Mountain Xpress 03.06.24

FEATURES PAGE 12

THE SOUL OF ASHEVILLE

6

8

Asheville board faces vote to close Montford school

The Orange Peel has earned a reputation as one of the premier concert venues in the Southeast over the past two decades. But the building’s musical roots stretch back to long before the current club opened in 2002. This week’s cover features the Royal Primes, a local 1960s R&B group featuring James Beasley, Larry Rice and James Brown.

COVER PHOTO

Band photo courtesy of James Brown; background photo by Thomas Calder

COVER DESIGN

Scott Southwick

20

New crisis line targets substance use, mental health

22

Rockin’ for Rudy benefit show raises funds for local family

4 LETTERS

4 CARTOON: MOLTON

5 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

6 NEWS

11

24

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Mountain Xpress is available free throughout Western North Carolina. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 payable at the Xpress office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of Xpress, take more than one copy of each issue.

To subscribe to Mountain Xpress, send check or money order to: Subscription Department, PO Box 144, Asheville NC 28802. First class delivery. One year (52 issues) $130 / Six months (26 issues) $70. We accept Mastercard & Visa.

CONTACT US: (828) 251-1333

news tips & story ideas to NEWS@MOUNTAINX.COM

letters/commentary to LETTERS@MOUNTAINX.COM

sustainability news to GREEN@MOUNTAINX.COM

a&e events and ideas to AE@MOUNTAINX.COM

events can be submitted to CALENDAR@MOUNTAINX.COM

or try our easy online calendar at MOUNTAINX.COM/EVENTS

food news and ideas to FOOD@MOUNTAINX.COM

wellness-related events/news to MXHEALTH@MOUNTAINX.COM

business-related events/news to BUSINESS@MOUNTAINX.COM

venues with upcoming shows CLUBLAND@MOUNTAINX.COM

get info on advertising at ADVERTISE@MOUNTAINX.COM

place a web ad at WEBADS@MOUNTAINX.COM

question about the website? WEBMASTER@MOUNTAINX.COM find a copy of Xpress DISTRO@MOUNTAINX.COM

WWW.MOUNTAINX.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/MOUNTAINX

follow us @MXNEWS, @MXARTS, @MXEAT, @MXHEALTH, @MXCALENDAR, @MXENV, @MXCLUBLAND

STAFF

PUBLISHER & EDITOR:

Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER:

Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR:

Thomas Calder EDITORS:

Lisa Allen, Jessica Wakeman

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR:

Thomas Calder

OPINION EDITOR:

Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS:

Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Chase Davis, Andy Hall, Justin McGuire, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Jessica Wakeman

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND:

Andy Hall, Braulio Pescador-Martinez

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:

Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS:

Oby Arnold, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Kristin D’Agostino, Brionna Dallara, Storms Reback, Kay West

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Cindy Kunst

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER:

Susan Hutchinson

LEAD DESIGNER:

Scott Southwick

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS:

Tina Gaafary, Olivia Urban

MARKETING ASSOCIATES:

Sara Brecht, Vicki Catalano, Jamie Knox, Scott Mermel

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES:

Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB:

Brandon Tilley

BOOKKEEPER:

Amie Fowler

ADMINISTRATION & BILLING:

Hinton Edgerton, Mark Murphy

DISTRIBUTION:

Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS:

Ashley Alms, Corey Biskind, Tracy Houston, John McKay, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner

COPYRIGHT 2024

BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS

ADVERTISING COPYRIGHT 2024

BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Please keep the Swannanoa Library open

My wife and I are grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Swannanoa Library. We would greatly appreciate you using your voice and your newspaper to help keep the Swannanoa Library open. Please allow me to begin by saying that I fully believe that budgeting for our wonderful Buncombe County must be incredibly difficult in the times that we live, but, to quote Henry Ward Beecher, I believe “a library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life,” and our Swannanoa Library is truly a necessity of our life and the lives of our community.

Our Swannanoa Library is more than just a building with books. It’s more than just a quiet space from the noise of our world. It’s more than just a service of the county. Our Swannanoa Library is a place where our children and many other children have discovered the joy of learning. Where they have developed the skills to research their questions, as opposed to Googling and getting immediate responses that aren’t necessarily complete or true answers to their questions. Where they have enjoyed the artistry of books, many times lost in the Kindles and electronic media of the world today.

Our Swannanoa Library is led by wonderful librarians who are lights in the community and in our lives. With joy and patience, I’ve watched them help, serve and inspire our family and everyone else who walks through that door. Our Swannanoa Library is a beacon in the community that symbolizes hope — hope that all I need is curiosity and time to learn in order to better myself; hope that no matter my condition, my privilege or lack thereof, I have access to the tools, to the books and to the librarians that can enrich my life through greater knowledge and to use that knowledge to enrich the lives of others.

Our Swannanoa Library is more than just a budget item; it’s a heartbeat of the community. I urge Buncombe County to reconsider stopping that heartbeat. As Albert Einstein said, “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”

We appreciate your consideration.

— Coleman and Therie Smith Black Mountain

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

Profile doesn’t tell story of parks ban

Asheville’s parks are indeed part of the joy of living here. We believe what makes them magical is that they are public space — parks are for everyone!

D. Tyrell McGirt, profiled for his efforts as director of Parks & Recreation [“Active in the Community: D. Tyrell McGirt Discusses Programs, Opportunities at Asheville Parks & Recreation,” Feb. 7, Xpress], is also currently one of several defendants in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina that alleges unconstitutional restriction of access to parks.

As we state in our lawsuit, he banned 16 community members from all city Parks and Recreation facilities for three years upon the request of the Asheville Police Department, which had charged us with “felony littering” after an artbased protest against the brutal series of homeless camp evictions in late 2021.

Though we have now been dealing with these charges for two years, we have not been tried in court or convicted. We remain legally banned from parks with no possibility of appeal.

It is this lack of due process and the retaliatory nature of the bans so clearly imposed as punishment for political

situation and how it connects to local history, events and decisions made here at home. The resolution had the support of over 1,500 people at that time, and as of this writing, it has over 1,800 supporters on a change.org petition.

I waited for a few days after the meeting to see if any response might be forthcoming. I gleaned that the silence of the individual Council members is tantamount to a rejection.

Of course, I am disappointed that our Council will not support the cease-fire resolution. The horrific events in Gaza are affecting many local residents of various ethnicities and religious affiliations. But, apart from their silence, I am concerned about how the majority of the members of the present Council did not even take a moment to acknowledge receipt of my communication.

speech that prompted the ACLU to bring this lawsuit. The complaint can be read here [avl.mx/xmasjbq] and is a remarkable look inside the misuse of resources and abuses of power that characterize this case.

We love parks, we miss parks, and we’re so eager to return.

— Sarah Boddy Norris Asheville

Hours upon hours of work were put into researching, crafting, gaining supporters and presenting that resolution. For our city leaders to remain unresponsive when asked for a third time to consider the resolution does not bode well for democratic governance or for public participation in it.

— Anne Craig Asheville

Rethink placement of disturbing window art

Silence on Gaza request bodes

ill for democracy

Our City Council members have a lot on their plates. They are people with busy lives and spend a great deal of time setting directions for the city and grappling with the challenges facing our community. That is no small task. With appreciation for the magnitude of their positions, I submit the following.

Via email, I submitted a resolution calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire in Gaza, with a list of local supporters/endorsers. I was asking Council to consider putting it on a meeting agenda to discuss and vote on. I received a response from only one Council member. So, I resubmitted it. Again I heard back from only one Council member, who told me it could not be introduced on the agenda due to lack of sufficient support.

Thus, I decided to present it a third time in person during the public comment period of the Feb. 13 City Council meeting. Also in attendance were younger city residents, many of whom have been directly affected by the current conflict. The reading of the resolution was followed by individual supporters speaking to a different aspect of the

As a father and small-business owner residing in West Asheville, I am writing to share a recent experience that left both my 8-year-old daughter and me deeply unsettled. While driving along Haywood Road, a piece of window art displayed at Orbit DVD, adjacent to the Westville Pub, caught our attention for its graphic and disturbing imagery.

The artwork depicted cartoon characters, recognizable as Popeye and Olive, engaging in a violent act of decapitation, holding down a struggling man against his will, with an onlooking baby reacting with apparent joy. Blood is spraying out.

I asked my daughter how it made her feel. She said, “Confused and sad.”

I understand and respect artistic freedom and expression; however, I have to ask what the intent is of putting this on public display in our community? Why would a business wish to proclaim death, terror and suffering — not to mention a baby’s joy at seeing someone getting their head cut off? What is our society turning into? If this is a political statement, it falls flat, and recognizable cartoons only serve to connect on a deeper level with our children.

Art has a powerful ability to influence and shape perceptions; it creates imprints in minds, particularly young, impressionable minds like my 8-yearold daughter’s. The decision to display

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

such graphic content in a public storefront needs to be seriously evaluated by our community and its leaders.

I urge the business owner — along with our community and its leadership — to reconsider the placement of such artwork in a public space. It is my hope that together we can create an uplifting community environment where art empowers and inspires the best humanity has to offer, rather than the worst.

Thank you for considering my perspective.

— Jesah Segal Asheville

Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to Orbit DVD’s owner, Marc McCloud, but he declined to comment.

Congress must save internet discount program

I’m doing the inflation two-step to make ends meet. With the Affordable Connectivity Program set to expire, Congress is stepping on our toes.

I know all about working hard for what you want in life. I spent the majority of my adult life as a proud Navy wife. I’ve owned and operated my own business. I’ve raised five kids. Now, I’m 75 years old and retired, supporting myself and my two grand-

kids. I have lived the American dream. For people like me on a fixed income, money has become one step forward, two steps back. Any extra money we get, prices go right up. Unbelievably, Congress is about to end a program lowering costs for millions of us, making life that much more expensive.

I grew up in a family with an entrepreneurial spirit. Like any entrepreneur, you have to find ways to keep costs down to keep your business running. The Affordable Connectivity Program is a discount, but for families. The ACP helps more than 900,000 families across North Carolina afford internet access. I rely on the internet to run my household — from paying bills, making appointments and ensuring my grandkids can do their homework. The internet is essential.

My daughter lives nearby, receiving cancer treatment — she also relies on the ACP for communicating with her hospital and staying in touch with us. If the ACP expires, she’ll lose access to the internet entirely, which really worries me. My computer-whiz grandson wants to get a college scholarship, and he’s kept up great grades because of his computer access. Without the internet, how can he apply to colleges? Some schools don’t even accept paper applications anymore!

I’m a registered independent, and I’ve been telling fellow churchgoers that we need to consider the representatives

who are willing to let the ACP expire next time we vote. Not one elected official in North Carolina has co-sponsored the ACP Extension Act, even though it’s a bipartisan bill that was introduced months ago. They need to act and do the right thing. If not, what do they recommend as the alternative? What will people do without internet access?

Sen. Tillis and Sen. Budd and the other representatives are sitting on their hands and not taking action to save the ACP. They just don’t seem to care. Our elected officials don’t think twice about internet access and what losing the ACP means for nearly 10% of North Carolinians. I have news for our elected officials — retired working people on a fixed income like me don’t have extra money laying around. You’d have to be crazy to take away a program that’s saving people money — but that’s what our politicians are doing by letting the ACP expire.

We all care about affordable internet because it’s how we stay connected. This is about 23 million Americans across the country who save money each month. I’ve worked hard my entire life and, at 75, I’m still working hard to support my family. Congress needs to get serious and save the ACP. It’s their turn to work hard for us!

— Kathleen Wain Bryson City

Editor’s note: Wain reports being a member of the nonprofit WorkMoney.

Ripple effects of BCS book ban

Reading here about the new Buncombe County Schools board book ban [“BCS Board Bans Book from All District High Schools,” Feb. 14, Xpress], I might run for the board instead of the Soil and Water Conservation District in opposition and also to represent childless residents against the parental “rights” dictatorship of sociobiological ideocracy, where parents suppress abortion and contraception ed in order to force their kids to squeeze out their grandkids for them, then bill the childless for vouchers. I think the Provincetown, Mass., school district has a childless majority; is it alone?

So far though, I haven’t found reference online to abortion or contraception in the banned book Tricks, which is more about sex work. I don’t have much experience with sex work even as a john, but my cousin, Melissa Ditmore, has a doctorate in sex work, a specialty of anthropology, so I might be able to consult her. Does the traditional dinner check count as sex work?

I also hope you track the physical copies and that they find their way to the adult libraries to be read by the voters, who now have a civic responsibility to do so.

— Alan Ditmore Leicester X

Steady as they go

BY BROOKE RANDLE

“First off, there are toys,” said Asheville-based event facilitator Amy Climer, pointing to the brightly colored balls and figurines littering the tables where members of Asheville City Council and city staff gathered for their annual retreat. “They’re there for you to fidget with so you don’t have to feel attracted to your phone. You can just pick up a little ball; it works remarkably well.”

Several Council members and staff took up Climer’s offer and were seen rolling, squeezing and stacking the objects over the course of the two-day event held Feb. 22-23 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville.

Distractions aside, Council members got down to business as they worked through the arduous and, at times, tense process of forging its goals for the upcoming fiscal year.

Xpress rounded up four takeaways from the event.

STAYING THE COURSE

Rather than developing new strategic priorities, Council members chose to build on and refine six priorities first developed in 2022: equitable, affordable housing and stability; homelessness strategies; improving core services; neighborhood and climate resilience; reimaging public safety; and reparations.

This year, Council added “maintaining infrastructure” to improving core services, noting that it wanted to “prioritize and increase investments in municipal assets.”

“It’s been really helpful, resulting from the last two retreats, that we’ve had continuity on the priorities that Council has provided,” noted Assistant City Manager Rachel Wood “That common thread has given us that constant so that we know where you want us focused, and we really appreciate having that continuity.”

Unlike last year, Council members did not create specific projects and implementation strategies for city staff to follow. That approach proved cumbersome after Council found itself revisiting the issue in a work session in June.

City Manager Debra Campbell added that despite several issues that the city experienced last year — including the aftermath of a citywide water outage and public relations blunder, the implosion of a city-funded perma-

Asheville City Council opts to stay the course at annual retreat

nent supportive housing project at an East Asheville Ramada Inn and the resignation of the city’s fifth police chief in 12 years — it had made significant headway on several projects and goals.

According to a presentation by staff, the city’s accomplishments included a 60-day downtown safety and cleanliness pilot, which morphed into ongoing services; completion of the Stop the Harm audit for the Community Reparations Commission; and creation of the Missing Middle Housing study to identify how zoning can hamper affordable housing.

“I wish that I could say that we had a pretty easy year last year, but it wasn’t. …There were a number of things that significantly impacted our organization,” said Campbell. “We endured and overcame those peaks and valleys. And we feel that we made steady progress, especially as it relates to housing, public safety and some of our core services.”

IN THE RED

City Finance Director Tony McDowell and Budget Manager Taylor Floyd explained that while the city had enjoyed a surplus in its general fund the last few years, expenses are projected to outpace revenues starting in fiscal year 2025 — and continue over the following five years.

McDowell explained that a combination of conservative spending during the pandemic and strong sales tax revenue, which makes up about a quarter of the city’s general fund revenues, contributed to higher-than-usual general fund balances for fiscal years 2022-24.

The surpluses allowed the city to provide a 5% pay raise for all city employees and a 6% raise for sworn Asheville Police Department officers, among other investments.

Keeping pace with those investments will be challenging in the coming years, added Floyd. He attributed the shortfall in part to a plateau in the city’s sales tax revenue.

