Wine took awhile to become mainstream in Western North Carolina, recalls Hunt Mallett, owner of the Weinhaus. When his father started the business in 1977, he didn't have many competitors. “They were the only game in town,” Mallett says. “In fact, not just in town, but the whole western end of the state didn't really … Read more
The Mountain Xpress has been quenching my need for entertainment and news for years. The investigative reporting, the columns, the calendar, the movie reviews and the cartoons of Randy Molton make my week complete. Lately, I have noticed that Molton's cartoons are not always there. I depend on him to capture a concise, humorous image … Read more
Released five years apart, “Is There a Ghost” and “Knock Knock” are remarkably similar songs, energetic opening numbers that are as catchy as they are fulfilling. And yet, Band of Horses, the Charleston, S.C.-based outfit that created them, are a very different band than they were in 2007. Keying on leader Ben Bridwell — the … Read more
It’s easy to let brewery openings big and small grab your attention. Here in Asheville, we have a lot of that going on. But when Foothills Brewing made an announcement last week that it was taking the next step in its expansion, I had to read it twice: a 72 percent increase in capacity? Turns … Read more
In response to Laura Nunley's letter contrasting the criminality of breast bearing with spousal and child abuse, I gotta say I wonder where she got her law degree, not to mention her motivation [“Equality Is Not a Crime,” March 6 Xpress]. As far as using this ridiculous subject to further some sort of utterly (no … Read more
Margaret Curtis’ paintings were once described by an art critic as looking like “the day after the party.” That was 10 years ago, when hyperbolic feminine themes were rampant in Curtis’ paintings of parade floats and giant plastic flowers. At that time Curtis was one of several female artists, like Sue Williams, responding to what … Read more
The city of Asheville is under attack by state GOP Reps. Tim Moffitt, Nathan Ramsey and Chuck McGrady. It is a hostile and irresponsible attack on our infrastructure with their House Bill 488 that will financially cripple our city by forcibly merging Asheville’s public water utility with the Metropolitan Sewerage District. This is an outright … Read more
While there is a lot of headway concerning gay-marriage rights, let's remember that discrimination towards LGBT on other matters is left to be fought. Legal discrimination on the federal level currently protects the classes of race, age, sex, nationality, religion and handicap, but not sexual orientation. For example, a restaurant or hotel can legally deny … Read more
The decals never came off the doors after the Fine Arts League of the Carolinas moved out of its Rankin Avenue location. But that’s OK. In a way, the new tenant is the old tenant. Asheville artist and Fine Arts League founder Ben Long is moving back in after years of vacancy. In the weeks … Read more
Pioneering musician Dick Dale was born in Boston, but when, as a teen, he moved to California's Orange County with his family, he got into surfing and then music. Dale learned drums, ukulele, trumpet and finally guitar. But he didn't stop there. Inspired by his Lebanese heritage, he drew on Arabic sounds, which ultimately led … Read more
