Joey “Dirty” Martini, aka Chris Bower, is having a wonderful time. That’s what he keeps saying, anyway, between drinks and short jaunts to The Hangar’s dance floor. Then again, this is Martini’s sort of place, teeming on all sides with a few of his favorite things: abundant booze, party girls and loud rock ‘n’ roll. … Read more
The urge to step inside another band’s skin is far more than a local phenomenon, of course. Quite a few groups nationwide have made successful careers not just in choosing a set list heavy on “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” but by immersing themselves into some star group’s whole gestalt, from vocal inflections … Read more
“I am reggae. I decide what reggae is, because I create the music.” — Ziggy Marley “No one told Gandhi it would be easy,” muses Spearhead front man Michael Franti. Resistance movements, the musician points out, never are. However, “through music, we have a chance to be joyful,” Franti continues. “That’s why I create the … Read more
The Andrews Sisters never sang about getting a Brazilian wax. Sure, they urged us to not sit under the apple tree with anyone else but them, and they put the boogie-woogie to that cute bugle boy from Company C. Yet the wartime sibling warblers never once mentioned that saucy South American salon technique — where … Read more
Listen up, girls. Whether you’re single or “involved” with Mr./Ms. Right — or with a random Mr./Ms. Right Now — the following titles are sure to put a little fizzle in your snizzle. Read on! • How to Be Popular, by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz. Get into the swim, cat! Some of these tips from the 1960s … Read more
A competition of sexist relativism Contender: Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe’s “A Cafe of One’s Own” When: Saturday, Jan. 17 Stats: A women-only (or is that womyn-only?) poetry-and-prose reading held in the heart of one of Asheville’s most tolerant venues. Advantages: Understanding. Polite listeners. A safe place for women writers to share their innermost thoughts and feelings. A … Read more
Some carnivores argue that fish don’t feel pain. I don’t presume to know what fish feel — but I will protest the painfully overdone descriptions that distinguish the menu over at TGI-Friday’s. The popular eatery’s “Fish ‘n’ Chips” entree is described as a “prime-cut cod fillet.” (Cut by whom, I wonder? And can you request … Read more
“I don’t believe anymore in a straight path. … Life is not fun like that.” — Asheville artist Breah Parker OK, so Lorelie is a cartoon character — but she’s a profound one. The creation of Asheville artist Breah Parker, Lorelie dances her way through the technicolor pages of Parker’s book, Dare to Dream: Verbal … Read more
“A gal is 90 percent psychological, 10 percent biological. We call her a crock pot: You gotta warm her up.” — pastoral counselor Howard Andrus Judging by the tenor of the public comments aired at last week’s Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting, you’d think advocates of public-access TV had proposed a 24-hour porn channel. … Read more