“What do you theorize is the major swing in sales tax? Is it visitors and tourism?” asked Council member Sage Turner.

“I think some of it is just totally natural softening after many years of spending and inflation,” McDowell responded. “I wouldn’t say it’s directly related to tourism being down; perhaps it is a little bit. But it’s not just Asheville, it’s statewide. Interest rates have been increasing as well; that might be slowing down some business spending a little bit.”

Both Floyd and McDowell said that staff will likely recommend fee increases for city services, such as stormwater.

The city already held one work session on the city budget in December and released an online survey aimed at gathering public input. The next budget work session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, with final adoption of the budget slated for June.

READY, SET, GO

Given slowing revenue and the growing list of funding needs, Council reiterated its support for a multimillion-dollar general obligation bond referendum in November. Asheville voters last approved three city bonds in 2016, totaling $74 million for transportation, affordable housing and parks projects.

The proposed bonds would fund projects related to housing, transportation, parks and recreation improvements, public safety facilities and other investments, though specific projects have yet to be identified.

During the retreat, Council members were presented with three options for the bonds. One option would give voters the chance to approve the entire amount in a single vote. A second would divide the amount into two referendums, one in 2024 and another in 2028 — or a third option, splitting the amount into thirds in 2024, 2026 and 2028.

GATHER ’ROUND: Members of Asheville City Council and city staff met for a two-day retreat Feb. 22-23 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville. Photo by Brooke Randle

The process requires several votes from Council. In May, Council is expected to vote on a notice to apply for the bonds, and a second, likely in June, will specify the pacing of issuing those bonds and schedule a public hearing, which would be held in July.

If approved by Council, the referendum will appear on the general election ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Council will set the tax rate in June 2025, based on Buncombe County’s 2025 property tax revaluation.

The city’s bonds will be atop those Buncombe County voters approved in November. The two bond measures address affordable housing and open space conservation. Combined, those bonds totaled $70 million and are expected to cost the median household about $32 per year in additional taxes over 20 years.

PLAYING NICE

The event also allowed Council members and staff to reflect on how they worked together as a team. In a few instances, Council discord has spilled into the public. In 2022, Council member Sheneika Smith accused an unnamed member of Council of leaking information to the public about a proposed ban on food distribution in city parks. Council later dropped the idea. In August, an open letter regarding the city’s response to public safety and homelessness was signed by all members of Council except Council members Kim Roney and Antanette Mosley.

At this year’s retreat, however, Council members and city staff tended to agree that they had entered a flow with one another. Event moderator Climer asked Council members to tweak a list of 14 agreements created in 2021 aimed at ensuring respectful communication. All seven Council members signed a document committing to this year’s agreements, which included pledges to “lead with compassion” and “engage in respectful disagreement,” among others.

“I’ve watched this Council come together and work together. [We’ve] sort of brought the pieces together, whereas before, I felt everything was sort of scattered,” said Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore, whose term ends this year and who is not running for reelection. “We just had a lot of things going on. But I’m watching this Council come together and put these puzzle pieces together, and I’m proud.”

“It has not always been the case that we’ve been the best communicating body,” added City Attorney Brad Branham. “I think this has improved considerably.” X

Revolving door

BY GREG PARLIER

The vinyl is skipping for Asheville City Schools. Just a little over two years removed from the controversial closing of Asheville Primary School, the Asheville City Board of Education is considering shuttering another parent favorite, Montford North Star Academy.

Residents are decrying a proposal that Superintendent Maggie Fehrman says could help the district address a projected $4.5 million budget shortfall next school year — merge its two middle schools. Fehrman estimated the merger would save the district $1.8 million to $2.3 million per year.

Fehrman is also looking for a new home for ACS’ alternative program, the Education and Career Academy, which is currently housed at the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville’s Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center. Fehrman has identified the Montford campus as a potential permanent home for ECA.

Parents, students and staff packed two public meetings in late February to tell the school board to press pause on the decision, scheduled for Monday, March 11.

“Over and over again, I’m hearing from our community that this process does not make sense and it is moving too fast. It does not make sense to close down a school that is by all measures one of the most successful in the district. If the goal is to gain academic effectiveness, operational efficiency and long-term financial stability for ACS, dismantling MNSA will not accomplish these goals,” said Sarah Armstrong, parent and the school’s PTO president, at the second of two special board meetings Feb. 27.

Parents argue they haven’t had much time to review and comment on the middle school merger proposal, which was announced in November. Several parents said they didn’t become aware of the proposal until mid-January, when the district arranged a stakeholder meeting at nearby Isaac Dickson Elementary.

Additionally, some have said the district presented flawed data regarding MNSA’s capacity at initial meetings, inflating the amount of unused space at the middle school’s building, originally built as an elementary school in 1952. At the February meeting, Fehrman clarified the situation.

The district’s initially reported capacity for MNSA, 765, came from a facility study conducted more than a decade ago, when the school was the

Asheville board faces vote to close Montford school

PROJECT-BASED: Outgoing Montford North Star Academy Principal Shannon Baggett, seen here assisting a student, touts the school’s project-based, collaborative curriculum as a key reason it has seen success as an alternative to Asheville Middle School since it was founded in 2017. The Asheville City Board of Education is debating whether to keep the school open next year.

William Randolph Learning Center, Fehrman said. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s capacity number of 530 was also wrong because there are fewer rooms available at the school than was initially reported, she said. Fehrman now says the capacity is 442 for the school, meaning it is 49% full, based on its 2023-24 enrollment.

That new number puts MNSA closer to the rest of the district, including Asheville Middle School’s enrollment at 54% of capacity. The district’s five elementary schools vary from 50% to 71% full, according to district numbers.

Longtime MNSA Principal Shannon Baggett told Xpress she believes the school would be best served by capping enrollment at 80-90 per grade level, or 240-270 students, as leaders intended when the school opened seven years ago. They wanted to keep class sizes small to foster a greater sense of community within the school.

A capacity and enrollment study, approved by the board in November, isn’t likely to be completed until late March, Fehrman added, further fueling calls to slow the process down.

“We beg you to press pause until we have explored the impacts of every option on the table, including consol-

Freeman showed the school enrolled just 192 students, including pre-K and students in a Montessori program.

Today, MNSA has the lowest enrollment in the district, at 217, but advocates say that’s part of what makes the school special in an era where smaller schools are trendy, Armstrong says.

Courtney Shetley is one of many parents who say their child chose MNSA because of the culture that comes with a smaller environment.

“She liked the small class sizes there. She liked the feeling that everyone there was connected. I don’t want to say [it was a] family atmosphere, but everybody knew everybody, and the teachers were superinvolved. It just meshed better with her learning style to be in that small, more concentrated environment,” she says.

PTO President Armstrong, who used to teach at both MNSA and in a larger middle school in Buncombe County Schools, says that created a great environment for teachers also.

“I think that, in this small environment, not only do we build this amazing community for our students, but there’s a really fantastic teacher community built as well, because it’s so small,” she says.

APS had a similar allure for parents who sent their kids there. Its comparatively low enrollment compared with other district schools made it vulnerable, however, and the district discussed closing it for a year before it met its fate.

idating elementary schools, updating central office to once again be classified as a school and until an accurate capacity study has been completed and shared with the public,” Armstrong said.

Fehrman tells Xpress that March 11 is the deadline for the district to decide to move or close MNSA before the 202425 school year. If the board chooses to delay the vote, no major reconfigurations will happen next school year, she says. March 11 is also the deadline for open enrollment in ACS, when parents must apply for which school they would like to send their child to within the district.

ECHOES OF ASHEVILLE PRIMARY

The debate about closing schools based on enrollment and capacity projections isn’t new for Asheville City Schools.

In its contested December 2021 vote to close Asheville Primary School, the school board, appointed by Asheville City Council at the time, cited the school’s lowest-in-the-district enrollment and $7.1 million in needed building renovations as reasons to shutter the K-3 school, which also had a preschool program. An enrollment study conducted that year by then-Superintendent Gene

Many who were in Asheville in 2021 are drawing comparisons between the current conversation and the APS closure, which many parents have called “painful” and “traumatizing” for the students who lost their school.

“The Asheville City Schools Board of Education failed my family during the egregious closure of Asheville Primary School,” said Shifra Ahlers at the meeting. “When you closed Asheville Primary School, there were countless times that your feasibility studies provided incorrect information, including the capacity of the building, and the cost of running the school. Does this sound familiar to anybody? You have displaced hundreds of students. That was two years ago. Be very careful that you don’t do it again,” she said.

Some expressed despair that the district is doomed to repeat itself.

“To be honest, I’m feeling pretty hopeless about all this,” said Daniel deBettencourt, a parent who called the APS closure “terrible.”

“It feels like the central office has a plan, they know what’s going to happen, you guys are going to endorse that plan, and this is just sort of checking the box of community input. The plan will happen,” he told the board.

Board member Liza Kelly gave advocates a reason to maintain hope

Photo by Greg Parlier

that the board hasn’t already made its decision when she made a motion to delay the conversation about closing or moving MNSA for two years, to raucous applause from the audience. The board was not prepared to take action at the special meeting, and the motion was not seconded.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Parents, teachers and staff are proud of their Montford middle school, named a 2024 “School to Watch” by the N.C. Middle Level Educators Association. Of the more than 80 speakers who came to the February meetings, several student groups also spoke, pleading with the board to keep MNSA open, saying they appreciated the school’s smaller size, hands-on, project-based curriculum and emphasis on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

For example, this year, the school partnered with an Asheville trolley company to allow students to design and run a tour of youth-friendly things to do around the city, with different students leading presentations at different locations. Teachers integrated art and social studies on a field trip to Cherokee to learn basket weaving techniques and Cherokee history. The school has an “innovation lab” where students run an imitation TV studio.

The school also has an award-winning science olympiad team and is slated to compete in a state competition in April.

“So we’re not just connecting with the content here in school, but also with the real world; we’re collaborating with each other. We’re really big on collaboration and teamwork because we build relationships with each other by working together,” says Baggett.

Baggett was promoted in February to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, a move she welcomes while acknowledging the timing is not ideal. She will continue to serve as principal at MNSA until an assistant

“It does not make sense to close down a school that is by all measures one of the most successful in the district.”

— Sarah Armstrong, parent and Montford North Star Academy PTO president

principal is found to replace Miranda Wheeler, who will become principal, she said.

The collaborative approach also contributes to the high satisfaction marks among teachers working at the school report.

In a statewide teacher working conditions survey, MNSA was one of six ACS schools to have 100% participation in the voluntary survey. For comparison, 25 of BCS’ 45 schools had 100% participation. According to the survey, 100% of Montford teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that Montford is a great place to work and learn.

Armstrong attributes that satisfaction to professional development opportunities and collaboration among the staff.

“Because project-based learning is so collaborative, it kind of forces you to get out of your classroom and be with your co-workers, and that creates a really pleasant, happy, productive working environment that directly benefits the students,” Armstrong says.

Matthew Leggat, who has been teaching language arts at MNSA since it opened in 2017, says the consistency in administration at the school has been instrumental in its success, something that hasn’t happened at the district level. ACS is on its seventh leader since 2013.

Baggett is also proud of the school’s spin on parent-teacher conferences. It is the students who lead the quarterly conferences, identifying their own strengths and weaknesses in front of their parents and teacher.

Daniel Shetley says it has been amazing to watch his daughter be able to recognize her growth and acknowledge her shortcomings in those meetings.

“They’re teaching her how to be a human being outside of the four walls of the school, which is what growth is all about, and what education is all about,” he says.

A DIFFERENT OPTION

For most advocates, the mission to save MNSA is not a critique of Asheville Middle School.

In fact, AMS has its strengths, and several parents report sending a child to each school, depending on their needs. As a larger school, AMS has more athletic programs to offer, with facilities on campus. MNSA students are bused to AMS to participate in athletics. AMS also has a large band program that regularly wins awards, says Principal Jo Landreth

The school utilizes the AVID program, which pairs certain students with UNC Asheville students who

tutor them. The school has buildingwide, small-group meetings to discuss a book they’ve all read, sometimes as an entire school and sometimes by grade level, she added.

Landreth is particularly passionate about building community at AMS, bringing in the wider neighborhood to community nights to further engage parents and remind students how much fun they can have at school.

As the district works on an updated marketing campaign to help bolster its dwindling enrollment numbers, it is highlighting the choice parents have among its five distinct elementary schools and its two middle schools, an irony not missed by MNSA advocates.

“I find it very interesting that our big thing that we advertised about our district is choice. But we’re here talking about removing choice as the most difficult time in anyone’s life,” parent Kathryn Hardy remarked at the meeting. “Our superintendent has a lovely new message where we belong here. These actions do not show that the staff, students or families belong in this district. It is the antithesis of creating a sense of belonging.”

The school board will face its own choice March 11. X

Dr. Autum Kirgan, DACM, C.SMA, L.Ac Licensed Acupuncturist Clinic Director

Trishann Couvillion PEMF Provider

Clara Sartor Naturopathic Doctor

Council approves $500,000 for PEAK amid Gaza protest

While the Feb. 27 Asheville City Council meeting started like any other, it quickly became a HamasIsrael war protest site with more than a dozen demonstrators silently raising their red-painted hands and demanding a cease-fire resolution from Council.

Council proceeded through its agenda amid the demonstration, including a unanimous vote to support a request for more than $500,000 in American Rescue Plan funding for Asheville PEAK Academy.

The PEAK vote comes after a contentious meeting Feb. 13 in which some residents complained that Council was putting its support for a downtown restroom ahead of help for the majority Black public charter school. (Council did approve at the time $401,104 in ARPA funding for the restroom project, with Council member Antanette Mosley opposed.)

The $501,384 will help cover transportation, food, facility and uniform costs at the school.

“Thank you for bringing this actually to a motion and realizing how important it is for all of our children to be properly educated and to get the support and resources that they need,” resident Kimberly Collins said before the vote.

PEAK Academy is a kindergarten through fifth grade public charter school started in 2021 whose student body is majority Black. Since its opening, the school has begun to successfully close an achievement gap between white and Black students that has been an issue in Asheville City Schools since it earned a worstin-the-state designation in 2017.

According to a city presentation, PEAK Academy submitted a $590,000 funding request to the city Sept. 7 to sustain operations for the 2023-24 school year. At the Jan. 23 Council meeting, PEAK Academy founder Gene Bell spoke about PEAK’s funding needs and asked for Council support. Council member Mosley suggested the city use American Rescue Plan Act funds for the school.

PEAK is facing a potentially costly civil rights complaint filed by WNC Citizens, led by former Asheville City Council member and congressional candidate Carl Mumpower and former City of Asheville risk management director John Miall, alleging racial discrimination against white students and faculty.

The funding will come from the final portion of $26.3 million of the

ARPA funds that the City of Asheville received in 2021. In November, Council also approved $50,000 in Strategic Partnership Grant funding for the school.

“To me, this is a form of reparations,” Mayor Esther Manheimer said before the vote. But, she added, “I am deeply concerned about PEAK being able to sustain [itself] over time.”

“I hope that the Reparations Committee [will] take this issue into consideration because our children are our foundation,” Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore responded. “I cannot think of a better way to subsidize education that’s actually reducing that achievement gap.”

City staff will now work with PEAK Academy to finalize the formal grant

agreement. Council will then vote on the agreement and budget amendment at its Tuesday, March 12, meeting.

Cease-fire protests interrupt public comment

While the protesters remained silent during the business section of Council’s agenda, tensions rose during public comment with both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian commenters speaking for and against a Gaza cease-fire resolution.

