It’s likely no one has ever called Richard Greene, the baby boomer bass in a cappella quartet The Bobs, an “indie love muffin.” It’s also likely that the Bobs’ audience doesn’t shower the group with stuffed animals, flowers or panties — items hipster singer/songwriter Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes, refers to as “all the normal … Read more
Cue Julie Andrews: According to playwright Delilah Elsen and composer Rudy Davenport, these hills are alive with the sound of music. Or are about to be, anyway. “The work has regional cultural themes, but the music will attract a broad range of [listeners],” Elsen says of the piece, a song cycle she’s titled Byna: Life … Read more
Anton Chekhov, arguably Russia’s greatest playwright, must have been miserable company. He insisted that his grim dramas about hopeless people in tortured circumstances were comedies, and he considered it his mission to rub theatergoers’ faces in their own utterly meaningless workaday lives to encourage them to do better. Oh, joy. Gloom and doom notwithstanding, Three … Read more
Local News Mad Tea Party Gearing up for Two Releases A double dose of ukulele vaudeville madness will soon take over Asheville. Local band Mad Tea Party will first release Flying Saucers in November. Composed entirely of covers, the record remodels tunes from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Guests on the CD include Jake Hollifield … Read more
Flavor: Mediterranean and American, among others Ambiance: Eclectic Service: Sometimes spotty Though it may not seem readily apparent at first, there is rhyme and reason to the concept of Weaverville’s Stoney Knob Cafe. “Eclectic” is perhaps the word that comes closest to summing up the restaurant, both in vibe and in flavor. The decor ranges … Read more
Through the grapevine: The Classic WineSeller is opening a new shop in Canton, and you’re invited to help celebrate. Sister to the Classic WineSeller in Waynesville, the Canton location also offers cigars, cheeses, fine wines, champagnes and ports. Ferris Camp of the Classic WineSeller group says that the new shop differs from the one in … Read more
Nothing to wear? Sometimes we all need a little inspiration when standing in front of the closet. That’s why Xpress is serving up local style with tips on what to wear, where to shop, and where to find fashion events. Check back each week for the latest looks. It’s a wrap • Who she is: … Read more
photo by Jodi Ford The new view: Looking down from the Walnut Cove overlook, Parkway visitors now see the mansions and fairways of a gated community, the Cliffs at Walnut Cove. It’s an unseasonably warm November afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Asheville, and car after car slows to a halt at the … Read more
Standing in line at the West End Bakery the morning after the Nov. 8 city elections, two dreadlocked customers pondered pastry selections and the vexing question of what size coffee to order. Still sporting “I voted” stickers, the two probably figured they’d made enough tough choices the day before, when Asheville voters took to the … Read more
