Among the special guests at tonight’s Ratdog concert at the Asheville Civic Center’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium will be one Carl Mumpower, a member of City Council.
No, Asheville’s homegrown drug crusader won’t take the stage for an extended solo with Grateful Dead alum Bob Weir. He’ll be there strictly for observation purposes.
In a Friday e-mail exchange between the councilman, city officials and Asheville police (which Mumpower then shared with the local media), he advised that “unless you attend, you may not be aware that drug abuse is a persisting problem in the Civic Center during some concerts. It is my understanding that tonight’s concert holds that potential.”
Mumpower, it seems, is interested not only in Asheville’s endemic drug problem, but its itinerant one, too.
After securing a ticket for Mumpower, City Manager Gary Jackson sent these instructions back to the councilman-cum-vigilante: “Please go to ‘Will call’ and they will admit you.”
Long-time fans of the Grateful Dead and Weir may chafe at the idea that Mumpower should be able to get into tonight’s show so easily, without the de rigueur “I NEED A MIRACLE” ticket-seeking sign. Ah well, it pays to have friends in high places.
Here’s hoping that Mumpower doesn’t observe any “persisting problems” at the concert, and that a good time is had by all.
— Kent Priestley, staff writer
This is going to be great. I almost wish I were there. Well, except for having to hear the music. Or see a politician grandstanding. Or to hear hippies go on about “the man” without realizing that they have turned into a sad parody of themselves.
I just wonder, will he be going to the parking lot across the street for a cheese quesadilla?
This story is 20 times funnier than anything the Disclaimer has published in the Xpress. But then again, my first born child freezing to death on my front porch on Christmas morning is funnier than anything the Disclaimer publishes.
Drug abuse will almost certainly be a problem at this concert. Bob Weir fans suck up aspirin and fiber supplements like they were going out of style.
They also sold a lot of grilled cheese stuffed with OxyContin sandwiches up there.
What if he digs it?
If he digs the narcotic laced sandwiches, I’m afraid his flashlight vigil was just a hollow display Ethan.
If anyone tells me that a bunch of people shining flashlights up into the air at dusk isn’t a bold step in Mumpower’s war on drugs, well, you might as well tell me that Santa Claus isn’t real.
But will he try the brownies…lol.
I wonder if Mumpower can score me some Ecstacy? I’ve been looking for a good hit for years.
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I’m just hoping that they were handing out some of that Jonestown Kool Aid there.
Wow, drugs at a Dead show… next he’ll be uncovering evidence that it’s expensive to get into the Biltmore Estate or that there’s water in Beaver Lake… what would we do without intrepid government officials like this on our side?
Shine flashlights into the air at City County Plaza?
Mumpower’s post-concert report said that Thomas Wolfe “smelled like an Amsterdam hash bar.”
Never been in one, myself.
What is his issue with drugs? Did someone steal the Doritos from him when he had the munchies?
Higher political ambitions, methinks.
I actually like Mumpower. I don’t like any political body leaning too far one way, and he’s trying to keep it balanced.
But it’s cowardly politics. I think something should be done about the open air drug markets in this town, but I also think that Mumpower is doing a lot of this to make council look bad.
But then again, maybe this city council should look bad.
Also, as a rule, you shouldn’t trust local politicians. They have skeletons in their closets so big that they couldn’t rise above the local level of government.
Yo Buggs, Jonestown Kool-Aid is pretty harsh. What did a bunch of blissed-out 3rd generation hippies ever do to you-steal your girlfriend while you were playing Dungeons and Dragons or discussing the latest lo-fi indie poseur band with your friends?
Speaking of “sad parodies”, how about all of these aging hipsters ’round here desperately trying to get into the latest band, made up of people half their age. Maybe if they change the style of their eyeglass frames just ONE MORE TIME, they will keep ahead of the curve.
I went to Ratdog to get a little Dead nostalgia. It was pretty good, better sound than most bands at T’Wolfe. Mumpower not getting dosed is just a sad reminder of the lame times we all live in.
Actually it wasn’t a hippie who stole my girlfriend, it was the Mountain Xpress’ own Steve Shanafelt.
As far as sad parodies go, you are correct, there is something sad about people longing for what it was like in 1979, they should take their cool lessons from all of those who are pretending it’s ’67, shouldn’t they?
I do agree with you that a law abiding citizen who has done nothing wrong (other than to stick his nose into other people’s business with a bit of verve) should be slipped a mind altering drug without his prior consent. How “blissed out” of you.