“We know it is symbolic. Asheville City Council is not going to pass the resolution, and then all of a sud-

den, there’s going to be a cease-fire,” said resident Noor Abdelfatta. “But around 70 city councils around the United States have passed similar resolutions. And so there is a movement in this country changing its position on this particular issue.”

Speaking in support of Israel, Monica Buckley said, “There are genocides happening in lots of places in the world right now. And if we’re going to put a resolution on the table for voting in Asheville and making some sort of stand about it, then we’re going to need to do that for every perceived war crime in every nation where there is genocide happening. That will be what I would expect from the City Council if you move forward with this one specifically targeting Israel.”

Following an extended chant by pro-Palestinian protestors, Council cut public comment short and went into closed session to discuss legal matters in another room. According to City Clerk Maggie Burleson, at least one person who signed up to speak on another issue was not able to participate in public comment due to the disruption.

— Brooke Randle  X

• Council voted unanimously to support a funding request from PEAK Academy toward transportation, food, facility and uniform costs.

• Council did not respond to either side of the cease-fire resolution debate at the meeting.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: While the protesters supporting a cease-fire resolution in the Gaza conflict remained silent for the majority of the Feb. 27 Council meeting, tensions rose during public comment. Photo by Brooke Randle

The soul of Asheville

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

The Orange Peel has earned a reputation as one of the premier concert venues in the Southeast over the past two decades. But the musical roots of the building at 101 Biltmore Ave. stretch back to long before the current club opened in 2002.

For a period in the 1960s and another in the 1970s, the spot was home to Black music clubs that brought top national and regional acts to town and helped showcase dazzling homegrown R&B talent. Whether it was the soulful Jade Club, starting in 1965, or the funky Orange Peel, starting in 1974, the building was the place to be for young African Americans looking to don their finest, flashiest clothes and dance a weekend night away.

“It was electric,” says Asheville’s J.C. Martin, who performed regularly at the original Orange Peel as the bassist of two funk bands. “The dance floor would be packed. And

people would be dressed up. Our people, you see, they dressed in big hats and loud suits back then.”

Adds Jim Robinson, who deejayed many shows at the club in the 1970s: “You did not walk in that front door if you did not dress. You had to dress to impress.”

Both clubs eventually closed. And the once-bustling Black business district near the building disappeared amid urban renewal in the 1960s and ’70s that dramatically reshaped Asheville’s neighborhoods. But those who remember the glory days — along with those who run The Orange Peel today — are determined to keep the site’s Black music legacy alive.

Both James Brown (no, not that one) of Fletcher, who sang at the Jade Club as a teenager, and Martin have folders full of photos and press clippings they eagerly share with those who are interested in the venue’s musical heritage.

Robb McAdams, The Orange Peel’s assistant marketing manager, headed up efforts a few years ago to create a permanent exhibit in the club’s front gallery telling the building’s history from its 1946 construction to the present day (see page 14 for timeline).

“Everything two miles that way and everything two miles this way was an affluent Black community in the ’50s and ’60s, and by 1980, it was gone,” says McAdams, pointing out to Biltmore Avenue from inside the club. “That’s why we try to do things like this when we can. The name we’re using is the name they used back then [in the 1970s]. We want to pay homage to that and pay homage to the Black history that is slipping by in Asheville.”

But McAdams and others trying to preserve the history find it isn’t always easy. Key figures from those days, including the club owners and many of the musicians who played there, have died. Faulty memories and spotty newspaper coverage mean that important details — for instance, exactly when each club closed — remain elusive. Chronologies often don’t line up, and some firsthand accounts don’t check out.

“This is our best effort to get it right, but we’re not historians,” McAdams says. “Someone maybe can jump in from where we left off.”

THE JADE CLUB: 1965-69

Stax recording star Rufus Thomas was the headliner when the Jade Club opened on Dec. 17, 1965, in a

Uncovering The Orange Peel’s Black music roots

building that had housed a skating rink and a bowling alley. Thomas sang his 1963 hit, “Walking the Dog,” along with a selection of other songs.

“The South’s Finest Colored Club,” as it was billed by owner Jake Rusher, soon became one of the area’s favorite spots for young African Americans — and more than a few white people — looking for a night of music and dancing until 2 a.m.

“It was something that people looked forward to on the weekend,” says Brown, who sang at the club as a member of a vocal trio called the Royal Primes. “You would check the paper on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, to see who’s going to be there. The stars would come in, and people would just have a good time.”

And what stars they were. From 1965-68, a virtual who’s who of the day’s top R&B performers appeared at 101 Biltmore Ave.: Sam & Dave,

Sledge, The Drifters, The Dixie Cups, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, The Shirelles, Jerry Butler, Clarence Carter. Future country star Ronnie Milsap, then an R&B performer known as “the white Ray Charles,” performed at the club, as did a teenage Peabo Bryson, singer for a Greenville, S.C., band led by Moses Dillard.

Scores of local and regional acts took the stage as well.

“The Jade Club was the real historic music spot in Asheville in the 1960s,” says David Penley, who grew up in that era and offers the Historic Music Scene walking tour. “I find it somewhat amusing that most folks do not even mention the Jade Club when talking about the history of The Orange Peel.”

McAdams thinks the ’70s iteration of The Orange Peel gets more attention because the current club adopted its name.

Percy

SINGING IN HARMONY: From left, James Beasley, Larry Rice and James Brown performed regularly at the Jade Club as members of the Royal Primes. Photo courtesy of Brown

“Some of that legendary [Jade Club] history got mentally rolled into The Orange Peel,” he says. “But it really seemed like Jade Club was the missing piece of the puzzle when we were putting the exhibit together.”

Brown, the last living member of the Royal Primes, wants to make sure that era is not forgotten. He helped McAdams piece together the Jade Club’s section in the exhibition and has kept many photos and other keepsakes from his time at the club.

The Royal Primes consisted of Brown, his cousin James Beasley and Stumptown neighborhood friend Larry Rice. The group made its debut at the club on Dec. 13, 1966, singing along to music provided by the Centurians, a local integrated fourpiece band. Over the next year or so, the Centurians and Royal Primes served as the house band. Sometimes they headlined dance parties, and other times they opened for national acts like Milsap, the Ovations or Garnet Mimms.

“I was young, I was 15 years old,” Brown says. “In fact, we were so young, when we weren’t singing, we were supposed to stay in the dressing room because they had a bar. But that didn’t last long. After a while, we just became part of the fixtures there.”

The Royal Primes sang hits by the likes of Sam & Dave, The Temptations, The Impressions and, of course, Brown’s more famous namesake, the Godfather of Soul himself. He remembers belting out “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “Cold Sweat.”

Club owner Rusher was a white businessman who also owned The Pines, a popular music venue that was part of his 8-acre Royal Pines recreation area on the south end of Sweeten Creek Road.

“That was where most of your white students, the college students, hung out,” Brown explains. “The Jade Club was mainly where you had the Black community.” While it was not unusual to see some white faces in the Jade Club audience, Brown recalls, Black people never attended shows at The Pines.

Joe Miller was the talent booker for both clubs, Brown says.

“Joe Miller was one of them flamboyant-type people,” recalls Martin, who played at the club. “They used to nail posters [for upcoming Jade Club shows] up on the post on every corner in the neighborhood and put them up in the businesses.”

Miller would frequently book an act at the Pines and The Jade Club on back-to-back nights. For instance, Percy Sledge, less than a year removed from his No. 1 hit “When a Man Loves a Woman,” appeared at The Pines on Saturday, Feb. 18, 1967, and the Jade Club the following night.

The club kept operating through the fall of 1968, but things get murky at that point.

An October 1968 ad in the CitizenTimes promoted “Soul Nite” with headliner Eddie Floyd. The next time the Jade Club was mentioned in the paper was March 1969, when Gene Chandler (of “Duke of Earl” fame) and other artists appeared at the “Grand Re-Opening.” From May through July of that year, however, several newspaper ads refer to 101 Biltmore Ave. as the Country Palace. On June 23, rock ’n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, then a country star, appeared at the club, one

What’s in a name?

Leroy Posey, the trumpet player for the Innersouls (and later Bite, Chew & Spit) deserves credit for naming The Orange Peel, according to Samuel Bowman and J.C. Martin.

Club owner Dick “Dickie” Plemmons was looking for a catchy name for his new venture and someone suggested The Apple Peel. Plemmons didn’t like that, Bowman says, but Posey threw out a different fruit.

“He came up with ‘The Orange Peel,’ and that was it. They had all them different names before, but that club has never been named again since that one.” X

night after he performed on a bill with Merle Haggard at the City Auditorium (now the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium).

According to newspaper records, the spot at 101 Biltmore Ave. was home to the New Thing Coffee House starting in November 1971. In June 1973, it was a youth employment center operated by the State Employment Security Commission and the Neighborhood Youth Center.

By that time, the Royal Primes were long gone.

“Vietnam broke us up,” Brown says. “We was all drafted. Went in at different times. Then we came out, and we never got back together.”

THE ORANGE PEEL: 1974-78

Music returned to 101 Biltmore Ave. on Feb. 10, 1974, with the opening of the original Orange Peel. Five years or so had passed since the demise of

the Jade Club, and music and fashion had changed. The new club had a DJ booth, held disco nights and featured funk bands with flashy costumes, elaborate light shows and towering Afros. It was all a far cry from the comparatively buttoned-down R&B scene of the mid-to-late ’60s.

“The dance floor is usually crowded with young people doing ‘The Bump’ or ‘The Hustle,’ a form of dance that’s popular among young people,” the Asheville Times reported in 1975.

The Orange Peel was the brainchild of Dick “Dickie” Plemmons, a former stock-car racer who later ran a rug-manufacturing business in South Asheville. Plemmons co-owned the club with Asheville businessman John Sronce, who owned the building.

The story of the club’s origin is a little fuzzy, but it appears Plemmons was looking for a place to showcase the Innersouls, a six-piece Asheville band he started managing after hearing the group play at the Kitty Kat Club, another Biltmore Avenue R&B spot. Plemmons financed and produced the group’s lone 45 in 1973, “Just Take Your Time.”

“We were serious about our music,” says Asheville’s Samuel Bowman, one of the band’s guitarists. “We ain’t never took it lightly.”

But after a time as house band at the club, the Innersouls disbanded due to internal disagreements. Group leader Otis Ware soon put together a new band that included himself and fellow Innersouls veterans Martin and trumpet player Leroy Posey. Seven other top musicians were added, including five from outside Asheville.

The band was called Bite, Chew & Spit. The name, modeled after Earth, Wind & Fire, came from something Plemmons said when he was attempting to learn how to chew tobacco: “Damn — all I do is bite, chew and spit this s**t!”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

DANCE TO THE MUSIC: Norris “Country” Duckett, left, and J.C. Martin of the Innersouls perform at The Orange Peel, circa 1974. Photo courtesy of Martin

BCS was pure mid-1970s funk, right down to its sizzling horn section and flowing black-and- white outfits with sleeves that looked like wings. When the members weren’t on tour, they were performing before large crowds on the club’s carpeted, threetiered stage. “Every one of the guys in that organization was professional,” recalls Robinson. “As musicians, they were absolutely top-notch.”

This Asheville Times’ description of the band’s debut performance in September 1975 gives a flavor of that long-gone era: “Young music lovers stood spellbound at the edge of the bandstand as the BCS went through three hours of showmanship, using firetruck lights, sirens and CO2. BCS members also changed costumes three times during the show.”

BCS’ large repertoire included the Ohio Players’ “Fire,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Getaway” and Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile.”

“We used to have to walk through the folks, from the dressing room in the back to the front, where the stage was,” Martin remembers. “This was the fun part. The dance floor would be packed, and they treated you like you was pretty much a celebrity.”

Aside from BCS, The Orange Peel featured performances from regional bands from Greensboro, Richmond, Va., Atlanta, Winston-Salem and other places. It also brought in national acts like Archie Bell & The Drells, the Manhattans and the Chi-Lites. Probably the best-known act to perform at the club was the Commodores, including singer Lionel Richie, who took the stage in July 1974, shortly after the release of its debut Motown single “Machine Gun.”

“The Orange Peel is basically where the Commodores got started,” says Robinson, who deejayed at that July 1974 show. Bowman and Martin even recall Plemmons selling the Innersouls’ equipment to the Commodores after the Asheville band broke up.

Between sets and on weekend nights when bands weren’t playing, The Orange Peel featured music from Robinson (billed as “Little Jimmy Robinson”) and other DJs at WBMU, Asheville’s first nonprofit radio station and one of only a handful in the country that was Black-owned. Another popular DJ was Cleo “Mooseman” Shivers, famous for his fade-out “Orange Peel-Peel-Peel-Peel” routine.

“I started at The Orange Peel when Dick first started the club,” says Robinson, who was president and general manager of WBMU. “I was the house DJ, and we built a DJ booth in the corner, up high, with four steps going up into the booth and a little door so nobody else could come up in. Friday and Saturday night, we just got down. A lot of partying. A lot of dancing.”

Martin says the club often functioned as something like a community center for Asheville’s Black population.

“Even the children was watching their parents, and they was longing for the day when they got old enough to go to The Orange Peel,” he says. “They tell me that even now [as adults] all of the time: ‘I wish I had been able to go.’”

But the club didn’t last long enough for that.

Just as with the Jade Club, it is hard to pinpoint the exact ending date of the original Orange Peel. The last CitizenTimes ad for a show at the club was in November 1978. A November 1979 article in the paper said a temporary office for the 1980 U.S. census was set to open at 101 Biltmore Ave., “formerly the Orange Peel club.”

The history of 101 Biltmore Ave.

June 2, 1946: Biltmore Rollerdome skating rink opens

March 10, 1950: Skateland Rollerdome skating rink opens Dec. 7, 1962: Biltmore Lanes Bowling Alley opens

Dec. 17, 1965: The Jade Club opens with headliner Rufus Thomas

March 9, 1969: “Grand re-opening” of the Jade Club

May 1969: The Country Palace opens

October 1971: The New Thing coffee house opens

June 1973: Youth employment center in operation

February 1974: The original Orange Peel opens

Late 1979-December 1980: U.S. census headquarters operates

Oct. 25, 2002: Current Orange Peel opens

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times archives

Like so many other Black clubs that once thrived in Asheville — the Kitty Kat, the Owl Lounge, the Cage, the Collegiate Club — The Orange Peel was no more.

For most of the next two decades, the building stood vacant. After a stint as an auto parts warehouse, The Orange Peel was reborn in 2002 under new owners Jack and Lesley Groetsch. The couple, who moved to Asheville from New Orleans, worked with building owner Public Interest Projects Inc., a downtown development group that wanted it to once again become a music venue.

Since it reopened, The Orange Peel has helped put Asheville on the musical map by bringing in big names like Bob Dylan, Ice Cube, Lou Reed and the Beastie Boys. The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl sung the club’s praises in the pages of Rolling Stone. Alt rock superstars the Smashing Pumpkins made national headlines by playing a nine-show residency in 2007, the band’s first U.S. shows in seven years.

“You can go to The Orange Peel and see everybody in the world now,” Martin says. “The Smashing Pumpkins, they came all the way from Europe and they didn’t want to play but a few places in the United States, and The Orange Peel was one of them.”

“It’s international now,” adds Bowman, the one-time Innersouls guitarist.

“Yeah,” Martin agrees. “And we’re the ones that built The Orange Peel.” X

FUNKY TOWN: Bite, Chew & Spit was the house band at The Orange Peel starting in 1975. Photo by Juanita Wilson

MARCH. 6 - MARCH. 14, 2024

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.



