average Asheville resident is very familiar with…

[Editor’s note: This story originally published on July 17. We updated on July 18.] UPDATE: Asheville Growler Hits Legal Bottleneck Sean McNeal, owner of the forthcoming Asheville Growler, was contacted…

Swapping the surplus If last season's jars of prized tomatoes are burning a hole on your canning shelf, the West Asheville Food Swap wants to make sure your carefully preserved…

An interactive website is making it possible to take a virtual hike across the historic Cherokee Indian trails and villages of Western North Carolina.

When a California-based printing corporation decided to shutter its Asheville branch in May, the local owner of the business and his laid-off workers had a reply: not so fast.

As state Rep. Tim Moffitt contemplates a move to switch Asheville to predominantly district elections, similar changes he pushed for the Buncombe County commissioners continue to have far-reaching effects.

UNCA political science professor Bill Sabo sees definite advantages to district election systems in cities with populations over 100,000. But with Asheville well below that threshold, it’s less clear what…

Pull back the curtain on some of the more visible Asheville tech happenings in recent years — TEDxAsheville, Spark Tech Talk podcast, Asheville Green Drinks — and you’ll find the…

Diane Baron is a Marine. Now on disability, she served her country more than 25 years ago and doesn’t talk much about the events that left her traumatized, unable to…

A June 3 email from Rep. Tim Moffitt to Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy revealed a plan that has city officials and some residents up in arms.

On June 2, Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures and Treetops Adventure Park hosted and sponsored the second annual Wells Fargo Zipping for Autism. The event generated more than $39,000 for the…

The recent disclosure that state Rep. Tim Moffitt had drafted a bill to change Asheville City Council contests from an at-large system to predominantly district elections has triggered heated debate…

Asheville City Council members emerged from a half-hour closed session during their July 11 special meeting declaring their support for Police Chief William Anderson. An internal investigation, they said, had…

A public-relations spin doctor lends a helping hand to NC Republicans

I am writing this letter about the great job that the Montford Players do. They do a great job doing Shakespeare plays. Montfod park players is a must-see. The staff…

Summertime is a time to be outside. Whether it's a barbecue with the family or a raft down the river with friends, I love taking advantage of our beautiful mountain…