59 minute read
On the Line
ON THE LINE WITH STEFAN HUEBNER
Dot Dot Dot’s co-owner and head mixologist has created a wine-based cocktail menu for Foxcroft Wine’s newest location in Waverly
BY TAYLOR BOWLER
You may know him from: He’s the former bar manager at Heist Brewery
Age: 46
Relationship status: Single with one daughter, age 12
Hometown: Parsippany, New Jersey
Currently lives: Windsor Park
Currently reading: The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt
Favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs
What’s the most surprising thing about you? I do archery in my backyard. My doctor told me it would help with my blood pressure.
What single ingredient do you always have on hand? Whiskey.
What’s one drink you nail every time? An old-fashioned.
What’s your favorite cocktail? The next one (laughs). Seriously, though, when you do cocktails all day, the last thing you want to drink is a cocktail. I’m more of a beer or shot guy.
What’s the craziest story a customer has told you from the bar? I have a regular at Dot Dot Dot who owned a club in New York and told me about doing cocaine with Miles Davis. The guy is probably in his late eighties. It’s such a crazy story, you know he’s not making that up.
What do you think is an underappreciated avor? I really love tropical, sour fruits, like Caribbean sours.
Any drink trends you’re watching? Rum is gonna be the next big thing. I’d bet my home on it. What’s your favorite bar or restaurant in Charlotte, other than your own? I really love the steamed buns at Good Food on Montford, and I eat at Eddie’s Place twice a week. For drinks, I love Idlewild and The Thirsty Beaver Saloon. What would be your THE HARD STUFF: Chocolate or cheese? Cheese Co ee or tea?
last meal? Two pounds of thinly sliced salami on fresh rye bread with really good mustard, a shot of really good whiskey, my mom’s spätzle, and an oversized dill pickle. Throw in a Mexican Coke, too.
How did this opportunity with Foxcroft Wine come Tea
Beer or wine? Beer
Ketchup or mustard? Mustard Cake or pie? Pecan pie Dog or cat? Neither—my daughter has a turtle named Gomer
Comedy or drama? Drama Tell me about your wine-based cocktail menu at Foxcro Waverly. We didn’t want to blur what Foxcro is already doing, we just wanted to accentuate it. I created low-ABV cocktails based around wine, and they’re pretty darn close to what a classic cocktail is—the only thing missing is that alcohol bite.
to you? Conrad Hunter (business partner, Dot Dot Dot co-owner, and Foxcroft Wine owner) and I know each other from a previous life, when I was a touring musician. I bartended for extra money, and it started to take off. I’d see (Conrad) out at charity events and he’d say, “Let’s open a bar.” This went on for about five years. Then he reached out over Facebook one night and said, “Are you in or not?” Within two weeks, we were writing up a partnership agreement. We opened Dot Dot Dot in 2017, and Foxcroft Waverly opened late last year.
Reality or ction? Fiction What makes an ideal cocktail experience for you? I’d rather Facebook or Instagram? Instagram have a crap cocktail from a nice bartender than a great cocktail from a really mean one. A great sitdown at a bar is more important than the actual cocktail. You can’t fake a great experience.
NOTHING SHORT OF THANKFUL: THE AvettBROTHERS AT20
Scott and Seth Avett came out of Cabarrus County two decades ago with songs, talent, heart, friends, impeccable timing, a manager who promoted them with an evangelist’s zeal, and an urge to pour their bonfire energy into the vessel of tradition— the driving fiddles-and-banjos folk sound of Piedmont North Carolina.
Along the way, they’ve released album after album of songs that take listeners around the world by the hand and walk with them down life’s washboard roads.
The Avett Brothers decided what to be, then became it: internationally recognized artists and the Charlotte area’s fixed star in the night sky of popular music.
This is their story,
told by the people who know them best.
BY
Greg Lacour
PHOTOGRAPHS BY Daniel Coston, Crackerfarm, AND Chris Edwards
The band dressed appropriately for their Halloween show at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
The Avett Brothers
take the stage in their skeleton out ts, the same ones they wore for the “High Steppin’” video and no surprise, it being Halloween and all. Between songs, Scott tells the e ervescent crowd at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, how happy he is to be back in the Carolinas in the fall. “Boy, that was a very un-Halloween thing to say,” Scott remarks, catching himself. “That was much more like Thanksgiving than Halloween. So, happy Thanksgiving.” Then, to cheers, they launch into the lilting, arpeggiated introduction to “Murder in the City,” one of the songs that carried them here.
The band’s on tour to promote their most recent album, Closer Than Together, released four weeks before. Not quite 20 years into their career as The Avett Brothers, Scott and Seth Avett—for now, anyway—have dropped the heartfelt songs about family and friends, the mine eld of adulthood, and pretty girls from one place or another in favor of heartfelt songs about the patriarchy, political power, gun violence, and the complicated legacy of the United States. “I want to make amends,” one song asks, “but where do I start?” They take the stage and play. The band has changed with the times, and the times have changed the context within which the band plays; a lusty shout arises from the audience to the line in “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” about your life not changing “by the man that’s elected.” That song was on an album released in 2009. The same line in 2019 swims in an entirely di erent river of meaning.