Online-only events

 Feature, page 22-23

 More info, page 27

 More info, page 28-29

WELLNESS

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Morning Movement

Active games, physical activities, and sports for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over. Advanced registration at avlrec. com required.

WE (3/6, 13), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Tai Chi Fan

This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.

WE (3/6, 13), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.

WE (3/6, 13), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Free Zumba Gold

Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Free, but donations for the instructor are appreciated. For more information please call (828) 350-2058.

WE (3/6, 13),

noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Nia Dance Fitness

A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.

TH (3/7, 14), 9:30am, TU (3/12), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Tai Chi for Beginners

A class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance, whole body awareness and other health benefits.

TH (3/7, 14), MO (3/11), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Qigong for Health

A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.

FR (3/8), TU (3/12), 9am, SA (3/9), 11am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Yoga for Everyone

A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities that is led by alternating teachers. Bring your own mat and water bottle. Registration required.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

BLUE RIDGE SHOWCASE: Wortham Center for the Performing Arts hosts Blue Ridge Jamboree: On the Rise, presented by Friends of the Blue Ridge on Saturday, March 9, starting at 7 p.m. This showcase will feature top artists ages 25 and younger from our region, and all proceeds will support Friends of the Blue Ridge’s Lynn Davis Scholarship program. Photo of Addie Levy and Eric Pratt courtesy of the artists

SA (3/9), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. Email depressionbipolarasheville@gmail.com or call or text (828) 367-7660 for more info.

SA (3/9), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd

Mettā Meditation

In-person guided meditation focused on benevolence & loving-kindness. Free and open to beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

MO (3/11), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Community Yoga & Mindfulness

Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga. Bring your own mat.

WE (3/13), 11:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

ART

56th Annual Juried

Undergraduate Exhibition

This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity for WCU

Art Break: Glory

Samjolly

A figurative painter, and the founder of the Black Aristocrat Art platform. She will lead a gallery talk about reinterpreting black portraiture in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall, Intersections in American Art FR (3/8), noon, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Chromatic Aberration: Zine Release Party

Celebrate the release of Chromatic Aberration, a new photo-zine produced by the Asheville Camera Club.

FR (3/8), 6pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960

This exhibition features works created during the 1940s–1960s.

Much of the art during this time expressed the uncertainty of the era, often relying on automatism and biomorphic forms.

Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 29, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Agony & Ecstasy:

Images of Conscience by Janette Hopper

undergraduate students to share their artwork with a larger public and to enhance their skills in presenting artwork in a professional gallery setting. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through March 22. Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Asheville’s Naturalist: Watercolors by Sallie Middleton

This exhibition features a selection of botanical and wildlife prints by renowned watercolor artist Sallie Middleton. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through June 10.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Rob Yamabushi

Presents: The Chimera

Art Show

The show will feature never before seen originals, custom canvas prints, and much more. The Chimera is a reference to the multi-headed poly-crisis reality of our modern world. Gallery open Monday through Sunday, noon. Exhibition through March 31.

Push Skate Shop & Gallery, 25 Patton Ave

Chris Jehly: The Soil's Gaze

An exhibition of pleinair watercolor paintings by Chris Jehly, unveils the artist’s serendipitous moments painting outdoors where nothing ever stands completely still. Gallery open Tues-

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 15, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts Exhibition

Featured in this exhibit are Arrowmont’s nationally and internationally recognized practicing artists and university workshop instructors. Open daily, 10am. Exhibition through May 1, 2024.

Folk Art Center, 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy

Julieta Fumberg: Of Chaos & Peace, Beauty in Both

Fumberg's most recent exhibit portrays darkness to see the light and the contrast of things. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St

Spark of the Eagle

day through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through April 14.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste 144

Vera B. Williams: Stories

This retrospective will showcase the complete range of award-winning author and illustrator Vera B. Williams' life and work. It will highlight her time at Black Mountain College, her political activism in addition to her work as an author and illustrator. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through May. 11, 2024.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Artist Meet & Greet: Laine Bachman & Kukula

This artist meet and greet will feature Laine Bachman and Kukula, who will be in town for The New Salon exhibition at the Asheville Art Museum, where their work is featured.

FR (3/8), 10am, Bender Gallery, 29 Biltmore Ave

The New Salon: A Contemporary View A modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 19.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

This is an opening reception for Janette Hopper's printmaking exhibit titled, "Agony and Ecstasy: Images of Conscience." See p29

SA (3/9), 6pm, Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Rd, Black Mountain

HaHaBonBon: Artist Spotlight

An artist spotlight and window installation featuring HaHaBonBon, a mother-daughter designer duo using a variety of fabrics and fiber materials to make vintage-inspired interior goods and textile art.

SA (3/9), 6pm, Horse & Hero, 14 Patton Ave

2024 Western North Carolina Scholastic Art Awards

The Museum works to facilitate regional judging of student artwork and to recognize our community’s burgeoning artistic talent. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through March 25.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Counter/Balance: Gifts of John & Robyn Horn

A presentation of important examples of contemporary American craft, including woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber and pottery by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through July. 29, 2024.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 Pack Square

Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson

This exhibition celebrates the legacy of Lambert Wilson, a passionate collector of contemporary Native American art. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through June 28, 2024

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Agony & Ecstasy: Images of Conscience by Janette Hopper

These linoleum prints show the agony and ecstasy of human life. The love, sorrow, conflict, beauty, enjoyment of nature, contemplation of what is, was and could be and political commentary. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am and Sunday, 1 pm. Exhibition through May 31.

Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Rd, Black Mountain

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Open daily, 10am. Demonstrations run through Dec. 31.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Focus Gallery Exhibit: Art of Detailing

The Southern Highland Craft Guild opens its first focus gallery

exhibition of 2024 with Art of Detailing, featuring both traditional and contemporary craft by five members of the Guild. Open daily, 10am. Exhibition through May 20, 2024.

Folk Art Center, 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy

Public Tour: Discovering Art in Asheville

A volunteer educator led tour of the Museum's Collection through the featured exhibition Intersections in American Art. No reservations are required.

TH (3/14), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway: Bill Kopp Discussion Series w/Jeff Santiago Bill Kopp, author and music journalist is joined by local musician, Jeff Santiago from Santiago y Los Gatos and will be discussing the influence of Genesis and the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

WE (3/6), 7pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Maya de Vitry w/Kirsta Shows

Experience Maya de Vitry's dynamic and vibrant voice that seems to rise out of some necessity of bringing songs to life, embracing listeners with soulful intimacy.

WE (3/6), 8pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

Owen Strings' Program

The evening will feature students performing music from Beethoven to Broadway in combined ensembles as well as in smaller groups and solo performances.

TH (3/7), 6:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Blue Ridge Orchestra’s Musique Ménage: Carolina Day School Music Ménage features a chamber ensemble of select orchestra musicians and the return of multi-talented vocalists from the Opera Theatre at UNC Greensboro.

FR (3/8), 7pm, Carolina Day School, 1345 Hendersonville Rd

Meet Me Here: Music of Life, Loss & Hope

This concert event features a reflection in song of a heartbreaking story, Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson, paired with an exploration of hope, despair, and peace in Elaine Hagenberg's Illuminare

FR (3/8), 7pm, SA (3/9), 4pm, Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St

Mark & Maggie O'Connor

A night of music that blends the soulful of traditions of bluegrass, country and folk with virtuostic precision of classical music.

FR (3/8), 8pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Hope & Promise w/ David Gross

Pianist David Gross will start the program with Chevalier de St. Georges exuberant and virtuosic 2nd Symphony, which will be followed by Schubert's enigmatic Unfinished Symphony.

SA (3/9), 3pm, Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall, 49 E Campus Dr, Flat Rock

Tina & Her Pony

An evening of folk music with Asheville-based band Tina and Her Pony.

SA (3/9), 6pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Kellin Watson

An internationally-touring singer-songwriter, whose award-winning sound blends elements of blues, pop, folk, and soul.

SA (3/9), 7pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Resound Handpan

House

Experience a vibration beyond borders as an international collective of handpan artists comes together in a one-of-a-kind musical collaboration.

SA (3/9), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Sal Landers Party Rx

Sal brings her inimitable brand of groovy, Laurel Canyon-esque rock’n roll to the stage.

SA (3/9), 7:30pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr Bit Brigade w/The Cartridge Family

Performing rock covers of full NES game soundtracks as their gamer speed runs the game live on stage.

SA (3/9), 9pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

AMICI: Jazzical

The show Jazzical features the Claude Bolling Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio, with Tim Schwarz, violin; Daniel Weiser, piano; Craig Kellberg, bass; and Justin Watt, drums.

SU (3/10), 2pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Dr. Funky Squirrel & Noise Farm

AMS student bands

Dr Funky Squirrel and Noise Farm take the stage. Open to all ages, with a sliding scale donation accepted at

the door.

SU (3/10), 6pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Blue Ridge Symphonic Brass

The program will include favorites such as Gilbert and Sullivan's Overture to the Mikado;  a brass arrangement of Eric Whitacre's beautiful choral selection titled October;  Sleepers Awake and other music offerings.

SU (3/10), 7pm, Basillica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St

Sold Out: ALT ASO

Folk, klezmer, jazz, fiddle, and classical music: violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley takes it all in stride and presents just about every genre where you could find a violin.

TU (3/12), 7pm, Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway

St. Patrick's Day w/the Derina Harvey Band

An evening of Celtic rock to celebrate in St. Patrick's Day with the Derina Harvey Band.

TU (3/12), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

Citizen Swing w/ Connor Law & Kelle

Jolly

The fun starts with some cool, old jazz vinyl, and then continues with live sets by Connor Law and Kelle Jolly.

WE (3/13), 6pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

Christine Havrilla

Philly musician brings her own special style for a super psychedelic evening of looping and singing and guitar playing.

WE (3/13), 7:30pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Anrigh Celtic Harp Ensemble w/Sue

Richards

A monthly concert series which showcases Irish and Scottish musical traditions and often explores their commonality with the Appalachian ballads and stories of the Carolina mountains.

TH (3/14), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

LITERARY

The Cruise of the Rolling Junk Mark Taylor, BA will share this work of non-fiction by Scott Fitzgerald, illustrating Zelda and Scott’s 8-day car ride from Connecticut to Alabama. See p28-29

TH (3/7), 6pm, Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 N Market St

Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life & Forgotten Writings of Ursula

Parrott

Dr. Marsha Gordon, will discuss her new biography, which has been reviewed in the New York Times, New Yorker and New York Review of Books.

SA (3/9), 1pm, E Asheville Library, 3 Avon Rd

Liz Hill: The Last Brass Ring

Liz Hill will host a book launch and signing for The Last Brass Ring, a novel for teens and readers who are young at heart.

SA (3/9), 2pm, The Buzz, 225 S Grove St, Hendersonville

Zelda Fitzgerald: A Literary Tasting Monika Gross will offer personalized readings to patrons from various writings of Zelda Fitzgerald. See p28-29 SU (3/10), 2pm, Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave, Ste 101

The Language of God: Book Study

A testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride.

TU (3/12), 10am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville

THEATER & FILM

Free Intro to Long

Form Improv Class

A laid-back opportunity to tap into your creativity, build confidence, and improve communication skills, all while enjoying a good time. Space is limited so registration is required.

TH (3/7), 7:30pm, Misfit Improv & Acting School, 573 Fairview Rd Unit 21A

Raunchy Little Musical

A hilarious and heartfelt show that chronicles the launch of the 50s Queen of Crass with edgy comedy anchored by an original score by Grammy-nominated composer Ilya Levinson.

FR (3/8), SA (3/9), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

What Silent Sky

A play inspired by the real-life Harvard Astronomy computer, and pioneer female American astronomer; Henrietta Swan Leavitt.

FR (3/8), SA (3/9), 7:30pm, SU (3/10), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Free Kid & Teen Intro to Improv Class

A free introduction to improv for teenagers. No performance pressure, just pure fun. Space is limited so registration is required.

SA (3/9), 1:30pm, Misfit Improv & Acting School, 573 Fairview Rd Unit 21A

The Campfireball: Fate

A storytelling show involving the audience and created spontaneously out of whatever stories and lives happen to be gathered together at that moment in time.

TH (3/14), 7:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Coffee & Conversation: A Guide to Parkinson's Disease

Cynthia Camp will be discussing what Parkinson's Disease is, who is at risk for Parkinson's and what causes Parkinson's. This is a free event and open to all.

2024 X Awards

VOTING STARTS APRIL 1ST

design, branding, environmental design, illustration, motion graphics and digital art.

WE (3/6), 6pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101

Can We Learn to Co-Exist Safely with Bears

Ashley Hobbs, a bear biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission in Asheville, will discuss the natural history of black bears with the WNC and if we can safely coexist.

WE (3/6), 7pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Hiking Club

WE (3/6), 10:30am, Ferguson Family YMCA, 31 Westridge Market Place, Candler Eightfold Path Study Group

A group will gather to study the Eightfold Path Program. Kris Kramer will host the group as a fellow participant and student.

WE (3/6, 13), 3pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Youth Beginner

Climbing

A three-week instructional climbing class designed for beginners. Adults belay their own children and advanced registration is required for participants.

WE (3/6, 13), 12:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Peace Education Program

An innovative series of video-based workshops that help people discover their own inner strength and personal peace.

WE (3/6), 5pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Aerial Silks Foundations

Learn how to properly ascend, descend, and create stunning shapes on the silks while emphasizing safety and proper form. Participants of all ages and all abilities are welcome.

WE (3/6, 13), 4m and 5:30pm, Amethyst Realm, 244 Short Coxe Ave

Crafting w/Cricut

Make a new craft each month using your Cricut. For more information, call (828) 350-2058 or email kkennedy@ashevillenc. gov.

WE (3/6), 6pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

The Lobby: Graphic Design

A salon & social of top Asheville-based creative professionals who create graphic

Bingo on Grove Street

A fun and friendly game of bingo in the community.

FR (3/8), 10:30am, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove S

An Afternoon for Lifelong Gardening Master Gardeners will share some ways to modify your gardens and some ways to stay physically safe and strong as you work.

FR (3/8), 1pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Astronomy Club of

Asheville: Public Star

Gaze

Get your steps in while making new friends. Participants need to pack a lunch, water bottle, and clothes comfortable to move in. Open to individuals with disabilities ages 18 and over.

TH (3/7), 9am, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Embroiderers' Guild of America: Laurel Chapter

Kim Sanders will teach the stitching techniques required to complete a small project incorporating a variety knots and dot stitches, sewn on linen.

TH (3/7), 9:30am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 Sixth Ave W, Hendersonville

Kids & Teens Kung Fu

Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness. First class is free to see if it’s a good fit for you.

TU (3/7, 12), MO (3/11), TU (3/12), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Intro To Belly Dance

w/Diana Stone

This intro class is intended to help us connect deeply with and love our bodies and to find freedom of movement and improved health and expression. It is for all ages, abilities and bodies.

TH (3/7, 14), noon, The Well, 3 Louisiana

Waking Up Together: An Introduction to Relational Mindfulness

Deborah Eden Tull, Dharma teacher, author, spiritual activist, and founder of Mindful Living Revolution, joins the weekly Dharma talk.

TH (3/7), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Senior Road Trippers

Participants purchase their own meals and souvenirs. Transportation provided. Advance registration required as space is limited.

FR (3/8), 9am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Popcorn Creation Bar

Start with freshly-made traditional popcorn and then make every kernel a work of art. Craft your own popcorn delicacy with an array of gourmet toppings and seasonings.

SA (3/9), SU (3/10), 11am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club

Weekly scrabble play. All scrabble gear provided.

