http://www.mountainx.com/ae/ en webmaster@mountainx.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-19T20:31:36+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/carl_labove_outlaw_comedian_reflects_on_comedys_resurgence http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/carl_labove_outlaw_comedian_reflects_on_comedys_resurgence#When:20:31:36Z One can slay a thousand, but two can slay 10,000. It’s an old biblical reference that comedian Carl LaBove says he and his buddy Sam Kinison used as a guide after they befriended one another more than 20 years ago. “He was a preacher. I was a preacher’s son. We were thinking along the same lines,” LaBove says in a recent telephone interview. LaBove spoke with Xpress in advance of his headlining shows Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, at Asheville’s Funny Business Comedy Club on Patton Avenue. The two teamed up and, by the late 1980s, were rock stars of comedy. They sold out clubs, packed stadiums and toured. They specialized in an over-the-top brand of comedy known for its obnoxious content and in-your-face delivery. The outlaws of comedy, as they called themselves, lived it up. “Once success comes, you can’t control it.…... 2009-11-19T20:31:36+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/portraits_from_prom1 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/portraits_from_prom1#When:22:51:46Z The Friday the 13th prom for grownups at the Grey Eagle was a smash — a veritable night of time travel to an earlier age of innocence, awkwardness, romance, longing and cheesy attire. Some 600 attendees danced and mingled the evening away. The co-organizers, brothers Chris and Drew Findley, say the event was such a hit that they plan to make it an annual affair. For the time being, anyone who did or didn’t make it to the prom can witness some of the magic in this online gallery of formal (but fun) portraits, which are provided courtesy of Castell Photography. — Jon Elliston, managing editor... 2009-11-18T22:51:46+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/book_report_women_writing_and_soul-making http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/book_report_women_writing_and_soul-making#When:19:56:04Z Women, Writing and Soul-Making: Creativity and the Sacred Feminine, Peggy Tabor Millin’s new book published by Story Water Press, encourages writers to claim their power and voice while exploring a feminine approach to inspire creativity.  Far from a how-to-guide, Millin’s book functions as a creative companion, filled with metaphors, philosophy and techniques that rally readers to take risks and creative leaps in both their lives and in their writing practice.  “Women, Writing and Soul-Making is an invitation for you to explore the feminine, with all its strengths and vulnerabilities, as a way to claim your creative power, your writing, and your life,” Millin writes in her introduction, setting the stage for her journey into the challenges and rewards that writing can have on an individual, both physiologically, personally and spiritually. Millin, the…... 2009-11-18T19:56:04+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/this_weekend_on_a_shoestring47 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/this_weekend_on_a_shoestring47#When:13:06:06Z Thursday, Nov. 19 • Reacquaint yourself with Brooklyn’s The Pimps of Joytime (below) (the band played Downtown After 5 in August). They bring their own brand of dance-y funk to the Pisgah Brewery (150 Eastside Dr., Black Mountain, 669-0190). 7 p.m., free. • The UNC-Asheville Percussion Ensemble performs at Lipinsky Auditorium (1 University Heights, Asheville, 251-6600). The concert will include the premier of student compositions by Benjamin Falcon and Reid Weigner, as well as a modern interpretation of traditional Brazilian samba rhythms. 7:30 p.m., $5. • Self-described “urban hillbilly” Wink Keziah (pictured) performs at The Back Room (2701 C Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, 697-68…... 2009-11-18T13:06:06+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809chariots_of_wire http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809chariots_of_wire#When:04:00:35Z There are athelete-punishing marathons, feats of spandexed agility and moments of community-bolstering brilliance. And then there's the Idiotarod, which is kindof none of the above and, then again, kindof all of the above. Serious runners booty: Costumed racers know that the Idiotarod is more about the fun than the run. Photo by Nicholas Noyes. "It's basically organized chaos and you're laughing for an entire hour and a half," says Richard Handy, who is putting together the Asheville Idiotarod, the first local version of the 5K shopping-cart race. Handy, who lived in New York City for seven years prior to moving to Asheville last year, has competed in the N.Y.Idiotarod. "It's a staple thing up there," he says. Based vaguely …... 2009-11-18T04:00:35+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809minimalist_pop_mayhem http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809minimalist_pop_mayhem#When:04:00:34Z "I said 'pop music for cannibals' for a while," recalls the If You Wannas Ryan Cox. "Then I called it 'minimalist pop mayhem.' I also said 'green apples in mud' to someone once." Time to take great risks: The new album was recorded in different houses, with different instruments, during different seasons. "The changes in weather and moods and relationships over a year gave it a really eclectic feel," says Ryan Cox. Surprisingly, these off-the-wall descriptions are somehow fitting of the If You Wannas dreamy soundscapes, poppy hooks and often-bizarre lyrics. Built around Cox's gleefully melancholy vocals and guitarist Gavin Conner's meandering riffs, the band's catalog is an experiment in stylistic …... 