Taking notes from Spotify’s theorem that people are willing to pay more for on-demand music, two buskers have positioned themselves as Asheville’s ‘ Human Jukebox.’
Is Hominy Creek Greenway going to the dogs?
Residents using Hominy Creek Greenway in recent weeks may have noticed the sudden disappearance of two herds of goats, which had been put to work clearing invasive species such as Japanese Knotwood. The absence of the hardy herbivores is the result of a June 28 attack on one of the animals by an unrestrained dog and raises questions about the proper use of public spaces.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features local singer Emily Bodley’s debut EP and a mobile yarn-arts studio for Alina Shea Creations.
The changing landscape of Asheville’s free music festivals
Walking the streets of downtown Asheville can be a musical experience. Most evenings bring encounters with an assortment of buskers, drummers and dancers. The city also hosts a large, if ever-changing, calendar of free music events and festivals scattered throughout the year. Some have been around for decades, while others are preparing to launch.
Asheville City Council to review animal ordinance, consider parking garage contract
After taking a break for most of the month, the Asheville City Council will reconvene on Tuesday, July 28, to discuss a revision to the city’s animal ordinance and a parking garage operations contract.
Conscious party: Live@Aloft featuring HoveyKat
Planned for Sunday, July 26, Aloft’s next donation-based rooftop concert features jazzy duo HoveyKat and benefits Asheville Humane Society.
Have oven, will bake: Asheville’s indie bread and pastry artisans
Of course bakers need an oven, but do they need a storefront? A few Asheville-area business owners are proving that a bakery can take many forms.
4×4: Four weeks, four candidates
Sixteen candidates have officially thrown their hats into the ring for the Asheville City Council elections this fall. Each week, Xpress will introduce, in brief, four candidates’ backgrounds and ideas for the city. This week, we’ve got Marc Hunt, LaVonda Payne, Richard Liston and Ken Michalove.
Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council takes aim at local food security with metrics project
A new initiative of the Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council enlists the help of UNC Asheville students to track regional data and lay the groundwork for developing appropriate food policy for Asheville and surrounding communities.
New coordinator takes the helm at Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council
The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council, a volunteer-driven organization since it began in 2011, recently hired Mary Ellen Lough as its first paid employee. In her new position as coordinator of the council’s various clusters, Lough hopes to increase the organization’s effectiveness at easing Buncombe County’s food-security issues.
Mother Earth Produce wins big in Tap The Future semifinals
Local farm-to-door produce delivery service Mother Earth Produce won big last night in the the Miller Lite Tap The Future small-business competition semifinals in Atlanta, taking first place among a pool of 30 contestants and bringing home a $20,000 award.
Committed to justice: DA Todd Williams talks about his vision for the office
Todd Williams was sworn in as Buncombe County District Attorney on Jan. 1. During his campaign, Williams promised to bring fairness, rule of law and “a new perspective to the office,” vowing to “restore public trust and integrity in prosecutions in the criminal justice system here in Buncombe County.”
The dark side of Beer City
Asheville now boasts the highest number of breweries per capita of any U.S. city. But given the city’s failure to extend mass transit hours even as the number of watering holes increases, some locals fear that Asheville in not only Beer City, it’s DWI City.
Small bites: Mela turns 10
In this week’s local food news, Mela celebrates 10 years with a $10 deal, Verner Learning Center receives an early-childhood nutrition distinction, Burntshirt Vineyards is named North Carolina Winery of the Year and more. Plus food writer Jonathan Ammons talks about frozen cocktails at Tiger Mountain.
Evolution of the album: WNC recording professionals discuss industry trends and what’s to come
Western North Carolina’s recording professionals speak up about the climate of their industry, from the proliferation of full-fledged, home-based studios to musicians’ piecemeal assembly of modern albums.
In photos: Oskar Blues Burning Can Festival 2015
Oskar Blues Brewery hosted its 2015 Burning Can ExtravaCANza Friday and Saturday, July 17-18, at its REEB Ranch just outside of Hendersonville. Despite some complications with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Department, a few thunderstorms and a blistering-hot afternoon sun, brewers, performers and attendees stuck it out and had a ball.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a new artist collective aimed at inspiring individuals to overlap their own work and play plus two recent high school graduates’ aid efforts in Nepal.
Old coggins farm
Conscious party: Selwyn Birchwood benefit concert
A forthcoming benefit concert series — which features American blues guitarist and vocalist Selwyn Birchwood in its first iteration — aims to “rebuild and restore the presence of blues music in Asheville” while raising funds for Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.
Deadline to file candidacy for municipal elections approaches
Update: Four more candidates have filed for Asheville elections: Richard Liston, 2013 mayoral candidate John Miall, Holly Shriner and Dee Williams. And Rachel Halbert Allen filed for Black Mountain Alderman. By Thursday afternoon, 12 candidates had officially thrown their hats into the ring for the Asheville City Council elections this fall. In the surrounding Buncombe communities, an additional 20 candidates […]
Warren Wilson professor’s new book shows multicultural influence in southern Appalachian dance
Warren Wilson College Appalachian music professor Phil Jamison is set to release “Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance.”