Search: Search Advanced Search

Local art gallery

• 1. Blue Spiral 1 38 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 251-0202 Popular year after year, Blue Spiral 1 continues (since opening in 1991) to impress. Three floors house every medium of visual art, from avant-garde installations to placid landscape paintings. OK, so the gallery doesn't offer cheese cubes during art crawls, but hey, it's a feast for the eyes, right?
• 2. The Satellite Gallery 55 Broadway, Asheville, 350-9940
• 3. BoBo Gallery 22 Lexington Ave., Asheville, 254-3426

Local visual artist

• 1. Gabriel Shaffer www.gabrielshaffer.com What with his super-saturated colors, collage techniques, archetype-meets-super-hero figures and rainbow-flooded first chakras, Shaffer creates a world of possible alter-egos. Or potential storylines. Or postmodern totems. Or inexplicable cool. That his art is collected far beyond the Asheville city limits is far less surprising than the wonderful images Shaffer continues to manifest.
• 1. Jen Bowen/Faces of Asheville www.jennybowen.com At first glance, the Faces of Asheville project gave city residents a chance to play who's who with the photography exhibit's subject matter. But, on closer inspection, the collection of portraits of our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family somehow gave us a deeper look into the lives of the people we all see every day.
• 2. Ursula Gullow www.ursulagullow.com
• 2. Rose Candela www.rosecandelastudio.com
• 3. Jonas Gerard www.jonasgeraRoadcom
• 3. Stu Helm www.cheesygraphics.com

Local band: blues/jazz/soul

• 1. Firecracker Jazz Band www.firecrackerjazz.com Better than a mere night of music, Firecracker Jazz Band also provides its listeners with a journey both to Dixieland and back in time to the Jelly Roll Morton/Bix Beiderbeck heyday of energetic, party-inducing jazz. With 15 years of playing under its belt and with Red Hot Band released this year, Firecracker's as explosive as ever.
• 2. Skinny Legs and All www.myspace.com/skinnylegsandallband
• 3. Peggy Ratusz www.myspace.com/peggyratusz2

Local band: country/alt-country

• 1. The Trainwreks www.myspace.com/thetrainwreks Having pioneered their own "dirty tonk" sound, The Trainwreks barreled onto the local music scene a couple years back, garnering not only Xpress reader raves (this is their third win) but accolades for debut album Ready to Die. According to the band's MySpace page, a new record is in progress.
• 2. Pierce Edens and The Dirty Work www.pierceedens.com
• 3. Dave Desmelik www.davedesmelik.com
• 3. The Honeycutters www.myspace.com/thehoneycutters

Local band: folk

• 1. Josh Phillips Folk Festival www.myspace.com/joshphillipsfolk Josh Phillips (formerly of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band) crafts positive, feel-good indie-folk and still gets those booties shakin'. Last year's release, Wicker, set the ball rolling for a slew of shows and festival appearances. Phillips also posts some pretty hilarious tweets: "Did you know that the sun wears Chuck Norris tan lotion?"
• 2. Now You See Them www.myspace.com/nowyouseethem
• 3. Dave Desmelik www.davedesmelik.com

Local band: old-time/bluegrass

• 1. Sons of Ralph www.sonsofralph.com This local tradition recently released a new CD — When I Find Time — proving that patriarch Ralph Lewis on vocals and mandolin has still got it. Sons Marty and Don flesh out the band with other key players and a catalog of songs that range from sweetly sentimental to foot-stomping and fiery.
• 2. Steep Canyon Rangers www.steepcanyon.com
• 2. Brushfire Stankgrass www.myspace.com/brushfirestankgrass
• 3. Town Mountain www.townmountain.net
• 3. Buncombe Turnpike www.myspace.com/buncombeturnpike

Local band: hip-hop

• 1. GFE www.granolafunk.com Granola Funk Express dates back to the early '90s, when members busked and played any stage they could book. Now a steady core remains, and these players have proven themselves as solo artists as well (Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Josh Blake's Big Money Band and Foul Mouth Jerk among them). This year's Bele Chere set — amazingly, the group's first at the festival — saw them in top form.
• 2. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo www.secretagent23skidoo.com
• 3. Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band www.bootyband.com

