Who needs fame and fortune? All they get you is an unflattering shot in the tabloids and a steady stream of phone calls from suddenly-not-so-distant relatives. But seriously, how can a talented band keep disgorging disc after disc of solid, accessible music without ever hitting the big time? We found some answers in Cleveland’s The … Read more
The definition of “freestyle” cannot be found in the dictionary … yet. Though Webster’s does include a certain amount of slang, the book remains a couple decades ignorant of how revolutionary artists and thinkers, forward-thinking writers — even people on the street who happen to be paying attention — are talking. So I had to … Read more
“I haven’t got the slightest idea how to change people, but I still keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out.” — from Naked (Little, Brown and Company, 1997)by David Sedaris The hardest part about reading the work of David Sedaris — the best-selling author and NPR … Read more
Tami Barry is a living example of her own explosive art. With her elfin features, dancer’s movements, exuberant laughter and two-toned hairdo, she seems to have jumped right off the dizzily colorful surface of her work — a melange of candyland swirls, postmodern test patterns and lyrical composition applied to recycled furniture, glassware and shoes … Read more
In Western North Carolina, the words “nonattainment area” could soon evoke the same sense of dread as “Superfund site.” This drab bureaucratic designation, signifying regions that fail to meet state and federal ozone standards, imposes severe restrictions on the growth of local highways and air-polluting industries. At the June 12 meeting of the Regional Air … Read more
The TV screen flickers, and the image of a machine appears. The humming sound of whirling, trapped air fills the room. Behind the glass, numbered ping-pong balls swarm and collide in a chaotic dance of destiny. After a few tense seconds, the first one is randomly sucked up from the melee and its number shown, … Read more
“With one person in charge of vice, bingo becomes a low priority.” So said Officer Joe Palmer, the one person in charge of vice for the Asheville Police Department, during a recent interview. In between juggling multiple phone calls, paperwork, my questions and the occasional visitor to his Montford substation, Palmer said, “We receive very … Read more
After all the work sessions and public hearings, the actual adoption of the city’s operating budget is usually a quick and fairly benign affair. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, however, a fractured City Council debated three hours before approving the $84 million budget on a 4-3 vote. Council members Charles Worley, Terry Whitmire … Read more
A proposed Madison County resort and its mysterious owners have generated intense scrutiny by neighbors worried about reports of automatic gunfire and the role played by a man once reputed to be the leader of a militia group. But the point person for the Ark Foundation, which plans to build a resort and spa in … Read more
What place does “art” hold in Asheville, Western North Carolina’s premier city? Tourists flock to see the opulence and artistry of Biltmore House. They clamor for mountain crafts during Bele Chere and stroll our many galleries on select Friday evenings. They continue to debate whether the Federal Building’s “Passage” sculpture is a worthy piece of … Read more
