Recently North Carolina has opted to close The Governor Morehead School for the Blind and consolidate its programs and administration under that of the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf. For now, the plan is to allow students who are blind to remain on the GMS campus in Raleigh as a satellite campus of … Read more
Americana heirs Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion (off-stage spouses/members of The Guthrie Family Rides Again with her dad, Arlo Guthrie/children's music makers/band in their own right) used to live just down the road in South Carolina. Now they're based in Massachusetts, but they're heading back South for a handful of select shows in support … Read more
David Earl Tomlinson describes his sound as "amphetamine folk," though new songs posted on his ReverbNation page have plenty of slow-burn rock, too. Tomlinson's band, David Earl and the Plowshares, made a name for itself with the 2008 release Local Anesthesia. The group has since reformed with Soulgrass Rebellion's Silas Durocher on guitar and Chris … Read more
Avery County musician Billy Constable is known for his Appalachian approach to the banjo and for his contribution to such bands as Hypnotic Clambake, The Larry Keel Experience and Big Daddy Bluegrass Band. A recent brain tumor diagnosis has left Constable with considerable medical expenses, and like many professional musicians, he doesn't have insurance. To … Read more
Here's the back story: Three friends from Mars Hill College got together a year or so ago and formed a band, one which they describe as "rock with some progressive leanings and melancholic songwriting." Songs like "Five" and "Katydid" actually fall into crisp grooves and ring with haunting melody. The group — The Luxury Spirit … Read more
I recently attended the String Cheese Incident concert at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at the Asheville Civic Center and was very disappointed by the way the crowd was being (mis)handled. Circumstances forced me to arrive about 10 minutes before show time, so I expected to breeze right in, most of the crowd already inside. Or … Read more
On a clear, cool mid-November afternoon, a small-scale fishing derby was under way along Cullowhee Creek on the Western Carolina University campus. Working with WCU recreational-therapy students Shawn Chapman and Megan Hunt, three boys took turns fly-fishing for trout in the creek’s quick, shallow waters as moms, dads, siblings and friends offered encouragement from the … Read more
Celebrate Bernard, the “awesome” rescue hound, at Bernard’s Birthday Benefit, a fundraiser for the Avery County Humane Society. Held on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Altamont Brewing Company, 1042 Haywood Road. Info: http://www.averyhumane.org or 733-6312. One of Sierra Nevada's original brewers, Terence Sullivan (who now heads up the brewery's Beer Camp), will present a meet … Read more
In the third paragraph of Greenlife’s letter in the Nov. 23 issue of Mountain Xpress, Sherri Sterken states, “Greenlife remains as committed as ever to Asheville, and during the past year our contributions to the community have amplified.” This statement confuses me. During the last week of June 2011, a group of us noticed a … Read more
The Blue Ridge Mountains are known the world over for the quality and diversity of their plant life, particularly ornamentals and medicinal herbs. Harvesting these treasures has been a fixture of life here for centuries, but assorted experts at the recent Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Conference in Asheville said our forest products are … Read more
