“I hear that a lot, and it’s total bulls••t,” growls Keith Flynn in a voice of crushed gravel and strychnine. I’ve just offhandedly repeated the rumor that Asheville Poetry Review has stopped being about representing the locals in favor of catering to the big names — and Flynn’s having none of it. “I’ll bet you … Read more
“We’ve been accused of genre whiplash,” admits vocalist Rani Arbo — front woman for the strenuously inventive roots group daisy mayhem (note attention-grabbing lowercase letters). Think African box drum with fiddle. Think spooky spirituals with layered harmonies. The band’s latest CD, Gambling Eden (Signature Records, 2003), ranges from the raucous, rhythmic “Stewball” to the watery, … Read more
News Texas native Vanessa Boyd is the latest in a rather long line of artists and musicians from that state relocating to music-flooded Asheville. Her 2004 self-produced disc, unkept woman, shows off Boyd’s unique, slightly edgy voice (one that, in some weird way, recalls 4 Non-Blondes lead singer Linda Perry). Boyd’s music, however, is miles … Read more
In 1967, humorist H. Allen Smith penned an article titled “Nobody Knows More About Chili Than I Do.” Strong words – and he didn’t ease off after the title. “To create chili without beans, either added to the pot or served on the side, is to flout one of the basic laws of nature,” Smith … Read more
A fresh start: Cafe Soleil welcomes two new chefs from the A-B Tech Culinary Department, as well as a revamped and expanded menu. The chefs plan to always use organic meats and free-range eggs and, when possible, local produce. The restaurant will also feature salsa dancing on Tuesday, with instruction available. Cafe Soleil is located … Read more
Flavor: Fresh, traditional ThaiAmbiance: Spare but homeyService: Gracious, sincere and slightly overwhelmed When Lenny DiMaio, the co-owner of Noi’s Thai Kitchen, informed me that his wife Noi insisted on doing all the cooking at their new restaurant by herself, I was so skeptical it must have shown. “Really,” he insisted. “She won’t let anyone else … Read more
photo by Jodi Ford Jeff Brubaker‘s face has intensity written all over it. And then there are the scars — souvenirs of a 10-year career in the National Hockey League. During that time (and in the subsequent two decades of coaching), Brubaker has bounced around the country, the consummate hockey journeyman. From skating with Gretzky … Read more
It’s been 200 years since the Lewis and Clark Expedition trekked from Illinois to Oregon on a reconnaissance mission commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. It’s a big anniversary, and the news is thundering through Western North Carolina in various forms. Asheville author Allan Wolf‘s lyrical novel, New Found Land: Lewis & Clark’s Voyage of Discovery … Read more
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, County Manager Wanda Greene, Planning Director Jon Creighton, Associate County Attorney Keith Snyder and Clerk to the Board Kathy Hughes traveled south to sit in at the Henderson County Board of Commissioners’ Feb. 16 meeting. Discussion centered on the legislative agenda drawn up by the N.C. Association of County … Read more