Local band: rock

• 1. Sirius.B www.siriusbmusic.com How the self-proclaimed "Absurdist Gypsy Metal Folk Funk Punk" outfit took top billing in the rock category is as much of a mystery as the white-dwarf star from whence the band takes its name. Besides a raucous version of "Bella Ciao," the band boasts great hats, an 8-track debut and fairly regular appearances at BoBo Gallery.
• 2. Reigning Sound www.myspace.com/reigningsoundfans
• 3. Custard Pie www.myspace.com/custardpieasheville

Local band: indie

• 1. stephaniesid www.stephaniesid.com "Bullet Train," the single from stephaniesid's latest release, Warm People, has been getting a lot of airplay on local radio (not to mention NPR's World Cafe). What's striking is how the synth-pop hit sounds like it could have been revived from the best of the New Wave vault, or culled from an indie-film soundtrack. But vocalist/songwriter/fashionista Stephanie Morgan has time-out-of-mind effect.
• 2. Sirius.B www.siriusbmusic.com
• 3. Floating Action www.floatingaction.com

Local band: experimental

• 1. Sirius.B www.siriusbmusic.com See description under "Best Local Band: Rock."
• 1. Ahleuchatistas www.ahleuchatistas.com Overheard at a recent Ahleuchatistas show: "It's not easy music to listen to, but it sure is interesting." That sort of sums up the punk-meets-jazz-meets-math rock of this avant-garde trio. From sonic assault to intricate guitar work to fat, tribal rhythms, Ahleuchatistas can venture in any direction, only to turn on a dime and alter the soundscape. This is more than performance; it's performance art.
• 1. Arundas www.myspace.com/arundas Arundas is a world-music collective with a mystical undercurrent. The group, started by multi-instrumentalist Alex Caruso, tends to stick to an alternate account of its inception ("Sala founded Arundas after some years of forest dwelling and wandering here and there"). But that works, since an Arundas concert is a meditative and transporting experience.
• 2. Sonmi Suite www.myspace.com/sonmi
• 2. Speedsquare www.speedsquaremusic.com
• 3. Free Planet Radio www.freeplanetradio.com
• 3. Ventricles www.myspace.com/ventriclessound

Local band: metal

• 1. Kings of Prussia www.myspace.com/kingsofprussia While the members of Kings of Prussia tend to keep a low profile (blurry photos, skeleton costumes, a pig mask), they are perfectly clear about their sound. Able to craft a wistfully lovely melody, Kings of Prussia likes to deconstruct its own dreamy rock and crisp percussion with experimental instrumentation and fierce thrash.
• 2. Temptation's Wings www.myspace.com/temptationswingswnc
• 3.Shadow of a Destroyer www.myspace.com/shadowofthedestroyer
• 3. Soft Opening www.myspace.com/softopening
• 3. As Sick As Us www.myspace.com/assickasus

Local band: punk

• 1. Just Die! www.myspace.com/justdiehardcore Just as the band's name suggests a certain abandonment of niceties, so does this group's sound. Grinding guitars, driving percussion and lyrics that scream more than sing, Just Die! is punk incarnate. And yet tracks from the band's new 7-inch (releasing this week) also offer some catchy hooks and melodic background vocals to balance the energetic hardcore.
• 2. Nasty Ponies www.myspace.com/nastyponies
• 2. Wooden Toothe www.myspace.com/woodentoothe
• 3. The Go Devils www.myspace.com/thegodevils666

Local band nobody's heard of yet

• 1. Skinny Legs and All www.myspace.com/skinnylegsandallband Named for a Tom Robbins novel published well before anyone in this band was born, Skinny Legs and All seems at home with songs, sounds and ideas from a bygone era. Though the group is made of teens, they all perform with maturity beyond their years, with singer Jesse Barry belting out "The Thrill is Gone" like a young Janis Joplin.
• 2. Buster www.myspace.com/bustertunes
• 3. Osaka Pearl www.osakapearl.com

Local busker/street performer

• 1. Silver drummer girl More than a mere street act, the silver drummer girl (a New Orleans transplant) is a local celebrity. She has her own month on the Freaks of Asheville 2010 calendar. Why do people love this particular busker? Maybe because she's both musician and statue, and she rewards tips with a perfectly executed snare roll.
• 2. "Dylan kid" Preston Cooper
• 2. Bryshen/Brett Brothwell
• 3. Now You See Them www.myspace.com/nowyouseethem
• 3. Bobby Sax

