Feeling her way: Only 26 and already dripping with awards, Shemekia Copeland, who got her start at age 8 at Harlem’s Cotton Club, will replace the ailing Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown as LEAF’s Saturday-night headliner. Singer Shemekia Copeland was dubbed “Miss Meek” by her late father, blues legend Johnny Copeland. She never lived up to the … Read more
The Lake Eden Arts Festival, featuring roots and world music, contra dancing and healing-arts workshops, happens every May and October at Camp Rockmont, the former site of avant-garde Black Mountain College. LEAF’s 20th installment unfolds Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15. Weekend passes include camping, and are $120/adults, $95/youth. Tickets at the gate are … Read more
Akron, Ohio-based rockers the Black Keys are either the most unlikely act to ever sell out a concert hall, or the most genuine rock stars to grace a Rolling Stone. Not the cover, mind you. But the magazine did peg the underdog duo’s 2002 debut The Big Come Up (Alive) as “a righteous choice for … Read more
“Pater Noxus” (“Bad Father”), by Betty Clark. Ask any Asheville art aficionado to describe Betty Clark’s work, and a word that echoes the artist’s own lively name is often heard: “cheerful.” (“Colorful” and “decorative” are also commonly offered.) But Clark’s current exhibit at Black Mountain Center for the Arts is decidedly darker. Gone are the … Read more
Kellin Watson calls to say she is running late. The reason, she explains later, is that she was painting a room in the Black Mountain home where she lives with her parents. The paint job was in preparation for the arrival of family friends the Duhks, an increasingly drooled-over Canadian quintet for whom Kellin will … Read more
Flavor: Continental with regional American influences Ambiance: Appalachian elegance Service: Attentive but unobtrusive On a recent foray to Flat Rock, my Picky Companion and I checked in for dinner at the Woodfield Inn. Driving into the place made for a good first impression, because the property is lovely. The grounds encompass 23 acres some wooded, … Read more
Taste test: Rezaz in Biltmore Village is serving an appetizer that some diners might shy away from at first: grilled octopus tentacle. But when I recently sampled the mollusk appendage, I was thrilled by how the dish graced the plate and palate. The texture is not unlike that of — if you’ll pardon the cliche … Read more
I love it when I round a corner and encounter a harmonious mix of plants tucked into (and perhaps overflowing) an attractive container. Sometimes it’s a quiet and subtle hello; other times it can be a loud and exuberant HELLO! Oftentimes it’s the container, itself a piece of art, that catches my eye; and then … Read more
Money for flood recovery and housing rehabilitation were the principal issues on the table during Buncombe County Board of Commissioners abbreviated May 3 meeting. During a public hearing concerning a community development block grant for disaster recovery, Planner Cynthia Barcklow explained that the county is eligible to apply for $600,000 in state funds to assist … Read more