SU (3/10), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

A public star gaze at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County. This event is free and open to everyone, and registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be posted on their website by 5:00 pm on the day of the star gaze. Sunset occurs at 6:32 pm. Location directions at avl.mx/prxa

FR (3/8), 5pm, Grassland Mountain Observatory, 2890 Grassland Parkway, Marshall

Skate Jam Clinics

Bring your own skates or rent a pair as instructors spread the love of roller skating to beginners.

FR (3/8), 5pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Southside Family Game Night

Classic and contemporary board and card games provided, but feel free to bring your own. Bring your family, friends or just yourself.

FR (3/8), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Zelda Fitgerald: Her Lifelong Love of & Visits to Asheville

The Asheville community and visitors, will have an opportunity to learn more about Zelda’s life and listen to keynote speaker Dr. Alaina Doten, curator and director of the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.

See p28-29

FR (3/8), 6pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

How to Find Your Customers

Discover the variety of market research tools that will give you critical information about your industry and customers.

SA (3/9), 9am, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

Bid Whist

Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the community.

SA (3/9), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Free Line Dancing Lessons

Free line dancing lessons with Jerri and the Asheville Country Western Dancers.

SU (3/10), 4pm, Shakey's, 38 N French Broad Ave

Stitches of Love

Meeting

A small group of stitchers who create a variety of handmade items which are donated to local charities. New members are always welcome to join.

MO (3/11), 3pm, Panera Bread, 1843 Hendersonville Rd

Financial Starters

Get a better understanding on how money, credit, and banks work and why they are essential in securing your financial future

MO (3/11), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Between Heaven & Hell: Raleigh in the Last Days of the Civil War w/Ernest Dollar

The Western NC Civil War Roundtable will host Ernest Dollar who will look at the chain of events that led to Raleigh’s surrender to General Sherman and his army. MO (3/11), 7pm, Waynesville Branch of Haywood County Public Library, 678 S. Haywood St, Waynesville

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Crafting & Cooking

A variety of cooking and crafts for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over each week.

Advance registration at avlrec.com is required.

TU (3/12), 10am, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Toddler Discovery Time

Crafts, games, and playtime for youngsters. Advance registration at avlrec. com is required.

TU (3/12), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Painting Program Art classes for adults and future adults. Advance registration is

required.

TU (3/12), 2:30pm, YMCA - Woodfin, 30 Woodfin St Newsletter Marketing for Farmers

This workshop is for any direct-to-consumer farmers who are looking for new pathways to market their farm business, and improve their customer relationships. Register at avl.mx/df8. See p27

TU (3/12), 5pm, Online

Tap into ASL w/Hope

This inclusive gathering welcomes both deaf and hearing individuals to come together for a unique experience of learning American Sign Language (ASL), socializing, and enjoying games.

TU (3/12), 6:30pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

Landscaping w/Native Plants to Support Nature Drew Lathin will explain his approach to re-wilding urban and suburban landscapes using native plants in thoughtful designs to restore biological diversity and add beauty to our lives.

TU (3/12), 7pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd,

Etowah Library

Speaker Series: Are You Bearwise?

Tanya Poole of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will discuss the natural history of black bears in western North Carolina and how you can use that information to safely coexist with these North Carolina treasures.

WE (3/13), 10:30am, Etowah Public Library, 101 Brickyard Rd

Tot Time

Take an express tour of the galleries, then go on an adventure with art, music, or storytelling in the Museum’s interactive Art PLAYce. For children ages 0–5 years old and their families or caregivers.

WE (3/13), 11:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

The Autism Consultant: What You Wish Your Doctor Knew About Autism?

A free presentation about the medical issues that we see in people on the autism spectrum and how to advocate for screenings from your primary care doctor.

WE (3/13), 4:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Dungeons & Drafts

Enjoy drinks, adventure, and company to play D&D with premade characters for you to choose from when you arrive so you can jump into the action.

WE (3/13), 6pm,

Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr

Toddler Craftin'

Through the Season

Learn to make toddler-friendly crafts designed for spring days. Light snacks provided, but advance registration required.

WE (3/13), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

ABBC Networking

Event w/Focus on Leadership

A networking meeting featuring a monthly Guest Speaker. For March, Jennifer Maneely discusses overcoming addiction.

TH (3/14), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Av

Bingo-nasium

Bring your friends for a night of bingo in the gym.

TH (3/14), 2pm, Asheville Parks and Recreation, 70 Court Plaza

Green Drinks: Sustainability Initiatives for Hendersonville Caitlyn Gendusa will discuss various sustainability initiatives the City is working on, including updates on zero and low emission transportation, waste management, energy efficiency, and more.

TH (3/14), 5:30pm, Trailside Brewing Co, 873 Lennox Park Dr, Hendersonville

Dharma Talk: Paul Linn Meditation followed by a Dharma talk on Buddhist principles applied to daily life. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (3/14), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Nerd Nite Asheville

A monthly gathering hosted in over 100 cities around the globe. Each month, a rotating cast of knowledgeable characters talk about a topic they are uniquely educated in.

TH (3/14), 7pm, The River Arts District Brewing Co., 13 Mystery St

LOCAL MARKETS

Carolina Guitar Show

Browse all kind of guitar, amps and music related items. There will also

be loads of gear, new, used and vintage as well as vinyl records, memorabilia and misc.

SA (3/9), SU (3/10), 10am, WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd

RAD Farmers Market

Winter Season

Browse 30+ local vendors all winter long with fresh produce, pastured meats, baked goods, honey, and more. Safely accessible by bike or foot on the greenway, plus free public parking along Riverside Drive.

WE (3/6, 13), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

ASAP's CSA Fair

A chance to talk to farmers about how their Community Supported Agriculture works, what products they offer, their farm’s growing practices, payment options, and more.

FR (3/8), 3pm, YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave

Grand Opening Party:

Kevin Andrew Gallery & Studio

A grand opening with artwork from Shela Anmuth, Asher Bern-

stein, Brighton Kilgore, and Kevin Andrew.

There will also be a live DJ, food and an after party at after/glow at the Radical.

FR (3/8), 4pm, Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St

Open Hearts Art Center Talent Show

An evening of performances at Open Hearts Art Center, a nonprofit supportive studio and gallery dedicated to representing and empowering differently-abled adults to connect to, and reach their full potential through the arts.

FR (3/8), 5pm, Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway

The Great Pottery Throwdown

A free event featuring local potter competing in hysterical challenges to support the work of All Together Art. There will be a raffle and auction of artwork, pottery, paintings, photographs, stained glass, and more.

SA (3/9), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

5th Western Carolina Writers Showcase

Featuring 9 incredibly talented local singer-songwriters. There will be 3 rounds of 3 performers taking

turns playing their original music with occasional spontaneous collaboration.

SU (3/10), 6pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Pie for Pi Day

Enter your best pie to win prizes or join to sample and vote for the best tasting pie if baking isn’t your thing.

Registration required for pie bakers.

TH (3/14), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Bowl For Kids' Sake:

Buncombe County

Each bowler is asked to donate or raise a minimum of $50 in donations. The theme for this year is Support Your Sport with the opportunity to dress in your favorite sports gear, team jersey or sports hero.

SA (3/9), 9am, Sky Lanes, 1477 Patton Ave

Blue Ridge Jamboree:

On The Rise

A showcase of our region’s top artists ages 25 and younger. All proceeds of The Blue Ridge Jamboree will support Friends of the

Blue Ridge’s Lynn Davis Scholarship program.

See p29 SA (3/9), 7pm,

Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Dance Your Decade

The evening begins with music from the 60's. As the night progresses, so will the music from the 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's. Dress up from your favorite decade while supporting reproductive rights.

SA (3/9), 7pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

Rockin' For Rudy

This event is a fundraiser for Rudy Johnston, born with a rare and serious form of MD. There will be music all-day with a silent auction and pot luck.

See p22-23

SU (3/10), 2pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

Divine Intervention: The Game Show A 90-minute game show that channels the spirit of the classic Family Feud but with a fabulous twist. This event is a fundraiser with all profits being donated to Our VOICE.

TH (3/14), 7pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

by Jessica Wakeman | jwakeman@mountainx.com

New crisis line targets substance use, mental health

On Feb. 20, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services launched a crisis line called the Peer Warmline for people who need support for mental illness and/or substance use.

The phone number 855-PEERSNC is staffed by certified peer support specialists 24/7. Peer support specialists are people in recovery who have a mental health and/or substance use disorder and can provide nonclinical support based on their lived experiences.

The Peer Warmline works alongside 988, the nationwide suicide and crisis hotline that debuted in 2022. (The 988 hotline will route callers to a call center in their state, where a trained crisis counselor answers 24/7.) Individuals can call the Peer Warmline directly, or they can call 988 and be given the option to transfer to a peer support specialist on the warmline. Promise Resource Network, a peer-run organization

in Mecklenburg County, operates the warmline.

For more information about 988 services and support, visit avl.mx/dff.

Safelight camp seeks donations

The City of Hendersonville is accepting donations to benefit Safelight’s Camp HOPE, a weeklong summer camp for children in the community who have been exposed to domestic violence and other traumas.

Camp HOPE seeks donations of products like sunscreen, bug spray, deodorant, toothpaste and hand sanitizer through Friday, March 29. Donations can be dropped off on the third floor of Hendersonville City Hall, 101 Maple Drive N. A wishlist for Camp HOPE is at avl.mx/df7.

For more information, contact Whitney Jakubus at whitney@ safelightfamily.org.

HELP IS

The crisis line 855-PEERS-NC is staffed by certified peer support specialists around the clock. The specialists are people in recovery who have a mental health or substance use disorder and can offer nonclinical support based on their experiences. Image by Adobe Stock

individualized project they develop that will improve the health of their community. A stipend will be available for project support.

Earn a Master of Public Health in 21 months from the UNC Asheville

UNC Gillings MPH Program  No GRE

Health fellowship available

The Jim Bernstein Community Health Leadership Fellows Program is accepting applications from health care providers who work in rural and underserved communities in North Carolina through Saturday, March 30. Practitioners and administrators from disciplines including public health, behavioral health, social work and primary care, among others, are eligible.

Bernstein Fellows will receive up to two years of funding to support an

A webinar about applying to be a Bernstein Fellow will be offered Tuesday, March 12, at noon. Register at avl.mx/dfd. Interviews with select applicants will be held Monday, April 29, and orientation for new fellows will be held Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 3. The fellowship runs from October 2024-October 2026.

For more information and to download an application, visit avl.mx/dfe.

Foot care clinic March 29

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries, 225 Patton Ave., will hold a foot care clinic Friday, March 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Volunteers for Walk Humbly Foot Care Clinic will wash the feet of men and women who are homeless and give them new footwear. Before the clinic, WCRM will collect gently used shoes, flip-flops and towels. For more information visit avl.mx/df4.

Peer support

conference set for June

Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness will hold a N.C. Peer Support Conference Tuesday, June 25-Thursday, June 27, at Mission

Health/A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Drive. Presentations and panelists will address topics related to peer support, harm reduction and self-care. For more information visit avl.mx/d56.

Community kudos

• Bank of America provided a $25,000 grant to Helpmate’s capital campaign for an expanded domestic violence shelter and additional services. According to Executive Director April Burgess-Johnson, the Asheville-based nonprofit provided shelter for 247 people in fiscal year 2022-23; its typical annual capacity is around 200 people. The groundbreaking for a larger shelter will take place in April, and Burgess-Johnson says it is expected to open in summer 2025.

• Jessica Parsil has been promoted to chief behavioral officer of Western North Carolina Community Health Services.

• Physician assistant Alex Benson has joined Pardee Bariatrics and General Surgery.

• Kristina Hyatt is the recipient of UNC Asheville’s 2024 Francine M. Delany Alumni Award for Service to the Community. Hyatt is a 2012 graduate and a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; she’s known as the “Native Tooth Fairy” for her promotion of healthy dental hygiene for kids. Hyatt serves on Cherokee Central School’s Board of Education.

• Brandy Mills, executive coach of Brandy Mills Consulting, has joined the All Souls Counseling Board of Directors.

Mark your calendars

• Tamarya Sims, ecologist and owner of Soulfull Simone Farm in Leicester, will lead a class on equitable food and medicine in farms, gardens and daily life Wednesday, March 6, 7-9 p.m., at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road. For more information, contact westasheville.library@ buncombecounty.org or 828-250-4750.

• Trish Howey will teach a Zumba Gold class Fridays, March 8 and 22, and April 12 and 26, 11 a.m.noon, at the Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester. The low-impact class is recommended for seniors or people returning to exercise. Participants should wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Space is limited, and registration is required at avl.mx/dey.

• Full Circle, a community-focused wellness and counseling center, will hold a stitch ‘n bitch for neurodiverse women Sunday, March 10, 11 a.m., at 1915 George St., Hendersonville. Participants are invited to bring a craft project.

• Dr. Annie Barnes and personal trainer Malynda Kerksick will hold an informational session on developing core strength for runners and walkers Thursday, March 14, 5:306:30 p.m., at Anti-Fragile Physical Therapy, 959 Merrimon Ave. Tickets are $20 per person. The speakers

will guide participants through exercises to target their glutes and cores. For tickets, visit avl.mx/dfa.

• Wayne Tipton will teach a free ballroom dance class Sunday, March 17, 5:30-6 p.m., at Weaverville Center for Creative and Healthy Living, 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville. The class will be followed by a free dance, open to the public, from 6-8 p.m. For more information, contact Renee Twilley at reneetwilley@gmail.com.

• The Council on Aging of Buncombe County and North Carolina’s Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program will present a free informational session on the basics of Medicare on Thursday, March 21, 2-3 p.m., at the Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester.

• The Colon Cancer Coalition will host Get Your Rear in Gear — Asheville 5K Run/Walk for Colon Cancer Awareness on Saturday, March 23, 8-10:30 a.m., at Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Road. A kids fun run will take place at 8:50 a.m., and the timed run will start after that. To register, visit avl.mx/df9.

• Registration is open for Mountain Area Health Education Center’s conference about integrative mental health strategies. The conference will take place via a live webinar on Thursday, March 28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Topics include nutritional psychology, Subtle Yoga and emotional regulation. A variety of mental health continuing education credits are available, and fees for attendance vary. For more information and to register, visit avl.mx/dez. X

Friends indeed

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

Last September, local educator/ musician Sawyer Johnston and his wife, Serena Murison, had their world turned upside down.

Their infant son Rudy was diagnosed with the rare genetic disease LAMA2 merosin-deficient muscular dystrophy, which means he lacks the protein necessary for his muscles to “stick” to his basement skeletal membrane. Because of this condition, Rudy experiences extreme weakness throughout his body, is unable to walk or crawl and will have feeding and breathing difficulties as he ages.

But as is often the case when members of the Asheville music community are in need, Johnston’s peers have rallied and united to help out. On Sunday, March 10, at The Orange Peel, the Rockin’ for Rudy benefit show will raise funds for the family with a full day of ’70s music.

DAY BY DAY

Rockin’ for Rudy benefit show raises funds for local family

their son, and they receive immense support from their friends and family.

Rudy was born on March 29, 2023 — the same day his father turned 31. Johnston recalls singing The Beatles’ “In My Life,” as Murison delivered their son.

Early on, the newborn showed signs of hypotonia (i.e., muscle weakness) and gradually experienced mobility issues. When Rudy was 5 months old, he underwent an MRI and also had a genetic panel sent off for analysis. The results showed two pathogenic mutations of the LAMA gene.

