Not to put a damper on the sheer titillation that author Bill Branyon provides for Asheville insiders, but … upon finishing his latest novel, one very vexing question persists: What, exactly, are “heroic haunches”? This term — or the equally enigmatic “heroic hips” — is used at least four times to describe the anatomy of … Read more
Loosed pine needles whirl a windy ballet just outside my fall window. And this fleeting, ultimately tiny event seems, suddenly, like a powerful epiphany. Because in the room with me now is the soft, swirling sound of three women singing, chanting, praising, pleading, laughing, sometimes whooping in uncanny unison. They are the recorded voices of … Read more
“So we, like, sent [Floyd backing singer Claire Torry] a T-shirt, and she sent us a photo of her wearing the T-shirt. It’s on our Web site.” — Michael “Michael G.” Goldwasser The Easy Star All-Stars’ reggae tribute to Dark Side of the Moon synchs up with The Wizard of Oz — as, allegedly, does … Read more
Frogs once flooded the space where Space now sits. And even today, a similar air of chaotic abundance fills the downtown-Waynesville gallery. Operated by 20-somethings Stephen and Tanya Savage, Space dwells on Depot Street in historic Frog Level — named for the Richland Creek-dwellers prone to infesting the area following heavy rains. The Savages’ Space … Read more
Third eye blind: Benjammin’s happy apocalypse After a long month guest-covering the local-music scene, politically minded reviewer and all-around-good-boy Nicholas Holt was ready for his most formidable challenge yet — co-reviewing with me the recently released sophomore album of Asheville’s own shiny-headed, open-mic Pollyanna, the unsparingly optimistic Benjammin’ (formerly one Benjammin’ Bernstein). In fact, reviewing … Read more
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 4:35 a.m. My husband wakes me at 4:35 a.m., his voice quiet but intense: “The mill is burning.” We step out onto the porch to watch the flames. I live in Grovemont, above the houses built to shelter the hundreds of Beacon Manufacturing employees who came to Swannanoa for well-paying jobs. We … Read more
The recent launch of a new public mental-health board marked yet another step toward dismantling the region’s existing public mental-health system. Board members of the new Western Highlands Area Authority were sworn in on Oct. 30 in Asheville. The 16-member board includes two representatives from each of the eight mountain counties — including Buncombe — … Read more
Edible architecture Get ready to don your apron and dig out your spatula — and, while you’re at it, brush up on your engineering skills! The Grove Arcade is holding a cake-baking contest as part of its first-year anniversary celebration from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Participating cake creators are asked to … Read more
If you’re walking your dog in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County, you’d better make sure Rover’s on a leash — unless, of course, your neighbors don’t make a fuss. The new complaint-based leash law was just one of a number of new rules unanimously adopted by the Buncombe County commissioners at their Nov. 4 … Read more
In the Asheville City Council race, only 26 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots. In case you missed it, there was an election two weeks ago. And apparently, a whole lot of folks did: In the Asheville City Council race, only about a quarter of the eligible voters cast ballots, according to the Buncombe … Read more
