Sonic Youth has built its lengthy career squarely on the backs of its fans. So if you’re into the band at this moment, chances are that you’ve been jonesing on them longer than you can remember. Sonic Youth, begun innocently enough in downtown New York City in 1981, has kept the same four members for … Read more
Jazz is commonly credited as the only truly American music — a cross-breed of vernacular and orchestral traditions infused with pioneer spirit. But conductor Justin DiCioccio, who will lead Brevard Music Center jazz students in an upcoming concert, espouses the virtues of group spirit instead. “A great jazz band,” he posits, “is like a great … Read more
In 1916, before E.W. Grove began the current trend of leveling local mountains, Asheville’s only flatland bordered the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Railroad tracks ran along the French Broad, and her banks were crammed with commercial enterprises — including a half-dozen lumber mills, a tannery, cotton mills, the Asheville Ice and Coal Company and … Read more
Descolada steals hearts with wordless intensity The origin of their name is a Portuguese word meaning “unglued.” That said, members of local instrumental-rock group Descolada actually take their title from a fictional disease created by sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card in his book Speaker for the Dead. According to the band, Card’s made-up malady turns … Read more
My nose gets a workout in June; roses and lavender, valerian and honeysuckle perfume the balmy breezes. Following the lead of hundreds of pollinators, Ivy Rose and I cruise around the garden, inhaling deeply. But not all the olfactory input is fragrant. Sometime around the summer solstice, my observant granddaughter announces, “The stinking roses are … Read more
An empty chair at an Asheville City Council meeting doesn’t typically spark heated discussion — especially during work sessions, where votes aren’t generally taken. But a notable absence by Council member Brian Peterson created a stir at the June 4 meeting, which had a controversial housing issue on the agenda. A proposed change in the … Read more
Commissioner Patsy Keever called it “the shortest meeting in history.” Be that as it may, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners still managed to pass a number of resolutions, board appointments, assorted requests and ordinances at their June 3 session. And with the county’s 2003-04 budget up for final public scrutiny — and the commissioners … Read more
How cute were baby dinosaurs? Were dinosaurs social animals? Did they care for their young? What was life like for the babies? A visit to Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs, Nests and Babies will provide the answers to these and many other intriguing questions. The exhibit runs through Oct. 3 at the Colburn Gem and … Read more
And the sun shall guide ye Thank you for your article on Earth Fare [“Tempeh Fugit,” Xpress May 28]. It was inspiring to read about the founding three principles of Earth Fare: Stop poisoning the Earth; stop poisoning yourself; and take responsibility for your health. But then I read this statement by [founder] Roger Derrough: … Read more