“We were devastated,” Johnston says. “I remember living in a fog for quite a while. It’s not something you ever expect or anticipate. It changes the narrative of what you had in mind for your life. And it took us a while to recalibrate.”

Johnston adds that there’s a strong online community that’s been helpful in supporting his and Murison’s adjustments. The couple have also done research on what lies ahead for

However, Johnston is happy to report that Rudy is cognitively on track. His son is learning words and how to sign. Rudy also excels at making his parents laugh.

Still, there is plenty for Rudy’s parents to contemplate and approaches to consider. “How do I make this kid happy? How do I get him from point A to point B? He can’t move. You’re with him the whole time. You carry him wherever you go,” Johnston says. “Or, you know, he’s great at sitting. So he sits on the floor, and you bring the world to him. Or you bring yourself to the world with him in your arms. That’s how it works.”

There’s also significant concern about Rudy getting sick, particularly during flu season and COVID-19 spikes. Since the start of the year, Johnston has been wearing a mask at Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School, where he teaches English language acquisition and social studies.

“I’ve been telling people it’s like I’m living in 2020 while everyone else is living four years in the future,” Johnston says. “Because I have to protect him. When you don’t have muscles, you don’t have a diaphragm. And when you don’t have a diaphragm, you can’t cough and clear your pathway.”

The financial realities of paying for the needs of a child with LAMA2MD likewise present a challenge for this middle-class family. Along with Johnston’s modest teacher’s salary, Murison is a speech pathologist who now primarily focuses on PlaySpark, the business she started in 2020 with Kylie Jeffrey. The company, which focuses on autism and disability awareness, creates T-shirts, stickers and various other merchandise.

“It all seems pretty serendipitous that that is her focus,” Johnston says.

RUDY CAN’T FAIL: On Sunday, March 10, The Orange Peel will host Rockin’ for Rudy, a benefit concert supporting Sawyer Johnston, Serena Murison and their infant son, Rudy, who was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disease.

“She has quite the following of neurodiverse people and disabled people on Instagram. And so it’s actually been really nice to have that support and love coming to us from that community that’s felt so supported and seen by Serena for such a long time.”

HELPING HANDS

There’s immense support from within PlaySpark as well. Jeffrey launched a GoFundMe campaign in early January to help Murison and Johnston pay for several key projects and expenses that need to be addressed within the next three years to fully care for Rudy. These costs include a wheelchair-accessible bedroom/bathroom (approximately $15,000) a wheelchair-accessible van ($65,000); ramp renovations for the Murison/Johnston home ($5,500); and medical expenses ($10,000 to $16,000). Among the additional costly items are medical equipment, therapy appointments and yearly travel to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, regarded as the top muscular dystrophy hospital in the U.S.

As of press time, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $20,000 of its $100,000 goal and allowed the family to purchase a Permobile Explorer Mini wheelchair for Rudy. The device facilitates self-initiated movement and early exploration for young children with mobility impairments. As evidenced by a gleeful video Murison posted to YouTube in late January, Rudy “had a blast learning how to use the joystick” as he propelled himself in the Explorer Mini.

Those funds will grow at the Rockin’ for Rudy event thanks to local drum-

Photo courtesy of Johnston

mer Elzy Lindsey. The math teacher at Montford North Star Academy befriended Johnston while they were both working at Asheville Middle School. Their bond strengthened when Johnston added his vocals and guitar skills to Lindsey’s band The Lefties.

“We all love Sawyer and Serena. We’ve watched them grow together and start a life,” Lindsey says. “So as a friend, you feel absolutely helpless. And so I was kind of like, ‘What can we do to not feel so helpless in this situation?’”

It didn’t take long for inspiration to strike. Lindsey’s first musical collaboration with Johnston was several years ago at a benefit show for a fellow performing artist, so, in October, Lindsey pitched that type of event to Johnston and Murison, who approved of the plan.

“It’s a relatively easy process because we have such good friends in the community,” Lindsey says. “And everybody wanted in. As a matter of fact, more people wanted in than we had time for people. So, I was able to put it together really quick.”

MUSIC HEALS

The Sunday, March 10, event runs from 2-8 p.m. and will feature nine local bands playing primarily 1970s covers. The decade is the one where Lindsey’s and Johnston’s tastes overlap most and has encouraged them to fine-tune some longtime favorites.

“I’m doing ‘Dirty Work’ by Steely Dan, ‘Thunder Road’ by [Bruce] Springsteen and ‘Mama Told Me Not to Come’ by Three Dog Night,” Lindsey says. “It’s going to be a diverse ’70s catalog.”

Rockin’ for Rudy will also include a potluck meal and a silent auction. Additionally, the event’s 11-monthold namesake will be in attendance as well. Johnston notes that his son loves music. “I Will” by The Beatles is his favorite song. “That will get him out of any jam,” Johnston says. Meanwhile, if Rudy doesn’t like what’s playing at home, “he’ll not so politely ask you to change it by crying.”

Additional bands performing at the benefit are Dollars on Ice, Broadtones, Atomic Sauce, The New Variants, The Long Distance Relationship, Pick Your Switch Reunion, The Tallboys and Double Love & The Trouble. Along with these acts, Rudy will get to witness his dad’s bandmates Andrew Graves and Dean Cates onstage as the full lineup of Sensation of Falling comes to town.

“To be able to have ‘Uncle’ Andrew and ‘Uncle’ Dean up there playing music for him, it’s great,” Johnston says. “It’s perfectly fitting.”

The afternoon’s impact is part of Johnston’s ongoing relationship with

“I like to write songs, and it took me a long time to be able to write again after the diagnosis because there’s so much to process.”

— Sawyer Johnston, local educator/musician

music and its importance in his life. He says that, particularly early on in the diagnosis, playing with Lindsey and The Lefties provided a needed distraction.

“I like to write songs, and it took me a long time to be able to write again after the diagnosis because there’s so much to process,” he says. “But slowly that’s coming back, and I’m grateful to have it as an outlet.”

Johnston also made a New Year’s resolution to write one poem each day to try and capture his emotions as a form of therapy. And as he gets back into songwriting and pulls from those daily reflections, feelings have naturally flowed.

“I wrote a song the other day and I couldn’t play it for Serena. I was crying — I couldn’t play it,” Johnston says. “That’s not melodramatic: That’s just what happened. And it was out of nowhere, you know? It’s unexpected.”

The support from Lindsey and the other Rockin’ for Rudy participants has likewise proved meaningful. Ever since Rudy’s diagnosis, Johnston’s bandmates and friends have continually shown up for him and his family, providing what he calls “a vast well of support” that he can draw from when times get tough.

“A full Orange Peel on a Sunday would just be mind-blowing and certainly uplifting for this family,” Lindsey says. “A community is this; this is what we do. And so I’m hoping that it’s a huge success and that people, no matter what your persuasion — even if you don’t like ’70s music — come support this because it’s going to be a really amazing, fun time for an amazingly good cause. You couldn’t have a better cause than this: life itself.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/del. X

WHAT Rockin’ for Rudy WHERE

The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., theorangepeel.net

WHEN

Sunday, March 10, 2-8 p.m.

$20 suggested donation

On the move

BY ARNOLD WENGROW

When Tracey Morgan opened her eponymous art gallery at 188 Coxe Ave. in January 2017, she knew she would be off to the side of Asheville’s bustling arts scene.“When I moved into the South Slope,” she says, “there was very little there.”

The gallery was a member of the Downtown Asheville Arts District. It stayed opened for the weekly Friday night gallery strolls, but people rarely came down the hill. After a while, Morgan stopped participating. “It was me staying late for one person,” she says.

Now, as the South Slope has become another bustling area for galleries, breweries and restaurants, Morgan is moving off to the side again. “Our lease was up, and the rent increased every year,” she says. “In order for me to keep the gallery going, I needed to cut my overhead. That meant finding a less expensive space.”

Tracey Morgan Gallery celebrates new location with inaugural exhibit

That new space was made possible by artist Randy Shull and his wife and entrepreneurial partner, Hedy Fischer. On March 8, Tracey Morgan Gallery will open its first exhibit, What Came First, at its new 22 London Road location, just outside Biltmore Village.

22 London has been Shull’s working studio for nearly a decade. He and Fischer have also organized five exhibitions there from their personal art collection.

“Tracey Morgan has represented my work for the past five years,” Shull says. “I consider a good relationship with a gallery a business partnership.” Offering Morgan more space for ambitious projects and for parking, he notes, is an extension of that partnership.

INTENTIONALLY SMALL

Tracey Morgan stands apart from other Asheville galleries in more than geography. “We’re a little bit different than, say, Blue Spiral 1 and Momentum,” Morgan says, referring

to two of her prominent downtown peers. “We only show one or two or three artists at a time unless it’s a group show. I’m a tenth of the size of those two places. I think what they do is amazing. But I have no aspiration to have a 15,000-square-foot gallery.”

Blue Spiral 1 and Momentum keep many artists on continual display along with special themed exhibitions. “Because of the sheer size and scale of their operations,” Morgan notes, “they can show 30 artists or more at any one time. I think Blue Spiral represents 130 artists. I represent 32.”

Morgan also doesn’t show crafts in a city famous for its crafts culture. “Craft isn’t in my wheelhouse,” she says. “I wasn’t going to add it just to compete with other people. I wouldn’t know how to talk about glass or contemporary ceramics. And we have many galleries that show crafts, so it’s not necessary for me to do that.”

With a degree in art history from Florida State University, Morgan began her career as a curatorial assistant in West Palm Beach. She moved to New York City in 2004 and worked as a director in several prominent galleries there before relocating to Asheville.

ONE SHOW AT A TIME

When she first got here, Morgan says she intended to “show work of artists new to Asheville,” as well as established artists from New York who wanted to expand into Southern markets. “I had such a good relationship with several of them it was very easy. It’s like working with your friends.”

But once she was open in Asheville, she continues, “I started realizing how many very talented people were here.” She began adding local and

‘What Came First’

Tracey Morgan Gallery’s new home at 22 London Road near Biltmore Village launches with the inaugural exhibit, What Came First. The show opens Friday, March 8, 6-8 p.m. and continues through Saturday, April 20.

According to a press release, “The show is centered around the idea of ‘layers,’ both materially and conceptually. The title — a nod to the exhibition’s premise and to this new iteration of our gallery’s program — also references the process of art making

HEADED SOUTH: Tracey Morgan Gallery’s new home at 22 London Road near Biltmore Village launches with the inaugural exhibit, What Came First. The show opens Friday, March 8, 6-8 p.m., and continues through Saturday, April 20. Photo courtesy of Morgan, who is pictured

regional artists to her roster. About half of the artists she now represents are from the area, including Rachel Meginnes, Nava Lubelski, Kirsten Stolle and Luke Whitlatch.

Margaret Curtis of Tryon is another artist Morgan represents. Curtis first gained national attention in 1994 in the Bad Girls exhibit at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City. “I have shown with galleries in New York,” Curtis says, “and those weren’t always positive experiences. I trust Tracey. She works so hard to get my work in front of the right eyes. I really value working with someone who has a completely different skill set from my own. And she knows the art world outside of the region.”

Shull agrees. “Tracey is committed to her artists’ vision and promoting their work. Hedy and I like that she commits time, energy and her passion into promoting the voice of artists one show at a time.” X

itself, as each artist must choose a starting point.”

Photography, collage, textile, ceramics and painting are among the mediums featured in the exhibit. Participating artists include Brandon Boan, Eric William Carroll, Erin E. Castellan, Orly Cogan, Margaret Curtis, Erika Diamond, Bryan Graf, Sandi Haber Fifield, James Henkel, Laura Letinsky, Phillip Maisel, Rachel Meginnes, Ben Nixon, Randy Shull, David B. Smith, Zander Stefani, Kirsten Stolle, Carly Owens Weiss and Luke Whitlatch. For more information, visit avl.mx/dfl. X

modern vegan cuisine, biodynamic wine, local beer, and cocktails in an intimate setting with a seasonal patio.

reservations recommended with first-come bar seating

828-258-7500

165 merrimon avenue plantisfood.com

visit our breakfast/ lunch sibling restaurant

233 S Liberty St

pulpandsprout.com

(828) 412-5701

What’s new in food

Jared Dotson says he was inspired by his daughter, Juju, to open a restaurant with a focus on chicken wings this winter. Located in a small shopping center adjacent to the anticipated Ecusta Trail in Horse Shoe, Hustle Wing Co. is already expanding only a few months after opening.

“I’d ask her what she wanted for dinner,” Dotson says of his daughter, “and when she wanted wings, we never found exactly what we were looking for. And so she kept pushing me and pushing me, and finally I was like, ’Daddy’s gonna open up a wing place.’ But I knew ... I couldn’t just open up a wing place.”

Dotson created a menu featuring over 25 wing flavors, making every sauce and rub in-house and gluten-free. He also offers a vegetarian wing option and a pork “wing,” salads, sides such as fried okra and locally made fried pickles from DJ’s Pickles, sandwiches and burgers. He named all of the sauces after influences in his life and says Juju had fun naming some too. They include Wicked Ex — “caution, very toxic” — and Thai-inspired Pattaya, made with curry, ginger, peanuts and basil. Dry rubs include candied bacon and the Coastal Carolina, which consists of salt and vinegar.

Hustle Wing Co. is now expanding into the space next door, adding more seating and about 10 arcade games — both retro and modern. This spring, the space will also encompass Sweet Hustle, offering ice cream and cotton candy. The outdoor patio will have access to the Ecusta Trail, which will connect downtown Hendersonville to downtown Brevard.

Dotson, who started working in the food and beverage industry when he was in his teens, began his culinary career training under a chef who hailed from cooking at the Grove Park Inn in the 1960s. “This guy took me under his wing and trained me for four years. He would walk up to me and stick his finger in my sauces, and [if he wasn’t satisfied], he poured it on the floor.”

Dotson remained in fine dining until becoming a kitchen manager at 12 Bones in 2008, when he fell in love with barbecue. In 2012, he moved on to run the kitchen at Luella’s Bar-BQue for four years and then founded Juju’s Craft Cookery, named after his daughter, in Mills River.

“I learned how to move ... everybody had to hustle. And my love for hip-hop, classic rock and gangsters all rolls in the hustle too — hence the name.”

Dotson is passionate about making everything from scratch or partner-

Wings and more along the Ecusta Trail

ing with local purveyers and makers, as well as being as environmentally friendly as possible — down to the compostable to-go bags and utensils. Sauces are available to purchase via his Side Hustle Sauce Co., as are shirts, hats and jerseys.

Hustle Wing Co. is at 3754 Brevard Road, Horse Shoe. For more information, visit avl.mx/df0.

A culinary collaboration

Jay Medford, chef and owner of Storm Rhum Bar, will partner with Tori Frasher at Sage and Spice Market and Catering to create a five-course Asian and Southerninspired meal. Chef’s Table with Jay, an entirely gluten-free dinner with limited seating, will be served Friday, March 22, 7-9 p.m.

Frasher, who opened her market in West Asheville last fall, says she and Medford kept running into each other around town and talked about collaborating. After attending a dinner hosted by Frasher, Medford created a menu and they set a date.

“It’s a way of me being able to be me again with food,” says Medford. “Without restrictions or anything.”

“He’s had a lot of fun with his projects lately, but it’s an exciting opportunity for him to be back in the kitchen doing what he loves,” says Frasher. “He’s very excited to do a menu combining his passion for Asian cuisine with delicious Southern food, pulling from local purveyors.”

The menu includes an ube coconut bisque, watercress and butter lettuce salad, seared sea scallops, mango ponzu New York strip steak and black sesame poi mochi.

