The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has one of the richest college basketball dynasties in the country, but its other sports boast a wealth of success stories, too. Weaverville resident Tim W. Jackson has combined a trivia-buff’s eye for detail with a journalist’s knack for storytelling to write a book that celebrates all … Read More
When poet Vievee Francis talks about writing poetry, the word most often on her lips is compulsive. It’s a word usually reserved for flying the red flags of pop psychology and other assorted misbehaviors. Yet she weaves a spell, transforming the word into an utterly marvelous terrain. In her world, compulsion might be a mysterious … Read More
In listening to The Honeycutters’ songs such as “Penny,” “Better Woman,” or “On My Mind,” the term “country music” immediately comes to mind. Problem is, it’s difficult to know what qualifies as country these days. “I’m comfortable with the label of country,” says Amanda Anne Platt, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter for The … Read More
As this is being written, dreams come true on the other side of our country. Actors, directors, and film crews are celebrated with one of the most recognizable honors in American culture—the Academy Awards. For most of the country’s actors, days aren’t full of jet setting, walking down red carpets, and rubbing elbows with the … Read More
Downtown had its share of festivals but West Asheville, growing as an important arts and cultural part of the city felt a little left out. So in 2010 the All Go West Festival was born. “West Asheville is quickly becoming known for it’s individual flair, when 10 years ago businesses were struggling to thrive,” says … Read More
Members of The Fritz could have been content where they were. The band was a big deal in Jacksonville, Florida, where some of the guys had met at the University of North Florida. Local fans poured into shows. They had a great area following. Life was pretty good. “We were comfortable,” says Jamar Woods, the … Read More
Andrew Fletcher has been featured in The Asheville Post, but not by name. It was his piano that was almost taken by our writer, Elizabeth Newman, in her great piece about Chicken Alley. For anyone who frequents live music venues—especially jazz joints—in Asheville, you’ve most like run across this dapper pianist somewhere along the way. … Read More
Sometimes things happen serendipitously that we simply would not have imagined. Thus is the case with the new CD, Divers, from the Alex Krug Combo. Back in June 2012 the Combo was playing downtown at Lexington Avenue Brewery. It was a letterpress release party for Heroes & Criminals Press, where a letterpress poster of the … Read More
Last September the Victoria and Albert Museum in London announced an exhibition retrospective of David Bowie. My first reaction was that the always-clever businessman Bowie would not miss the opportunity to expand upon this with some elder statesman product. Guess what? Here comes David Bowie. His quietly anthemic single “Where Are We Now? landed gently … Read More
The book 50 Shades of Grey, penned by E.L James, is the fastest selling paperback of all time, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. It had conquered nearly all the bestseller lists by the summer of 2012, when word of its sensational story spread like wildfire, igniting imaginations and conversations that, heretofore, had never … Read More
Their eyes lock from across the table. They both reach for the bottle of champagne to fill the other’s glass, and their fingertips brush. The candle flickers and lights up their blush-covered faces. They giggle, smile, then look away. A piano sounds in the background, and it feels like the keys are striking just for … Read More
The lauding of the subjective is upon us. Best of this, most popular of that. It’s list-making season. Here comes mine in the realm of music, probably with a few side trips and digressions. Last year was choked with the goods, so I’ll offer a scatter-shot of the year’s ear candy with clues. Eastern European … Read More