Of note Regional favorites The Goodies finally have a new full-length album in the works. Rumored to contain more than 20 tracks, the as-yet-unnamed effort is a follow-up to the group’s recent EP, Postcard. The Goodies have had a turbulent time during the past few years, including a brief breakup, and have only recently returned … Read more
I recently learned that an old friend who lives in Manhattan now plays mandolin in a bluegrass band. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised: Ignited in no small way by the O Brother/Down from the Mountain odyssey, the mountain-music revival has firmly taken hold in urban areas. And the ears tuned into the trend are … Read more
“Stop that stuttering, Missy Miller!” I can hear my piano teacher’s voice as clearly now as when I sat scrunched up next to her on the piano bench in first grade. “Sit up straight, curve those fingers, and feel the music!” It was Sister Mary Luke’s undoubted direct connection to the divine that cured me … Read more
Coming out means more than you think, because everyone has secrets. In Jeff Baron’s play Visiting Mr. Green, the revelation of secrets (and the ways people deal with them) probes the nerve centers of bigotry and prejudice. Set to open March 1 at Blue Ridge Community College, the play begins with a fast-track yuppie’s first … Read more
Nanci Griffith sings with the sweet, pure, little-girl twang of a Texas choir girl. But, like the harsh scrub brush and prickly pear that mark her home state, the stories she tells in song are often laced with thorns. Dubbed the “Queen of Folkabilly” by Rolling Stone, Griffith’s early performing days found her teaching kindergarten … Read more
“In the faith community, we’re all in this together,” says the Rev. L.C. Ray, who works with at-risk kids in the Asheville area as director of the nonprofit One Youth at a Time. He’s talking about AIDS, which has had a disproportionate impact on local minority communities. “We’re talking about an epidemic here that is … Read more
A dose of hip infused the Feb. 19 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting, as local folks involved in film, television and multimedia work pitched public-access TV as a tool for economic development. Loosely organized by Asheville-based digital-media consultant David McConville, the group urged commissioners to push for more money from Charter Communications in the … Read more
Talk of the state-budget crisis and errant pets dominated Asheville City Council’s Feb. 19 work session. And for added flavor, Council members let slip that they could be on shaky legal ground if they made American citizenship a prerequisite for serving on boards and commissions. Too many festivals, too little money Council members generally rubber-stamp … Read more
Asheville man honored for environmental stewardship The Wilderness Society has honored Asheville resident Rob Messick with the Olaus and Margaret Murie Award in recognition of his tireless efforts to document and protect old-growth forest in the mountains of Western North Carolina. “Rob Messick’s story is truly inspirational,” says William H. Meadows, the group’s president. “Though … Read more
“In the wealthiest country in the world, it’s morally wrong to leave our most vulnerable people in the streets. Our children and our grandchildren will look back on this period and ask, ‘What were they thinking?’” — A-Hope Director Martha Are, co-chair of theAsheville-Buncombe Homeless Coalition They’re commonly referred to as winos, beggars, street drunks, … Read more
