Watch enough movies and you get the idea that friendships between women are all camaraderie, clothes-sharing and gossip about men — interspersed with silly spats (about clothes and men) that are quickly resolved. And, if your own life doesn't come with a Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda to match your Carrie, well, what’s wrong with you? … Read more
To a contemporary theater audience, a naked man on stage for 30 seconds may not be as shocking as it was when Angels in America first opened 20 years ago. Nonetheless, Tony Kushner’s “Gay Fantasia on National Themes” remains an intense – and intensely relevant – piece of theater. To open its ninth season as … Read more
Villages’ sprawling ambient landscapes are haunting and otherworldly, the kind of thing you’d expect to hear in a sci-fi thriller. But they come from a surprisingly natural place. “I like to walk around alone a lot and capture found sounds,” says the project’s mastermind Ross Gentry. “I lived right on Riverside [Drive, in the River … Read more
The Suspect: Dirty Dozen Brass Band Thanks in part to the success of the New Orleans Saints and the new HBO show, Treme, there has been a renewed appreciation for marching band style brass music. The DDB, along with Trombone Shorty and Allen Toussaint, joined the Dave Matthews Band live on NBC for the NFL … Read more
East of Asheville studio tour Twice a year, artists of the Black Mountain, Swannanoa and East Asheville area open their studios to visitors. Says the website, "Everyone is welcome to visit any or all of the studios during the tour, whether they are serious art patrons or just browsers of beautiful and interesting works." Some … Read more
I consider myself a traditional gardener. That means I garden with plants, and that those plants are the focal point of my garden. I expect my garden visitors to ooh and ah over a specimen tree, like my new Japanese Seiryu Maple. I expect them to do the same for my varied, many — and … Read more
Please Don't Tell Bacon Old Fashioned 2 oz bacon-infused bourbon 1/2 oz grade B maple syrup 2 dashes of Angostura bitters Put all ingredients in a mixing glass over cracked ice, stir and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with orange peel. Sunday Morning (as seen at the Rocket Club) 1 oz bacon vodka 1/2 oz … Read more
Cocktails by the water There's not much in the way of waterfront drinking around these parts, until now. By the side of the French Broad in the River Arts District sits a newly established private club and bar, The Bywater, opened Sept.19. The Bywater offers an alternative to the downtown bar scene, a relaxing atmosphere … Read more
Celebrate Oktoberfest By the time you read this, organizers of the Asheville Downtown Association’s second annual Oktoberfest celebration hope that tickets will be sold out for this year’s beer-quaffing street party. The local celebration of the German tradition takes place on Saturday Oct. 9, from noon to 6 p.m. on Wall Street. This year, the … Read more