Local singer/songwriter

• 1. Tyler Ramsey www.myspace.com/tylerramseymusic Of late, musician Tyler Ramsey has spent a good deal of time on the road as a guitarist (and video star: search YouTube for "No One's Gonna Love You") with Band of Horses. But back in June, he told Xpress he was planning to hole up in a cabin and work on new solo material. Can't wait to see how he follows up gems like "Time Machine" and "A Long Dream."
• 2. Kellin Watson www.kellinwatson.com
• 2. Nikki Talley www.myspace.com/nikkitalley
• 3. Eliza Lynn www.elizalynn.com

Local DJ (non-radio)

• 1. DJ Bowie www.myspace.com/soundbowie Not only is DJ Bowie half Dutch, but he has a mashup entitled "Crunkmuffin Breakfast." Talk about your balanced diet. Bowie's own musical consumption is pretty balanced, too, from ultra-modern beats and spacey electronica to the kind of old-school, deep-cut soul and R and B tracks that prove he's done his research.
• 2. DJ Football www.myspace.com/djf00tball
• 2. DJ Brett Rock www.myspace.com/brettrockdj
• 3. Selector Cleofus www.myspace.com/cleofuswilliams

Local recording studio

• 1. Echo Mountain www.echomountain.net Locally unparalleled in terms of its massive space, gear and amenities, the relatively new Echo Mountain has already birthed albums by the Avett Brothers (with uber-producer Rick Rubin), Band of Horses and myriad excellent local bands. Their emerging empire will soon include a brewery and live-music venue.
• 2. Collapseable Recording Studios www.collapseablestudios.com
• 3. Hi-Five Recording www.hifiverecording.com

Local dance company

• 1. Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance www.terpsicorps.org An ingenious concept, Terpsicorps taps the talents of professional dancers from national companies during their off-season. This gives Asheville a top-notch ballet company each summer, and also allows creative director Heather Maloy to showcase her innovative choreography, while also colluding with local musicians (for more on that, see best "Live Show of 2009: Dance").
• 2. Asheville Contemporay Dance Theatre www.acdt.org
• 3. Asheville Ballet www.ashevilleballet.com

Local poet/author

• 1. Glenis Redmond www.glenisredmond.com A repeat Hall of Famer, Redmond continues to gain well-deserved praise and awards for her moving verse and passionate performances. Congrats to Asheville's reigning poetry queen for retaining her crown.
• 2. Graham Hackett/Catalyst POETIX www.poetixonline.com
• 3. Allan Wolf www.allanwolf.com

Local graffiti artist

• 1. MOMS This mysterious gang of talented graffiti artists consists of "mostly pregnant dreadlocked ladies and single gutter punk moms," claims a professed member of the crew under the condition of anonymity — though he is clearly not a member of the demographic he describes. Either way, they've clearly made their mark.
• 2. Ishmael
• 3. None/they're vandals/they should be in jail/don't encourage this

Local stage company

• 1. North Carolina Stage Company www.ncstage.org Housed in an intimate and classy downtown theatre, the North Carolina Stage Company wins again for another stellar season of quality dramas, classics and comedies. Bravo.
• 2. Asheville Community Theatre www.ashevilletheatre.org
• 3. Montford Park Players www.montfordparkplayers.org

Local filmmaker

• 1. Chris Bower www.wewontbowdown.com After gaining indie cred for his sci-fi epic Moon Europa, Chris Bower has been hard at work on We Won't Bow Down, a documentary about the Mardi Gras Indians. Although still trying to raise money to complete the project, raw footage has been screened at local events to rave reviews.
• 2. Chusy Jardine www.chusy.com
• 3. Paul Schattel www.harrowbeauty.com

Local video store

• 1. Orbit DVD 783 1/2 Haywood Road, Asheville, 251-1337 Two of the three winners in this category are under the same ownership: Orbit DVD and TV Eye Video Emporium. Congrats and thanks to Marc McCloud and his team for providing WNC with enough rare indie films and mainstream must-sees to fulfill all our movie-watching needs.
• 2. Rosebud Video 197 Charlotte St., Asheville, 250-9500
• 3. TV Eye Video Emporium 108 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 254-2123

