Like the stars of High Fidelity, the proprietors of the Asheville-based A-Tone Music — who own more than 8,000 albums between them — map their lives through their music collections and musical memories. Nancy Alenier dated Stevie Wonder in the late 1960s and befriended rock stars like Warren Zevon and Jackson Browne (with whom she … Read more
They’re gonna put me in the movies/ They’re gonna make a big star outta me/ We’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonely/ And all I gotta do is act naturally. — The Beatles Have you ever, while inhaling popcorn in a darkened theater, and after paying the better part of 10 … Read more
Before any festival is staged, unforeseen crises and blind acts of faith are often the order of the day. And the Black Mountain Music Festival is certainly no exception. But the question of whether or not the gates will open this weekend on the BMMF’s spring festival is still begging a definitive answer. After a … Read more
“Out of all the bands we’ve heard in Asheville in the last eight months, we’d rate them in the top three, absolutely,” declares a Texas transplant, from the depths of one of the high-backed wooden booths hugging the walls of Biltmore Avenue’s Hannah Flanagan’s Pub. It’s almost 11 p.m. on a Friday night, and the … Read more
The Lake Eden Arts Festival is well known for the alternative attractions it offers — such as spiritual/healing-arts workshops, drum circles, cooking, poetry, dancing, crafting and a kids’ adventure land — but there’s always a solid and eclectic roster of performers on hand, to make sure the music doesn’t take a back seat. Expect the … Read more
Timing public comment You know you’re through when the egg timer rings, sounding like an old-fashioned alarm clock: Three minutes is the limit set by the Buncombe County Commissioners for citizens who come before them at regular, televised meetings. But how long do representatives of groups get? Asheville City Council members grant such speakers 10 … Read more
Asheville City Council is talking tough about whether the city even needs a new sports arena, faced with a reported $593,737 loss on the arena side of the Civic Center. Coming on top of the $292,682 Civic Center subsidy that’s already in the city’s budget, this could spell doom for the prospects of building a … Read more
Well read From its highly visible downtown location to its inventory of the best of the literary world, from its knowledgeable and dedicated staff to its tasty java, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe is an increasingly rare outpost in a world dominated by corporate booksellers. And the store’s many fans will be pleased to learn that the book-industry … Read more
As a resident of South Asheville, I am deeply concerned. South Asheville is the most thriving sector of Buncombe County. It has developed tremendous schools, many comfortable neighborhoods, medical complexes and well-thought-out commercial facilities. Existing shopping establishments (many locally-owned) are very supportive of community residents. In short, it’s a well-planned place to live and work. … Read more
“This property is unique, and so preservation is in the public interest. The developer isn’t helpful, but what’s disturbing us … is that the state never got a chance to make a counteroffer.” — Bill Thomas, Sierra Club Cedar Mountain When it comes to saving nature’s treasures, political partisanship should be left behind as good … Read more
