“A nice melody leading up to a big bang is more effective than just one big bang after the other.” — Alexander Hacke of Einstuerzende Neubauten The notion of growing ever more distant from home permeates Perpetuum Mobile, the latest of two just-released albums from Einstuerzende Neubauten. Both in its tunefulness and emotional nuance, Perpetuum … Read more
German noise-rock pioneers Einstuerzende Neubauten and fanciful neo-folkie Billy Jonas go together like chainsaws and apple butter. On paper, though, what they do is frighteningly similar. Asheville’s Jonas, a favorite with kids and folk-charmed adults, coaxes rhythms from the recycled remnants of society’s leftovers (plastic tubs, found objects, lovingly transformed metal scraps). Before him — … Read more
Once upon a time, a lonely young maiden pined all night and all day for true love to come her way. She was Rebecca (played by Rebecca Blum at the Mountain Renaissance Adventure Faire), the daughter of the kindly Baron of Tidmarsh (Stewart MacWilliam), who loathed seeing his daughter in such a lamentable state. To … Read more
Among Chuck Brodsky’s diehard fans is the Catholic bishop in Northern Ireland who attends shows there dressed, literally, for church. Afterward, he and Brodsky have sometimes raised a pint or two at the local pub. The widely acclaimed Asheville folkie has toured the Emerald Isle 10 times now. But when we “talked” via e-mail recently, … Read more
The Victorian age bestowed upon us a vast, sprawling legacy — from cloyingly frilly home decor to Darwin’s theory of evolution to some of the greatest novelists of the past two centuries. The latter, along with Queen Victoria herself, are the subjects of an upcoming talk by Elliot Engel, a former English professor who now … Read more
“We’re really just a bunch of big kids about this production,” insists Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre’s Susan Collard during a recent rehearsal of the company’s impending show, Sinbad the Sailor. In fact, the choreographer and her husband, ACDT co-founder/teacher Giles Collard, have more than a passing personal interest in Sinbad‘s Middle Eastern setting. They lived … Read more
Of note The Doctor Is Way In. MerleFest 2004, the 17th-annual festival honoring the music of Doc Watson and his late son, Merle, broke attendance records two weeks ago: An estimated 82,500 festival-goers converged on the Wilkes Community College campus in Wilkesboro on April 29-May 2. See www.merlefest.org for details. Doorstep Delivery. According to the … Read more
Jonathan Jones takes my cigar, sets it to his lips, and slowly starts puffing. In his hand he holds a slender stick of cedar, cracked down the spine to keep it alight as it rekindles the dying ember inside the cigar. His breaths are long, hollow pulls that seek to drag in as much air … Read more
Fine flowers have been an accompaniment to good meals for centuries, whether as bouquets on the table or actually placed on the plate. And in many of today’s fancier restaurants, flower garnishes — often nasturtiums or pansies — have begun replacing parsley. Unfortunately, many diners push these edible blossoms, meant to heighten the dining experience, … Read more