Local drag performer

• 1. Cookie LaRue Better known as Asheville's best "irritainer," Cookie LaRue makes no bones about her love of "Liza Minnelli-type substances" and bastardized folk songs ("Blowin’ in the Winds"). Recently completing the one-woman show Can You Dig It? (a live recreation of her 1972 Emmy-winning TV special), LaRue is reportedly at work on her new CD: Cookie LaRue: My Greates-tits.
• 2. Verba S. Deo
• 3. Celeste Starr
• 3. China

Local trivia night

• 1. Jack of the Wood 95 Patton Ave., Asheville, 252-5445 Trivia night at Jack of the Wood offers enough competition to make the game intellectually interesting and enough drinking to make it fun. Cheers to Jack of the Wood and its regular patrons for making this weekly game the right combination of friendly and fierce.
• 2. Westville Pub 777 Haywood Road, Asheville, 225-9782
• 3. Mellow Mushroom 50 Broadway, Asheville, 236-9800

Local karaoke night

• 1. Fred's Speakeasy 122 College St., Asheville, 281-0920 Calling itself "the only smoky dive left in downtown Asheville" on its PBR-checkered MySpace page, the host of this weekly Wednesday night gathering promises to "transform you into a Karaoke Maniac." Watch out — apparently the legions of those he's converted are vast.
• 2. Temptations and the Red Room 5A Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-0775
• 2. Mack Kells Pub and Grill 160 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 253-8805
• 3. Club Hairspray 38 N. French Broad Ave., Asheville, 258-2027
• 3. Northside Bar and Grill 853 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-2349

Movie theater

• 1. Asheville Fine Arts Theatre 36 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 232-1536 Despite competition from several new theaters in the area (Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 makes its debut at number 3), our favorite place to see movies remains downtown's Fine Arts Theatre. And for good reason: Nowhere else in the area offers the quality indie films on which this nicely renovated theatre has built its outstanding reputation.
• 2. Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company 675 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-1281
• 3. Cinebarre 800 Brevard Road, Asheville, 665-7776
• 3. Regal Cinemas Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 292 Thetford Street, Asheville, 684-1298

Place to hear live music

• 1. The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-5851 This nationally hailed venue is only matched in the unprecedented quality of the acts that play there by the unprecedented size of its massive ceiling fan. Already a Hall of Famer, the Orange Peel is ramping things up with the soon-to-be completed addition of an outdoor patio and a downstairs liquor bar.
• 2. The Grey Eagle 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, 232-5800
• 3. Jack of the Wood 95 Patton Ave., Asheville, 252-5445

Place to dance

• 1. Scandals Nightclub 11 Grove St., Asheville, 252-2838 Not quite a Hall of Famer yet, but well on its way; if you're open-minded and late-night dancing is your thing, this is your place.
• 2. The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-5851
• 3. The Grey Eagle 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, 232-5800

Live show of 2009: dance

• 1. Recession Blues by Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance This show's featured performance, a collaboration with Asheville's Firecracker Jazz Band, balanced resonant themes of the current recession with athletic modern dance and a healthy dose of humor. Plus, it served as a fundraiser for Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Mission. Our hats are off.
• 2. Beastie Boys at the Orange Peel, June 10, 2009
• 3. Phish at the Asheville Civic Center, June 9, 2009
• 3. Who's Bad Michael Jackson tribute at the Emerald Lounge, July 9, 2009 and at the Orange Peel, July 31, 2009
• 3. ABSFest June 12-14, 2009

Live show of 2009: music

• 1. Beastie Boys at the Orange Peel, June 10, 2009 For fans lucky enough to get tickets (they sold out in seconds), it was a dream come true: a chance to see one of the biggest hip-hop/pop/funk/punk groups of their generation at an intimate hometown club. The 70,000+ fans who braved the mud and perils of Bonnaroo to see them a few days later must have been jealous.
• 2. Phish at the Asheville Civic Center, June 9, 2009
• 3. Sirius.B multiple times, multiple locations

Live show of 2009: theater

• 1. Midsummer Night's Dream by the Montford Park Players Consistently placing in the top three in this category for several years now, the Montford Park Players offer North Carolina's longest running Shakespeare festival, performing several major productions every summer.
• 2. What's LYLAS got to do with it? by LYLAS
• 3: Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead at N.C. Stage Company
• 3. The Santaland Diaries at Asheville Community Theatre