2009-11-18T04:00:34+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809sound_track http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809sound_track#When:04:00:33Z Local country band The Honeycutters does not take its CD title from the Lead Belly folk standard. Instead, the tune is an original by vocalist/guitarist Amanda Anne Platt whose pragmatic voice and exceptional lyrics never falter on this 12-song collection. The crisp, waning autumn/time passing/unrequited love/dusty roads and pale sun feel of this album would be enough, but the Honeycutters breathe bittersweet nostalgia into every tasteful chord, from the lovely anguish of Ben Riva's fiddle on "Lillies" to the nimble mandolin intro by Spencer Taylor on "Waiting in the Morning" to the gratifying twang of Matt Smith's pedal steel on "Marie," Irene takes all the best elements of old school country and somehow makes them new again. The Honeycutters p…... 2009-11-18T04:00:33+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809sound_track1 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809sound_track1#When:04:00:32Z The Nova Echo's recent age 16+ show at Stella Blue contained a lot of elements foreign to Asheville: No beer was served, for starters. And then there's the matter of the tightly crafted, immaculately produced electro-pop. It's possible that, not since Sinead Lohan's tour stopped (inexplicably) at Stella Blue in 1998, has such a major label-ready band taken that stage. But the Nova Echo has all the elements of stars in the making, from their astral-themed songs to their enviable hair to their pop culture references. Ready for takeoff: The Nova Echo builds an all-ages fan base. "I wrote this song for Heath Ledger 'cause he was f—-in' cool," said vocalist/guitarist Caleb Hanks before launching into "Icarus" from the band…... 2009-11-18T04:00:32+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809depeche_modo http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111809depeche_modo#When:04:00:31Z "It's indie to say you're not indie, so we're not indie-rock indie rock-jazz-fusion," says Craig Larimer, the vocalist and keyboardist for Asheville's Modo. Modo's sound is an amalgam of jazz-influenced rock, with an art-poppy undertone that can be heard on the band's new self-titled EP. Photo by Lydia See Larimer and guitarist Rosenbloum say their music represents connective, challenging layers which appeal to a wide audience, noting that the single from their record, "The Blood That I Need," is about the dichotomy of social norms (mass and social media, spirituality) and a mechanical, methodical life path. Their arrangements are sultry and gritty, yet have a certain pop appeal thanks to Larimer's cheeky, upbeat lyrical…... 2009-11-18T04:00:31+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/smartbets.php http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/smartbets.php#When:04:00:10Z Photo by Jason Sandford Asheville Holiday Parade Who doesn't love a parade? Especially when the Grand Marshals are folk icons David Holt and Laura Boosinger. The theme is Our Appalachian Holidays, and who better to lead the march than these two old-time music greats. The parade starts at South Charlotte Street and turns up Biltmore Avenue toward Pack Square—this year's performance area. Action starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. ashevilleparade.org. Michael Reno Harrell WNC celebrates its rich storytelling heritage as part of the 1…... 2009-11-18T04:00:10+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/the_avett_brothers_to_move_new_years_eve_show_to_civic_center http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/the_avett_brothers_to_move_new_years_eve_show_to_civic_center#When:14:00:10Z The Avett Brothers announced this week that the band’s New Year’s Eve show, which sold out within minutes, will move to the Civic Center Arena. The arena has about 7,200 capacity, versus the 2,431-seat Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets for the new show will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Watch for more details in Wednesday’s Mountain Xpress. ... 2009-11-17T14:00:10+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/edgy_mama_waste_not_want_not http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/edgy_mama_waste_not_want_not#When:16:00:24Z Since this week’s Mountain Xpress is the Green Living issue, I’m tackling the subject of living sustainably. And explaining why both polar bears and you are awesome. I often dish about saving the earth. But really, I’m talking about saving us — homo sapiens sapiens. And saving the polar bears — because they’re awesome. Earth’s been around for billions of years (like 4.5 billion). We’ve only been around for maybe 200,000 years. The earth’s not going anywhere. But climate change could end our time here — leaving the world floating desolately through space. Ruled by cockroaches. Which are less awesome than polar bears. Or than you (unless you’re one of those people who like to leave nasty comments on my columns. You people are less awesome than polar bears). But really, the reason not to waste stuff like water and electricity and hand lotion and burn oil that warms the at…... 