Flavor: Chinese Ambiance: A bit lacking, but not bad Service: Courteous and involved – take their recommendations on food choices There’s no shortage of bright little lo mein joints in the world. The Chinese restaurant – big or little, subtle or garish – is such a fixture in the landscape of our daily lives that … Read more
Not popped-and-locked into one genre: Some breakdancing diehards object to the form being choreographed with other kinds of dance (or choreographed at all, for that matter). But Rennie Harris Puremovement has another story to tell. Audiences — the type that shell out for ballet or modern dance — have been intimidated by hip-hop, explains Brandon … Read more
Kindness is going soft. Well-meaning makeover shows and that never-ending series of featherweight pop-psych books featuring “Chicken Soup for” all sorts of various souls — apparently baseball fans and gardeners require different recipes — have largely wrung the radicalism out of kindness. The sunny selflessness they preach, symbolized by gentle acts like underwriting a self-conscious … Read more
When pontificating about the Grateful Dead, it’s usually safe — especially in a supposedly Dead-savvy town like Asheville — to assert that Jerry Garcia was something like The One when it came to that band’s long, strange musical trip. It’s sure ground to stand on, as far as these things go — whereas not quite … Read more
CD reviews David Holt, Let it Slide: Three Stars Genre(s): Blues … sort of. You’ll like it if: You don’t mind sunshine injected into your blues stompers. Defining song: “Slow Food” — Co-written by Michael Reno Harrell and featuring a guest vocal by picking ambassador Doc Watson, this tune takes a humorous stand against fast … Read more
Singing for supper: When it comes to eating Italian food, there’s no better audio accompaniment than a little opera. During dinner hours this Saturday, Nov. 12, Amici Trattoria will present live performances by “dueling divas.” Two teams of three singers each will try to woo diners with their vocal stylings, and whichever team the crowd … Read more
William Dudley Pelley spent the 1920s as a Hollywood screenwriter cranking out all manner of melodramas. But while a few of his scripts garnered decent returns at the box office, none told a tale as fantastic and tragic as his own real-life saga. You won’t learn much about Pelley from local histories of Asheville, where … Read more
I’m not even going to make a weak attempt at convincing anyone that I can be objective about the third Asheville Film Festival. I was involved in it up to my eyebrows — and sometimes beyond. I had no idea that by the middle of the week, I’d be answering phone calls from the city … Read more
Adoption festival targets potential parents Sure, it’s trendy to adopt small children from far-flung locales like Cambodia and Ethiopia, as Angelina Jolie has proven on many a tabloid cover. But no matter how cute and fashionable they are now, there’s no guaranteeing those urchins will like you when they become teenagers. “My husband and I … Read more
