Many splendored things: Valentine’s events in and around Asheville

To those who think the celebration of romantic love is just a Hallmark company construct: not quite. Since the 1700s, lovers have been giving each other handwritten cards, flowers and sweets. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Valentine’s Day cards were mass-produced. But 200 years of tradition doesn’t mean you have to give in […]

Superbowl XLIX companion: a game day guide to Asheville’s cheap booze, good eats and big screens

While nacho stains are certainly more socially acceptable in the comforts of one’s own home, why not venture out for some game day antics this year? Super Bowl XLIX, New England Patriots versus Seattle Seahawks, kicks off Sunday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m., and Asheville-area businesses have planned a variety of celebrations to suit your football fancy.

Asheville Buskers Collective continues discussing downtown busking issues

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, several members of the Asheville Buskers Collective met in the conference room above the French Broad Food Co-op for a post-holiday regroup, aiming to find consensus about what buskers do, who buskers are and whether (and how) enshrining their needs in city ordinances is a realistic possibility. Several weeks after a previous […]

Asheville Wing War approaches its fourth year of competitio­n

So far, confirmed warriors include Mojo Taco Lounge, Luella’s Bar-B-Que, Haywood Lounge, the Social, Foggy Mountain Brewpub, Scully’s Bar and Grill, King James Public House, Moe’s Original Bar B Que, Creekside Taphouse and the Barleycorn. A few additional competitor slots remain, and three of the listed participants — Barleycorn, Moe’s and Creekside — are in the game to defend a title.

Talk it out: Storytelli­ng workshops and monthly events begin Jan. 24

A story slam is like a poetry slam only — and this is probably the obvious part — with stories rather than poems. The story is rated by the audience or a panel of judges, and prizes (or at least bragging rights) are at stake. To that end, Black Box Storytelling Theater presents two workshops led by Regi Carpenter, a professor of storytelling at Ithaca College.

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 the debut full-length studio album of local act Resonant Rogues, a healthy deli’s management transition, expansion by a vintage clothier and an online music subscription with a twist.

Grace Joyner headlines Hearts & Plugs showcase at New Mountain

If singer-songwriter Grace Joyner’s path to fronting a band meandered a bit, the end justifies the means. Her debut EP, Young Fools, is eloquent and self-possessed without being overworked or overwrought. The coolness of the spacey keyboard tones and shimmery percussion is well-matched to Joyner’s simultaneously rounded and remote vocal. The musician — who plays […]

Big Freedia, Queen of bounce, plays New Mountain on Sept. 30

It’s just after noon on the final day of 2013’s South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The fatigue that the marathon music festival inflicts is readily evident in a grand ballroom in Austin’s labyrinthine convention center. A small crowd has gathered to watch New Orleans rapper Big Freedia (pronounced FREE-duh) perform a daytime set, but their […]