WINGING IT: Jared Dotson, owner of Hustle Wing Co., created most of the art and decor at his Horse Shoe restaurant. He sells his housemade sauces by the bottle. Photo courtesy of Dotson

Sage and Spice Market and Catering is at 1056 Patton Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/df2.

Local manager selected for international event

Kala Brooks, manager of Thirsty Monk in Asheville, has been chosen as one of eight women worldwide to participate in the International Women’s Day Brewing Event in Belgium.

The event will bring the eight women together for a collaborative brewing experience, to celebrate the creativity and expertise of women in brewing as well as highlight the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the craft beer industry.

On Friday, March 8, Thirsty Monk Downtown will feature the beer brewed during this event, donating a portion of the proceeds from sales to a local charity that supports women. The event will also include light snacks, Asheville Chocolate truffles and beer pairings.

“[It is an] incredible opportunity to be chosen for such an impactful global project,” says Brooks in a press release. “I’m excited to have some amazing professional company and learn from one of the finest brewing programs in the world. Plus, I get to make an awesome beer!”

Thirsty Monk Downtown is at 92 Patton Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/dfb.

Rise Above Bakehouse closes

Fairview’s Rise Above Bakehouse — a bake shop offering homemade breads, pastries and sandwiches — has closed after almost five years of operation.

The announcement was made via a social media post on Feb. 20.

“We’ve loved being a part of this amazing community and getting

to know so many of our wonderful neighbors and are so grateful for all the support you’ve shown us, one loaf of sourdough at a time. This was a very difficult decision to reach, but the business was facing a number of challenges, including the end of our lease, a slower than expected off-season and ever-increasing operational costs. We wish we could have found a way to either expand at our current location or relocate somewhere larger within the Fairview community, but those efforts ultimately weren’t successful.”

The post also stated that followers would be updated on future plans, including possible reopening in a new spot.

For more information, visit avl.mx/df5.

Free marketing workshop for farmers

Farmer Vannah Roddy of Encompass Farm and Emory Brandon, Appalachan Sustainable Agriculture Project’s graphic designer, will hold a free virtual class for farmers on how to promote their farms and communicate with customers via newsletters. Newsletter Marketing for Farmers will be held Tuesday, March 12, 5-7 p.m.

The workshop will cover topics such as building a subscriber base, keeping customers engaged, increasing sales and the importance of storytelling and aesthetics.

For more information or to register, visit avl.mx/df8.

Cooking for a party of one (or two)

The Madison County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension will offer Cooking for 1-2 People, a class running Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m., March 21-April 11.

The $20 series will teach attendees how to make quick and easy meals without creating excess waste.

The Madison County Center is at 258 Carolina Lane, Marshall.

For more information, visit avl.mx/df6.

Coffee bar for sale

Miki Loomis, owner of Home Ground Coffee Bar, has decided to sell the coffee shop so she can spend more time with family. The Amboy Road building that houses the shop, as well as the separately owned Cascade Lounge, are up for rent.

Loomis also owns HomeGrown restaurant, which will not be affected by the change.

She says she plans to keep Home Ground open and hopes a new tenant will want to purchase the equipment as well.

The café serves coffee drinks, grab-and-go breakfast and lunch daily, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Home Ground Coffee Bar is at 219 Amboy Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/df3.

WNC Farmers Market festival accepting vendors

Growing in the Mountains spring festival, held Friday, April 19-Sunday, April 21, at the WNC Farmers Market, is expanding this year and accepting new vendors and craftspeople.

The festival welcomes both established and new growers and artists. Contact wncgrowinginthemountains@ gmail.com for more information and an application.

The WNC Farmers Market is at 570 Brevard Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/dfg.

— Andy Hall  X

Do

For almost five years, Asheville’s Deadhead community has congregated weekly for Shakedown Sunday at The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall. This past Sunday, fans gathered as musicians took the small stage for the final time.

Born in the fall of 2019, Shakedown Sunday began as a way for local musicians to showcase their talents with a common theme: the music of the Grateful Dead (the name hails from the song “Shakedown Street”). Musicians participated in a set of Dead and related music, followed by a singer-songwriter set, followed by a non-Dead set and ending with more Dead. Vendors were invited to sell art, jewelry, clothing and more — mirroring the parking lot scene at Grateful Dead shows, where the main vending sections were referred to as “Shakedown.”

“We wanted to give an opportunity for folks to hear their fave Dead cover bands doing other material as well as Dead songs,” says musician Kyley Byrd, who was one of the original organizers along with Arjay Sutton “The ... ’tweener set’ [was created] by a local songwriter so we could have a captive audience in place to hear some of the great original music being developed in our community.”

Eric Swanson, a bassist with local Dead cover band Dirty Dead, one of the first bands to play the event, replaced Sutton as co-organizer during the pandemic. “This town is very fluid as far as music, and we’v had a very good run,” he says. “It’s time to put it on the shelf for a little bit.”

“Shakedown Sunday has been awesome for the community,” he continues. It’s a spot where even if you don’t know anybody, you can come listen and participate in a very welcoming manner.”

Shakedown Sunday regular Scott Shaw, who celebrated his birthday at the final event, says the series allowed him to see bands he might not see otherwise. “Also, as Sundays are less touristy than the rest of the weekend, you tend to see a lot of the same local folks in the crowd week after week. It’s really like a little Sunday night music family.”

The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall is at 55 College St. For more information, visit avl.mx/dfh.

Celebrating Zelda

The annual 2024 Zelda Fitzgerald events will take place Thursday, March

7-Sunday, March 10, at various locations around town. This year marks the ninth anniversary of the celebration of the writer, artist and wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. She died in a 1948 fire at Asheville’s Highland Hospital, which was then a psychiatric institution.

This year’s free events, which highlight the societal pressures on women creatives during Fitzgerald’s time, begin Thursday, March 7, 6-7:30 p.m., at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Mark Taylor, a Fitzgerald tour guide from Minnesota, will read from and discuss Scott Fitzgerald’s nonfiction work The Cruise of the Rolling Junk, chronicling his eight-day car ride with Zelda from Connecticut to Alabama in 1919.

On Friday, March 8, 6-7:30 p.m., at the AmeriHealth Caritas N.C. Wellness and Opportunity Center, Alaina Doten will be the keynote speaker for “Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Lifelong Love of and Visits to Asheville.” Doten is the curator and director of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Ala., and the host of the “Zelda’s Peaches and Biscuits” podcast.

Marsha Gordon, film studies professor at N.C. State University, will discuss her book Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula Parrott, at the East Asheville Public Library on Saturday, March 9, 1-2:30 p.m. Parrott, a contemporary of Fitzgerald’s, experienced many of the same issues as Zelda. The book signing will be followed by a screening of The Divorcee, a 1930 film based on Parrott’s Jazz-Age bestseller, Ex-Wife.

The event will close on Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m., at Battery Park Book Exchange, with A Literary Tasting presented by Monika Gross of Candler’s At-A-Site Theater. Gross will read from some of Fitzgerald’s works, paired with culinary tastings for an additional cost.

For more information, visit avl.mx/cgy.

30 years of linoleum prints

Wilmington-based artist Janette Hopper’s works from 30 years of linoleum printmaking will be on exhibit together for the first time at the Flood Gallery Fine Art Center in Black Mountain, Saturday, March 9-Sunday, June 2, with an opening reception 6-8 p.m.

NOTHIN’ SHAKIN’ ON SHAKEDOWN STREET: A crowd of regulars enjoys Shakedown Sunday. The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall has hosted the weekly event for almost five years. Photo courtesy of The One Stop

“Agony and Ecstasy: Images of Conscience” reflects “love, sorrow, conflict, beauty, enjoyment of nature, contemplation of what is, was and could be and political commentary,” according to Hopper. She says she fell in love with making linocuts in 1991 while in Denmark on a Fulbright scholarship, after creating an example as a demonstration for her students.

The process involves first drawing the image and then filling in the drawing in black and white, after which the reverse image is transferred to a linoleum plate. The lighter parts are then carved out by hand, the plate is inked with a roller, and then the paper is placed on the carved surface and hand-rubbed with a spoon. Finally, the print is pulled from the plate and allowed to dry.

Hopper, who received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon, has studied and taught internationally. She landed in North Carolina when she was asked to chair the art department at UNC Pembroke, where she served for 10 years.

The Flood Gallery Fine Art Center is at 850 Blue Ridge Road, Black Mountain. For more information, visit avl.mx/d49.

Rising regional youth musicians

Blue Ridge Jamboree: On the Rise, a showcase of Western North Carolina’s rising musical artists ages 25 and younger, will take place Saturday,

March 9, 7 p.m., at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.

Hosted by musician and Madison County native Josh Goforth, the show features Dollywood performer Addie Levy and her singer-songwriter husband, Eric Pratt; Appalachian Roots, which has opened for Steep Canyon Rangers and Old Crow Medicine Show; old-time and bluegrass sibling band Newfound Gap, led by 15-yearold banjo picker Bayla Davis; and Hightop Mountain Harmony.

Proceeds will support Friends of the Blue Ridge’s Lynn Davis Scholarship program, which provides $1,000 in scholarships to high school seniors to pursue college degrees related to enhancing the Blue Ridge region.

“Our mission is to celebrate the ecological beauty and cultural vitality of this Blue Ridge region we’re all fortunate to call home,” says Julie Whalen, executive director of Friends of the Blue Ridge, in a press release. “Part of that involves inspiring our next generation to be caretakers of that heritage.”

The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is at 18 Biltmore Ave. For tickets, visit avl.mx/dfj.

A fundraiser for professional crafting

The Haywood Community College Foundation will present its inaugural Evening of Art, an event to support the college’s professional crafts program, on Thursday, March 14, 6-9 p.m., in

the Sycamore building on campus. The event will include a live performance from the 18-piece Asheville Jazz Orchestra, dancing, a buffet dinner, studio tours and a silent auction with works from local artists, including Phillip DeAngelo, Margaret Roberts and Sarah Wells Rolland

The professional crafts program offers degrees, diplomas and certificates in four mediums: wood, fiber, clay and jewelry. The funds raised will support field trips, specialty training opportunities and needed supplies. Haywood Community College is at 185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde. For more information, visit avl.mx/dfk.

— Andy Hall  X

MOVIE REVIEWS

DUNE — PART TWO: A major step back from the excellent Part One, this bloated yet rushed sci-fi saga sacrifices spectacle for dull religious fanaticism. Grade: C — Edwin

Arnaudin

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA

Trivia Night w/ PartyGrampa, 7pm

CORK & KEG

Old Time Moderate Jam, 5pm

FLEETWOOD'S Psych Night w/DJ Torren, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Swanny, Crowe & The Monk (multiple genres), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

SHAKEY'S

Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE DRAFTSMAN BAR + LOUNGE

Trivia Nights, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Jontavious Willis (blues, Americana), 8pm

THE ODD

Free Terraoke, Karaoke Takeover, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Chelsea Wolfe w/Divide & Dissolve (goth-rock, metal, folk), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH

SLOPE Trivia, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

27 CLUB

Kierst, Rich Inner Life Love You So Much & Void Girl (alt-indie), 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

MGBs (acoustic), 7:30pm

BLK MTN PIZZA & ALE HOUSE

Billy Presnell (folk, Americana), 6pm

CROW & QUILL Vaden Landers Trio (country, honky-tonk), 8pm

EULOGY Protex (Belgian-punk, rock'n'roll), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Juliana Money, Paprika & Lady Kabela (indie, alternative), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

Comedy Night w/Holly Ballantine, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Freeway Jubilee (rock, blues, funk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Balm (soul, R&B), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

JLloyd 's Rocksteady Revue (reggae, rock, ska), 8pm

OUTSIDER BREWING

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Karaoke Night, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Eddie 9V (blues, indierock), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Dawes (folk, rock), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Dan Signor (rock, soul), 7pm

THE RIVER ARTS

DISTRICT BREWING CO.

Peggy Ratusz & Kelly Jones (blues), 6pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6:30pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

27 CLUB

Sacrilege (dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY

P*rn Star Karaoke, 8pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

Mr.Jimmy's Southside Chicago Blues, 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Snozzberries X Dr. Bacon (psychedelia, Appalachian-funk, progrock), 10pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Comedy at Catawba: Neil Rubenstein, 7pm

• Where Ya From?: Crowd Work Comedy Show, 9pm

CORK & KEG

One Leg Up (jazz), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Black Sea Beat Society (Balka, rock'n'roll, Turkish-psych), 8pm

EULOGY

At Your Funeral: Emo Night w/DJ Sellout, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S

The Great Indoors & Mary Metal (indie, dream-pop, alt-rock), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Wife Island (folk-rock, jazz, country), 6pm

TEXAS-BASED INDIE ROCK: On Wednesday, March 13, San Antonio, Texas-based band Moon Tokki will bring its Blondie-inspired angular rock to 27 Club. The show begins at 8 p.m. with Call the Next Witness, Hi Helens and YAWNi also joining the lineup. Photo courtesy of Alejandra Sol Casas

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Hammock Theory (reggae, funk), 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Andy & Ruthie Hunter (folk, rock, R&B), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Honky-Tonk Fridays w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm

• Gold Rose (Americana, country), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Open Mic w/Hamza, 8pm

MAD CO. BREW

HOUSE

Two Fontaines (alt-rock, blues), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Oc3ans (multiple genres), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Eric Chesson (funk, Americana), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Freeway Jubilee Trio (Southern-rock, funk, psychedelic), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

The Floozies w/ Haywyre & MZG (electronic, funk), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Sub Radio w/Moontower (indie-pop), 8pm

THE ODD

Bold Burlesque Presents: Nerd, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Emancipator w/Push & Pull (electronic, tri-hop, dance), 8pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN

Vaden Landers (country), 6pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

27 CLUB

Pathway, The Half that Matters & Ham Radio (rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Ballyhoo (punk, pop-reggae, rock), 8:30pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Comedy from the Future, 7pm

• Secret Saturday

Late Nite Comedy Showcase, 9pm

CITIZEN VINYL

Mar & The Marmaladies w/Billy Litz (indie-pop, folk, Latinx), 7pm

CROW & QUILL Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Lost in Time Procedure w/Sound Lobotomy (electronic, experimental, bass), 9pm

EULOGY

• Electro Lust (electronic, funk, Latin), 8pm

• Iglesia del Perreo w/ DJ Grimmjoi, 11pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Vive Le Vox, Rocky Mtn Roller, Watches & Seismic Sutra (punk, psych-rock), 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Justin Cody Fox Band (blues, rock), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bald Mountain Boys, 11am

• Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm

• The Sternwheelers (Americana, rock, Irish), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE Karaoke, 9pm

LAZOOM ROOM Karaoke, 9pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Stand-Up Comedy Night, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Duck (funk, jazz), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Em & The Innocent Mischief (folk), 4pm

• Mama Said String Band (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

The Arcadian Wild (folk, pop), 8pm

SHAKEY'S

• Friday Late Nights w/ DJ Ek Balam, 12am

• Boot Scoot n Boogie, 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Velvet Truckstop (Southern-rock, Americana), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Jeff Sipe Trio (electronic-jazz, funk), 9pm

THE ODD

Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Kid Hop Hooray w/DJ Oso Rey (dance party), 10am

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN

Live Music Saturday Nights, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Cumbia & Latin Social w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 9pm

SUNDAY, MARCH 10

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Wellington Ojukwu, 6:30pm

CORK & KEG

Bayou Diesel (Cajun, Zydeco), 8pm

EULOGY

Father Figures (emo, post-rock), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Swallow the Rat, Dead Leaf Echo & Janx Spirit (indie-rock, gothic), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Jazz Sunday's, 2pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Pinkerton Raid (folkpop, rock), 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch w/ The Bald Mountain Boys, 11am • Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

