bestarts&entertainment Local art gallery
1. Jen Bowen/Faces of Asheville
www.jennybowen.com At first glance, the Faces of Asheville project 38 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 251-0202 gave city residents a chance to play who’s who Popular year after year, Blue Spiral 1 continues with the photography exhibit’s subject matter. (since opening in 1991) to impress. Three floors But, on closer inspection, the collection of porhouse every medium of visual art, from avant- traits of our neighbors, coworkers, friends and garde installations to placid landscape paint- family somehow gave us a deeper look into the ings. OK, so the gallery doesn’t offer cheese lives of the people we all see every day. cubes during art crawls, but hey, it’s a feast for 2. TIE Ursula Gullow the eyes, right? www.ursulagullow.com
1. Blue Spiral 1
2. The Satellite Gallery
55 Broadway, Asheville, 350-9940
3. BoBo Gallery
22 Lexington Ave., Asheville, 254-3426
Local visual artist 1. Gabriel Shaffer
www.gabrielshaffer.com What with his super-saturated colors, collage techniques, archetype-meets-super hero figures and rainbow-flooded first chakras, Shaffer creates a world of possible alter-egos. Or potential storylines. Or postmodern totems. Or inexplicable cool. That his art is collected far beyond the Asheville city limits is far less surprising than the wonderful images Shaffer continues to manifest.
2. TIE Rose Candela
www.rosecandelastudio.com
3. TIE Jonas Gerard www.jonasgeraRoadcom
3. TIE Stu Helm
www.cheesygraphics.com
Local band: blues/jazz/soul 1. Firecracker Jazz Band
www.firecrackerjazz.com Better than a mere night of music, Firecracker Jazz Band also provides its listeners with a journey both to Dixieland and back in time to released this year, Firecracker’s as explosive as the Jelly Roll Morton/Bix Beiderbeck heyday ever. of energetic, party-inducing jazz. With 15 years 2. Skinny Legs and All of playing under its belt and with Red Hot Band www.myspace.com/skinnylegsandallband
firecracker jazz band best jazz
3. Peggy Ratusz
www.myspace.com/peggyratusz2
My upcoming local shows are:
• “Before Astral” selected drawings, Eclipse Salon, November-December • The Big Crafty, December 6, 2009 • “Fiat Lux” Blue Spiral 1, January 7-March 27, 2010
Gabriel Shaffer • www.gabrielshaffer.com 828-280-7904 • Viewing By Appointment Only
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OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 27, 2009 • BEST OF WNC • mountainx.com
Local band: country/alt-country 1. The Trainwreks
www.myspace.com/thetrainwreks Having pioneered their own “dirty tonk” sound, The Trainwreks barreled onto the local music scene a couple years back, garnering not only Xpress reader raves (this is their third win) but accolades for debut album Ready to Die. According to the band’s MySpace page, a new record is in progress.
2. Pierce Edens & The Dirty Work www.pierceedens.com
3. TIE Dave Desmelik www.davedesmelik.com
3. TIE The Honeycutters
www.myspace.com/thehoneycutters
www.davedesmelik.com
Local band: old-time/bluegrass 1. Sons of Ralph
www.sonsofralph.com This local tradition recently released a new CD — When I Find Time — proving that patriarch Ralph Lewis on vocals and mandolin has still got it. Sons Marty and Don flesh out the band with other key players and a catalog of songs that range from sweetly sentimental to footstomping and fiery.
2. TIE Steep Canyon Rangers www.steepcanyon.com
2. TIE Brushfire Stankgrass
www.myspace.com/brushfirestankgrass
3. TIE Town Mountain www.townmountain.net
3. TIE Buncombe Turnpike
www.myspace.com/buncombeturnpike
Local band: hip-hop 1. GFE
www.granolafunk.com Granola Funk Express dates back to the early ‘90s, when members busked and played any 1. Josh Phillips Folk Festival stage they could book. Now a steady core www.myspace.com/joshphillipsfolk Josh Phillips (formerly of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty remains, and these players have proven themBand) crafts positive, feel-good indie-folk and selves as solo artists as well (Secret Agent 23 still gets those booties shakin’. Last year’s release, Skidoo, Josh Blake’s Big Money Band and Foul Wicker, set the ball rolling for a slew of shows Mouth Jerk among them). This year’s Bele Chere and festival appearances. Phillips also posts some set — amazingly, the group’s first at the festival pretty hilarious tweets: “Did you know that the — saw them in top form. sun wears Chuck Norris tan lotion?” 2. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo www.secretagent23skidoo.com 2. Now You See Them www.myspace.com/nowyouseethem 3. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band www.bootyband.com 3. Dave Desmelik
Local band: folk
BEST OF WNC HALL OF FAME: winners who have won 4 or more years in a row