LAAFF rolls out

Singer-songwriter/bandleader/natty dresser Woody Pines possesses an old soul. His style spans vintage country, viper jazz, swing, rockabilly and whatever other retro sounds work their way into his arsenal of songs…

Asheville-by-way-of-Portland-by-way-of-Asheville folk-noir outfit (and sometimes one-man band) Drunken Prayer was, according to press, inspired by a conversation with Tom Waits at a fish market in Sebastopol, Calif. The band, fronted…

If it hadn’t been for a job at a pawn shop, Joe Lewis might never have learned to play the guitar. And then the soulful, juke joint blues rock of…

LAAFF is more than bands, hula hoops, stilt walkers and costumes. It’s also educational. In fact, some of the festival’s interactive events teach skills, hone talents and offer workshop experiences…

DJ and multi-instrumentalist Marley Carroll is in the middle of a big year. His spring included touring with Emancipator and festival dates at Coachella and Sasquatch; at the end of…

The biggest change for this year’s Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival is that, while it won’t keep its two-day format from last year (that expansion was special for the…

Immediately appealing about Sophia Allison’s work is her clean-yet-imperfect handmade aesthetic, and upon further examination, her sculptures and 2D images reveal layers of hidden meaning. The Los Angeles-based artist returns…

There may be no other substance as beloved and hated as hair. Cultural icons like Farrah Fawcett and The Beatles inspired social movements with their hairdos, while a lone hair…

Castell Photography once again brings nationally acclaimed photographic artists to Asheville with the group show, Shift. The four featured artists all deal in some way with shifts of time and…

Inspired by Soto Zen Buddhism, the silver gelatin photographs of Brook Reynolds find a fitting home at Urban Dharma, a new Buddhist center at 29 Page Ave. in downtown Asheville.…

In high summer, when the heat reaches its peak, there’s energy and excitement in apple country. The fruit brightens on the branch as growers prepare to pick the earliest varieties…

It’s official: the title of Best Chef in WNC goes to David Ryba of Inn on Biltmore. He earned the honor in the Aug. 23 finals, after six months of…

There are lots of special beer releases and fun festivals coming up in late August and September, as always. Some of my favorite beers are released this time of year…

You cheddar believe it Western North Carolina will soon have a cheese trail, ushering us into the ranks of regions such as the state of Vermont and California’s Sonoma and…

Ron Scheinman says his philosophy of life helped him make difficult decisions about end-of-life care. ‘You never know what could happen,’ the 69-year-old observes. ‘You have to give these things…

After months of rancor over Buncombe County’s personnel ordinance, the Board of Commissioners gave final approval Aug. 21 to a revised version that doesn’t specifically ban discrimination based on sexual…

The gray sludge arrived at the beginning of March. By the first day of spring, it had grown into an amorphous puddle, slowly surfacing along the fence line of Vickie…

‘Taking risks for business growth is like white-water kayaking: If you never learn the ‘combat roll,’ you never freely experience the river,’ declares Coral Darby, owner/CEO of Darby Communications, a…

• County Commissioner Peterson pines for Log Cabin Democrats

Real help for victims of the Catholic Church I was deeply moved when I read Brad Lena’s ad in your Nov. 24 issue [Holiday Season Guide, p. 16] appealing to…