Finding Solace Bryan Kimmett, formerly of The Swag, an upscale inn located near Waynesville, and one-time employee of the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C., has signed a lease on the former Flying Frog Café on the corner of Haywood Street and Battery Park Avenue in downtown Asheville. Kimmett and his wife, Annie, (whose credentials … Read more
There's a lot happening on the soon-to-be-released album, Flowers and Chocolate, the sophomore effort by local band Secret B-Sides. There are synthesizers and horns, party noises and samples, guest artists and hip-hop verse — and, like a slinky backbone through it all, the blithe and soulful lyrics of Juan Holladay. There's also a lot going … Read more
NC Senate Bill 31 amended & passed "Lawmakers approved an amendment, supported by Glazier, specifying that the felony penalty will not apply to midwives, naturopaths, homeopaths, or any other alternative practitioners. It will only apply to someone impersonating a medical doctor." — [WRAL] Whooping cough still spreading in Asheville area "There have been five reported … Read more
Hand Me Down, Bestowing Our True Inheritance Through Life Lessons and Legacy, a production by the Community Choreography Project, is a collage of personal stories woven around themes of “home” and “legacy.” As Barrie Barton, choreographer of the production, puts it: Hand Me Down is a showcase of movement theater that strives to “take artistic … Read more
"My drummer Chester Thompson says, 'What you ain't seen hasn't passed you yet,'" says singer/songwriter/blues innovator Taj Mahal. Considering that his career has spanned five decades, taken him around the globe and seen him combine forces with the likes of Ry Cooder, kora master Toumani Diabate and Indian slide guitar player V. M. Bhatt, it's … Read more
Southern Appalachian Brewery After more than a year of renovation and a significant upgrade to their brewing equipment, the newly renamed Southern Appalachian Brewery (formerly called Appalachian Craft Brewery) is poised to open in Hendersonville . Owners Andy and Kelly Cubbin say they don’t have an official opening date yet, because they’re waiting on a … Read more
Green living is healthy living Last year’s Asheville Earth Day was a busy, community-oriented shindig that packed Martin Luther King Jr. Park. This year will be even bigger, with the party moving to Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville and organizers teaming up with the YMCA and its Healthy Kids Day. The combined forces promise … Read more
Delegates to the Buncombe County Democratic Party’s annual convention elected Emmet Carney their new chair on April 9, marking a quick and peaceful end to a race that had shifted rapidly in recent weeks. Several candidates had thrown their hats into the ring and then removed them, including Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell, former … Read more
Nathan Strong is obviously a dyed-in-the-wool communist, so nothing I say is going to change his mind, but for the people who might be swayed I thought I should respond to his letter [“Green Capitalism Still Sucks,” March 30 Xpress]. What he forgets is that most people work simply and purely for the money they … Read more
About the tree removals in downtown Asheville recently: While I understand that it is painful to lose trees, especially when they appear to be fine and healthy, people should not be so hasty to condemn the city for removing them. I love trees too, but Bradford pears are notorious for having exceedingly poor structure with … Read more