West End String Band (bluegrass, roots), 3pm

S&W MARKET

Mr Jimmy (blues), 1pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Cosmic Appalachian

Soul Sundays, 7pm

THE DRAFTSMAN

BAR + LOUNGE

Karaoke Nights, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Country Brunch w/Julia Sanders, 12pm

THE OUTPOST

The Grateful Family (Grateful Dead tribute), 2pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Company Swing w/Rock Academy Jazz (swing, jazz, blues), 7:30pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, MARCH 11

27 CLUB

Karaoke Monday, 9pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

CaroMia, Rahm, Iannuci & Jaze Uries (dreampop, soul, R&B), 8pm

CITIZEN VINYL Ira Wolf w/John Charles Dwyer (folk, Appalachian), 7pm

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

EULOGY

Tomato Flower (pop, art-rock), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Best Ever Karaoke, 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Downtown, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm

PULP

Fern & Plant (funk, rock), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Bermuda Search Party (rock, funk, R&B), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends, 7pm

THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Trivia w/Billy, 7pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

ARCHETYPE BREWING

Trivia Tuesday, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

NEW ORIGIN Trivia, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm

PULP

Standup Comedy & Open Mic, 7pm

SHAKEY'S

Booty Tuesday w/DJ Tamagatchi, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Open Mic, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Tuesday Night Open Jam, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Brew Davis w/Nick Dauphinais (Americana, Appalachian, brewgrass), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Open Mic Tuesday, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

27 CLUB

Moon Tokki, Call the Next Witness, Hi Helens & YAWNi (rock), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA

Trivia Night w/ PartyGrampa, 7pm

EULOGY

The Hypos w/Wagging (Americana, rock), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Sherwoods Florist, Aunt Vicki & Puppy & the Dogs (alt-indie, psychrock, electronic), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

PULP

Lurky Skunk, The Bins & GabrielKnowsEverything (folk, alternative), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE DRAFTSMAN

BAR + LOUNGE

Trivia Nights, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Josh Ward & Braxton Keith (country), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH

SLOPE

Trivia, 6:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Irish Music Session, 7pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Santiago y Los Gatos (indie-rock, pop, soul), 7:30pm

BLK MTN PIZZA & ALE HOUSE

Billy Presnell (folk, Americana), 6pm

CROW & QUILL

The Red Hot Sugar Babies (jazz), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Lamplight, Sina Vessel & Claire Whall (Appalachian, country, indie-rock), 9pm

EULOGY

Joyce Manor w/Powder Horns (alt-indie, punk, rock), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA

LaZoom Room Comedy w/Nathan Owens, 7pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Wayne Buckner (Southern-rock, Americana, country), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Marley's Chain (rock, country, blues), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

J.T. Horne. (rock, folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Marvelous Funkshun (Jimi Hendrix tribute), 9pm

OUTSIDER BREWING

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

PULP

Mission Accomplished (rock, blues), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

The Four Horsemen (Metallica tribute), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Karaoke Night, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Kashus Culpepper (pop, rock, country), 8pm

THE ODD

Shun & Sunbearer (heavy-rock, stoner-metal), 8pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN

Moonshine State (multiple genres), 7pm

THE STATION BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6:30pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH

SLOPE

Bachata Thursdays, 8:30pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow talent to the dark place where it leads.” So wrote Aries author Erica Jong. Is that true? Is it hard to access the fullness of our talents? Must we summon rare courage and explore dark places? Sometimes, yes. To overcome obstacles that interfere with ripening our talents, there may be tough work to do. I suspect the coming weeks and months will be one of those phases for you, Aries. But here’s the good news: I predict you will succeed.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In October 1879, Thomas Edison and his research team produced the first electric light bulb that was viable enough to be of practical use. In September 1882, Edison opened the first power plant on the planet, enabling people to light their homes with the new invention. That was a revolutionary advance in a very short time. Dear Taurus, the innovations you have been making and I hope will continue to make are not as monumental as Edison’s. But I suspect they rank high among the best and brightest in your personal life history. Don’t slack off now. There’s more work to be done—interesting, exciting work!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I watched as the Thai snake charmer kissed a poisonous cobra, taming the beast’s danger with her dancing hands. I beheld the paramedic dangle precariously from a helicopter to snag the woman and child stranded on a rooftop during a flood. And in my dream, I witnessed three of my Gemini friends singing a dragon to sleep, enabling them to ramble freely across the bridge the creature had previously forbidden them to traverse.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The horoscopes you are reading have been syndicated in publications all over the world: the U.S., Italy, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Russia, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Ireland and Finland. Yet it has never appeared in a publication in the UK, where there are over 52 million people whose first language is English — the same as mine. But I predict that will change in the coming months: I bet a British newspaper or website will finally print Free Will Astrology. I prophesy comparable expansions in your life, too, fellow Cancerian. What new audiences or influences or communities do you want to be part of? Make it happen!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote, “Today it seems to me that my whole life was nothing but a string of small near misses.” If you have endured anything resembling that frustration, Leo, I have good news: The coming months won’t bring you a string of small near misses. Indeed, the number of small near misses will be very few, maybe even zero. Instead, I predict you will gather an array of big, satisfying completions. Life will honor you with bull’s eyes, direct hits, and master strokes. Here’s the best way you can respond to your good fortune and ensure the arrival of even more good fortune: Share your wealth!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo advice expert Cheryl Strayed wrote some rather pushy directions I will borrow and use for your horoscope. She and I say, “You will never have my permission to close yourself off to love and give up. Never. You must do everything you can to get what you want and need, to find ‘that type of love.’ It’s there for you.” I especially want you to hear and meditate on this guidance right now, Virgo. Why? Because I believe you are in urgent need of re-dedicating yourself to your heart’s desire. You have a sacred duty to intensify your imagination and deepen your willpower as you define what kind of love and tenderness and togetherness you want most.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Adam Alter writes, “Perfect success is boring and uninspiring, and abject failure is exhausting and demoralizing. Somewhere between these extremes is a sweet spot that maximizes long-term progress.”

ROB BREZSNY

And what is the magic formula? Alter says it’s when you make mistakes an average of 16 percent of the time and are successful 84%. Mistakes can be good because they help you learn and grow. Judging from your current astrological omens, Libra, I’m guessing you’re in a phase when your mistake rate is higher than usual — about 30%. (Though you’re still 70% successful!) That means you are experiencing expanded opportunities to learn all you can from studying what doesn’t work well. (Adam Alter’s book is Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sometimes you Scorpios are indeed secretive, as traditional astrologers assert. You understand that knowledge is power, and you build your potency by gathering information other people don’t have the savvy or resources to access. But it’s also true that you may appear to be secretive when in fact you have simply perceived and intuited more than everyone else wants to know. They might be overwhelmed by the deep, rich intelligence you have acquired—and would actually prefer to be ignorant of it. So you’re basically hiding stuff they want you to hide. Anyway, Scorpio, I suspect now is a time when you are loading up even more than usual with juicy gossip, inside scoops, tantalizing mysteries, taboo news, and practical wisdom that few others would be capable of managing. Please use your superpowers with kindness and wisdom.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here’s a little-known fact about me: I am the priest, wizard, rabbi, and pope of Parish #31025 in the Universal Life Church. One of my privileges in this role is to perform legal marriages. It has been a few years since I presided over anyone’s wedding, but I am coming out of semi-retirement to consecrate an unprecedented union. It’s between two aspects of yourself that have not been blended but should be blended. Do you know what I’m referring to? Before you read further, please identify these two aspects. Ready? I now pronounce you husband and wife, or husband and husband, or wife and wife, or spouse and spouse — or whatever you want to be pronounced.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “You don’t have to suffer to be a poet,” said poet John Ciardi. “Adolescence is enough suffering for anyone.” I will add that adolescence is enough suffering for everyone, even if they’re not a poet. For most of us, our teenage years brought us streams of angst, self-doubt, confusion, and fear — sufficient to last a lifetime. That’s the bad news, Capricorn. The good news is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal the wounds left over from your adolescence. You may not be able to get a total cure, but 65% is very possible. Seventyfive % isn’t out of the question. Get started!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A psychic once predicted that I would win a Grammy award for my music. She said my dad and mom would be in the audience, smiling proudly. Well, my dad died four years ago, and I haven’t produced a new album of songs for over ten years. So that Grammy prophecy is looking less and less likely. I should probably give up hope that it will come to pass. What about you, Aquarius? Is there any dream or fantasy you should consider abandoning? The coming weeks would be a good time to do so. It could open your mind and heart to a bright future possibility now hovering on the horizon.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I invite you to entertain the following theory: Certain environments, companions, and influences enhance your intelligence, health, and ability to love — while others either do the opposite or have a neutral effect. If that’s true, it makes good sense for you to put yourself in the presence of environments, companions and influences that enhance you. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to test this theory. I hope you will do extensive research and then initiate changes that implement your findings.

MARKETPLACE

REAL

ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com

EMPLOYMENT

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

TK ELECTRIC IN ARDEN IS HIRING ELECTRICIANS

Seeking Qualified Individuals with 4+ Years of Experience in the Residential Electrical Field! We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including a sign on bonus! Contact 828-450-0287 to apply. Serious inquiries only.

CAREGIVERS/ NANNY

NURSE AIDE Fairview Rest Home is hiring a full-time 2nd shift and a 3rd shift nurse aide. Call Laura or Cathy at (828) 628-1066 if interested or apply in person at 3018 Cane Creek Rd., Fairview.

COMPUTER/ TECHNICAL

COMPUTER SERVICES IT SUPPORT Systems Administrator, on site in Asheville. Experience preferable. Apply by calling 828-528-3092

SERVICES

HOME

SEEKING CLEANING JOB

Seeking cleaning job on Tue in Asheville. I manage Air B&Bs & very attentive

to detail. You won’t be disappointed! I provide a free walkthrough quote. Call Serena @ 916-280-1152

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HANDY MAN

HANDY MAN Ex Professional Brewer has 25+ years experience in the trades, with every skill/tool imaginable for all trades with the exception of HVAC. $20- $30 an hour Carl (828) 551-6000 electricblustudio@gmail. com

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

$10K+ IN DEBT? BE DEBT FREE IN 24-48 MONTHS! Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay nothing to enroll. Call National Debt Relief at 844-977-3935 (AAN CAN)

24/7 LOCKSMITH We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We'll get you back up and running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs and repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial and auto locksmith needs! 1-833-237-1233. (AAN CAN)

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-292-8225 Have zip code of property ready when calling! (AAN CAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-977-4240. (AAN CAN)

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT NEW WINDOWS They will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few! Call now to get your free, no-obligation quote. 866-366-0252

BUYING ALL SPORTS CARDS FOR INSTANT CASH BUYING ALL SPORTS CARDS FOR CASH. VINTAGE - MODERN. CALL BIG ANDY 631-871-2992 - 7 DAYS A WEEK. WWW.ITSBIGANDY. COM FREE EVALUATIONS/ APPRAISALS.

DIRECTV SATELLITE TV SERVICE STARTING AT $64.99/MO For 24 mos, Free Installation! 165+ Channels Available. Call Now For The Most Sports & Entertainment On TV! 855-401-8842. (AAN CAN)

FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES for uninsured and insured drivers. Let us show you how much you can save! Call 833-976-0743. (AAN CAN)

GOT AN UNWANTED

CAR? Donate it to Patriotic Hearts. Fast free pick up. All 50 States. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 844-8756782. (AAN CAN)

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-877-248-9944. You will be asked for the zip code of the property when connecting. (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL Protect your home from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-237-1199 (AAN CAN)

TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 877-589-0747. (AAN CAN)

UNCLAIMED PROPERTY

The following is a list of unclaimed property currently being held at the Weaverville Police Department. Electronics, personal items, tools, weapons (including firearms) and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim in the listed property has 30 days from the date of publication to contact the Weaverville Police Department, M-F 9AM - 3PM, 828-645-5700 Items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of in accordance with North Carolina General Statute.

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-2902264 Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (AAN CAN)

YOU MAY QUALIFY For disability benefits if you have are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877-247-6750. (AAN CAN)

ACROSS

1 Seize

6 Alternative to “swipe” for a credit card

9 Pizazz

14 Word with life or screen

15 One of the Manning brothers

16 Measurement on an electric meter

17 Fly the coop

19 Spanish restaurant fare

20 Prepared to fight Goliath?

22 Scheming

23 Like the numerals 1, 2 and 3

27 Dutch beer named for a river

31 ___-chic

33 “I’m ___ Boat” (Lonely Island song)

34 Practiced changing one’s costume by the clock?

36 The Cowboys and Cowgirls of the N.C.A.A.

37 Private university of North Carolina

38 Leader who was the author of “On Protracted War”

39 First murder victim

40 Common wine barrel material

41 Invested on Broadway, say?

45 Article in Le Monde

46 Taking off

47 Earmarks

48 Matchbox, e.g.

50 NBC staple since 1975, in brief

51 Betrayed Paddington? … or what 20-, 34and 41-Across did in this puzzle

58 Arm bones

61 Something you shouldn’t take lying down?

62 Philly school

63 In which the pinky and thumb pointing out represents Y, in brief

64 Like a cemetery at night, maybe

12345

678

910111213

65 ___ Popovich, longtime coach for the Spurs

66 Turndowns

67 Latin dance

DOWN

1 It’s written as “C.C.C.P.” in Cyrillic

2 Japanese rice wine

3 Pupil’s place

4 Chris formerly of 50-Across

5 Gave positive reinforcement

6 Old presidential nickname

7 Penne ___ vodka

8 Spot from which to say “bon voyage”

9 Protruding feature on a cliff

10 Tennis star Naomi

11 Hiker’s aid

12 Sports org. with an annual championship on the weekend before Memorial Day

13 “___ So Shy” (1980 Pointer Sisters hit)

18 Actress Reese of “Touched by an Angel”

21 Waikiki locale

24 Owie

25 Ad section in a newspaper, maybe

26 Seals, in a way

27 Dined at a restaurant

28 City in which to see “Il Cenacolo” (“The Last Supper”)

29 Motown legend Robinson

30 Perfect score, often

31 Prominent parts of toucans

32 Plains tribe 35 Sonoma and Yukon

39 Leatherworker’s tool

41 Extra-loud, as a loudspeaker

42 Prefix with nautical

43 Fine partner?

44 Audience for which a G-rated film is appropriate

49 Keeping in the loop, in a way

50 Unloads, so to speak

52 Bridge

53 Meh

54 La ___ Tar Pits

55 Rank associated with tea and sandwiches?

56 Honeybees’ genus

57 Large flightless bird

58 Toupee, slangily

59 Borrower’s concern, for short

60 Poor grade

Are you a poet living in Western North Carolina? If so, consider submitting an original, previously unpublished work. This year’s theme is on finding our shared humanity in Western North Carolina. Let us know where you go or what you do to connect with others who may have different theological, political or social beliefs. Bonus points to those who submit poems that avoid the actual term “shared humanity.”

All poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font. Again, only previously unpublished poems will be considered. No A.I. generated poems are allowed.

The contest is currently open for submissions and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. Email your poem in the body of the message to tcalder@mountainx.com The subject line should read “Xpress 2024 poetry contest.” Include the author’s name and contact information in the email. Only one submission per person. There is no cost to enter.

A winning poem will be determined by local poet and essayist Brit Washburn. The winner will be published online and in print in the final issue of our annual Sustainability series on Wednesday, April 24. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or their families, or freelance contributors.