2009-11-16T16:00:24+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/video_a-go-go4 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/video_a-go-go4#When:15:41:53Z Does this video pass the “Asheville Test”? Let’s see. Experimental didgeridoo performance? Check. Polyrhythmic world-music beat backing it? Check. Abstract video projection in the background? Check. Held at a small venue that serves as a bar/gallery/performance space? Check. Two world-class performers who often have trouble filling even a small venue when they play Asheville? Check. Yeah, I guess it passes. Here’s John Vorus and River Guerguerian at a recent show at Bobo Gallery. 2009-11-15T15:41:53+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/a_conference_unlike_a_conference http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/a_conference_unlike_a_conference#When:21:43:08Z Here’s how the event is billed on its Web site: “Every day ordinary people at home and abroad struggle to maintain their human dignity in the face of hunger, lack of adequate housing and health care, and the repressive and neglectful actions and omissions of their governments. What do these human rights abuses look like? How do they feel? How are human rights and wrongs experienced in personal terms, and what difference do they make to our lives? In an unconventional forum, ‘Visualizing Human Rights’ brings together painters, photographers, writers, poets, filmmakers, and printmakers to put a human face on human rights in an effort to reach beyond traditional academic approaches.” To that end, the anti-conference features a host of disparate and exciting ventures: • Renowned conceptual artist Mel Chin will screen his “ 2009-11-11T21:43:08+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/this_weekend_on_a_shoestring46 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/this_weekend_on_a_shoestring46#When:13:12:27Z Wednesday, Nov. 11 • Soul/funk/pop outfit Star and Micey (below) make the trip from Memphis to play a mid-week show at BoBo Gallery (22 Lexington Ave., Asheville, 254-3426). Stream their debut album Band Camp; then head to the 8 p.m. show. • The 6th Annual UNC-Asheville Human Rights Film Festival runs through Nov. 13. All screenings are at 7 p.m. at UNCA’s Highsmith University Union and are free. Info: 250-3870. Films: “Burma VJ” on Wednesday; “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” on Thursday; “Hunger” on Friday. Thursday, Nov. 12 • JazzChronic (pictured) f…... 2009-11-11T13:12:27+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/book_report_the_knowing http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/book_report_the_knowing#When:12:31:07Z Author Jennifer Elizabeth Daigle recently relocated from Texas and Louisiana to Asheville, bringing with her not just a moving van but an entire new world. It’s not everyone who travels with a personal country (Daigle’s even comes with maps); but the Caligny Empire is Daigle’s creation and can be reached only in the pages of her self-published book, The Knowing (Xlibris, 2008). Daigle is not the first author to set her novel in a fictional realm: Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guin depicts the Kesh people of futuristic Northern California following an apocalypse; J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings takes place in Middle Earth. Both of these books share a key point of fantas…... 2009-11-11T12:31:07+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109corsage_and_limo_not_required http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109corsage_and_limo_not_required#When:04:00:35Z Hard as it may be believe, prom — for some, the pinnacle of the high school experience; for others, cruel and unusual punishment — is not a carefully documented artifact of American history. The etymology is simple enough: The name comes from "promenade;" though what hair-sprayed and tuxedoed high schooler ever attempted that square dance move? Some Web sites date the prom back to 1811 (the year of the Battle of Tippecanoe, for what that's worth). The first written mention of a prom, according to RandomHistory.com, is "from the journal of a male student at Amherst College from 1894 which detailed a prom he had attended at nearby Smith College." Most historians seem to agree that the blow-out dances started as dinner parties in the early 1900s and grew to major social …... 2009-11-11T04:00:35+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109create_the_sound_and_the_life_you_want_to_live http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109create_the_sound_and_the_life_you_want_to_live#When:04:00:34Z One of the more novel acts to emerge on the national scene in recent years, Matisyahu draws inspiration from his practice of Judaism and channels it into accessible songs about the human struggle for hope, peace and understanding. The traditionally clad Hasidic reggae singer, songwriter and rapper spawned a media frenzy in 2006 with his major label debut, Youth, earning him a Grammy nomination and a surprise top-40 hit in "King Without a Crown." Now armed with an equally catchy single, "One Day," the Brooklyn-based musician is touring in support of Light, a new album that further integrates rock, new wave, pop and hip-hop influences into his reggae-rooted foundation. "It just kind of picks up where the last record left off in terms of expansion of the sound, sonical…... 2009-11-11T04:00:34+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/these_are_the_good_old_days http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/these_are_the_good_old_days#When:04:00:33Z Everything about Woody Pines (from his feather-festooned fedora and his vintage resonator guitar to the grainy pictured of boxcars on his Web site and deep cut covers of long-forgotten blues musicians) harkens to another era. One of juke joints, clapboard shacks and coal smoke on the wind. Pines, whose early performances borrowed from vaudeville and involved elaborate back drops, admits, "I believe in the visual. I'm always thinking of new ways to make it a show. Some people want to just keep it real, but when you're on stage it's a show." Casting a spell of the past: Juke joints, clapboard shacks and coal smoke on the wind. That said, Pines doesn't want to be pigeonholed as any sort of throwback act. "I grew up playing '60s rock in cover…... 2009-11-11T04:00:33+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109sound_track http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109sound_track#When:04:00:32Z Open Windows, an eclectic rock-indie quartet, finished its debut album, Lanterns, in Orlando, Fla. and was looking to relocate to a city where the band could move forward in its endeavors. Since arriving in Asheville a few months ago, a chance vacancy at the Root Bar yielded a surprise first show, a relationship with the Hookah Bar was forged through regular open mic visits, and most recently, a headlining gig at BoBo Gallery set Open Windows' sights on upward motion. Open Windows. By Lydia See. The band's show at BoBo Gallery featured another recent Orlando import, Amy White, a longtime friend of the band and all around solid musician. White played two short sets of breakout originals, startling covers (Elliot Smith, Blind Willie Johnson, Modest Mouse, Led Z…... 2009-11-11T04:00:32+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109take_a_surprise_trolley_stop_or_two http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/111109take_a_surprise_trolley_stop_or_two#When:04:00:31Z Set against an industrial landscape, where the historic buildings are every bit as fascinating as the artists who work in them, the studios of the River District artists will be open this weekend for the twice-yearly stroll. To make it extra easy on guests, a free trolley service has been added this year. Melissa Morrissey models Organic Armor. Photo by Bill Rhodes. The trolley is scheduled to depart every 30 minutes from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce (36 Montford St.). The trolley will loop through the River Arts District, making eight stops. Visitors can get off at any stop and pick up another trolley at their convenience. Trolley drivers will provide a narrative history of the River District. "The stroll really is about educating," says Constance Williams…... 2009-11-11T04:00:31+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/edgy_mama_the_rocky_project http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/edgy_mama_the_rocky_project#When:20:53:23Z This is Rocky. He weighs 22 pounds. His litter mate, Houdini, weighs nine. Both cats have been fed the same food throughout their lives. When we rescued the twosome, they were same-sized fur balls. But Rocky is a kibble ho. The neighborhood kids call him Garfield, because he moseys around begging for food and attention. Like Garfield, he’s sassy and fearless—dogs run from him. We wonder if we manifested the cat’s destiny by naming him “Rocky.” Perhaps if we’d named him “Cutie Pie,” he wouldn’t be so fat. At least we didn’t name him “Monster.” There’s no doubt that Rocky can be enchanting. He likes to lie on the edge of the street and wait for folks to wander by and love on him. When there was an open house at a ne…... 2009-11-09T20:53:23+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/livewireasheville.com_new_online_clearinghouse_for_area_performing_arts http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/livewireasheville.com_new_online_clearinghouse_for_area_performing_arts#When:17:54:35Z After two years spent researching, developing and designing the project, a consortium of artists, venues and supporters last week launched LiveWireAsheville.com, which is intended to be a one-stop shop for info about Asheville-area performing arts. The Web site is the brainchild of Charlie Flynn-McIver, artistic director for the NC Stage Company, who has sought new and better ways to promote the panoply of local performing arts. In 2007, NC Stage snagged a $50,000 grant from the Merchant’s Fund of the Community Foundation of WNC to create a better branding strategy for Asheville-area arts. In the time since, local arts leaders, institutions and performers have partnered with public-relations company Market Connections to build an all-inclusive online portal for artists, venues and fans of the arts, be they local residents or tourists planning to take in Asheville’s performance sc…... 2009-11-09T17:54:35+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/brian_mcgee_interviews_aa_bondy_at_the_grey_eagle http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/brian_mcgee_interviews_aa_bondy_at_the_grey_eagle#When:01:01:25Z Brian McGee of local country-punk outfit Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed interviews A.A. Bondy before his show at the Grey Eagle on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Videographer Jesse Hamm shot and edited the footage. Bondy opened for Elvis Perkins in Dearland, and has a new album out on Fat Possum, When the Devil’s Loose. 2009-11-06T01:01:25+00:00 http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/xpress_qa_with_warren_g http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2009/xpress_qa_with_warren_g#When:21:50:57Z Xpress correspondent Jake Frankel and Par D caught up with West Coast rapper Warren G at New York Fashions (120 Merrimon Ave., Asheville). Here’s what Warren G (who performs at The Orange Peel tonight with Kidz In The Hall, U-N-I & Dow Jones) had to say: ... 2009-11-04T21:50:57+00:00