Evolution is something the Avetts do well, though. They found their way in 1999 and 2000 when they decided they’d rather wrench traditional music into new shapes than play hard rock in Nemo, their band to that point. They turned so er, more introspective, a er people raved about this shaggy group of guys from North Carolina who played bluegrass as if they were The Clash. “They’ve never been middle-of-thetable,” says Dolphus Ramseur, the fellow Concord native who remains the Avetts’ evangelizing manager to this day. “They’ve always been closer to the edge of the table, almost falling o of the table, pushing the boundaries of things.”
A bunch of folks have seen the Avetts push against those boundaries over the years. Some have pushed along with them. Twenty years into the Avetts’ career, we asked some of them how it all happened.
The Players
David Childers
musician, writer of “The Prettiest Thing” and “Lucky Stranger”
Daniel Coston
music photographer
Tim Davis
journalist, author, fan
Ted Hagaman
executive director, MerleFest
Laurie Koster
Charlotte music fan and ex-local music email newsletter publisher; co-owner, The Evening Muse
Eric Lovell and Gigi Dover
musicians, husband and wife
Hollis Nixon
childhood friend and con dante, longtime community leader in NoDa, “O.G. merch girl”
Dolphus Ramseur
manager, evangelist
Tommy Tomlinson
journalist, author, fan
Doug Williams
founder, ElectroMagnetic Radiation Recorders, Winston-Salem
The Avett Brothers and band, backstage for the Halloween show. (Le to right) Bonnie Avett Rini, Scott Avett, Bob Crawford, Seth Avett, Joe Kwon, Mike Marsh, and Tania Elizabeth.
TRACK 1:
Open-Ended Life
HOLLIS NIXON, FRIEND: We were kids together, and we hung out. Scott was kind of the older, cool brother that people had a crush on. I did, sure—I mean, everybody did. They come from a tight-knit family, and they care about each other a lot. They’re both very artistic, and I don’t think they get enough credit for that. I always thought of them both more, like, sketching something or painting something than I ever did about them playing music.
They played a lot at the Lions Club in Mount Pleasant. They were both already playing music. It was very loud music. Kind of a grunge-metal mix, not what people would think of when they think of The Avett Brothers today. I remember a lot of bon re parties for sure, and sitting on a log and Scott strumming the guitar, and I de nitely remember beach weeks and stu with Scott in stupid Myrtle Beach, where we’d go like every other stupid kid around here. But I remember a lot of elds, a lot of camp res, and a lot of songs.
Their dad played music, and I think that’s really important because they grew up with that, knowing that that was in the realm of possibility. It’s not like another teenager, right, going to their parents and saying, “I want to be a rock star.” This sounds kind of provincial, but I don’t think everybody grew up that way, not from my town.
TRACK 2:
A Lot of Movin’
HOLLIS: When they would do, like, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” or “I’ll Fly Away,” that was probably the gospel moment for me. I was like, “I think they’ve gured this thing out.” They made it fun. They made gospel music almost danceworthy, like, you wanted to clap your hands and stomp your feet and cut a rug, or whatever the kids call it these days. It was so energetic, you could feel the oor shaking.
ERIC LOVELL, MUSICIAN: I met ’em in 2002 because I was living in Saluda. They gave me a burned copy of Country Was1 with a sticker on it and a xeroxed copy of the album cover. Because they were just putting them together themselves. I think they’d done it on either a four- or eight-track machine.
GIGI DOVER, MUSICIAN: I had never heard of them, and when it came on, I was like, “Who is this?” And Eric was like, “These are my buddies. You gotta listen to these guys. They’re awesome.”
Noah Warner, Hollis Nixon, and Seth Avett in the mid-1990s. Seth Avett and Warner were close friends and members of the band Margo; Warner died of cancer in July 2019 at 39.
1. The Avett Brothers’ first studio album, selfreleased in 2002.
— HOLLIS NIXON
Nixon (with her dog, Ruby Clove) was the “merch girl” for the Avetts’ three consecutive New Year’s Eve shows at The Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa, where she later became the longtime neighborhood association president.
Charlotte musicians (and husband and wife) Eric Lovell and Gigi Dover sort through old Avett Brothers albums at Manifest Discs on South Boulevard. Manifest, one of Charlotte’s oldest record shops, keeps a table drawn on and signed by band members.
ERIC: I was working on a record for a guy named Dave Rhames.2 And he wanted these dudes to come and sing on it with him. He’s like, “Man, I know these two guys, Scott and Seth, The Avett Brothers, they’ve got a band, they just put an independent record out. It’s really great. And I want them to come up and sing.”
They came to my house, and they pulled up in this long, like, Lincoln or something. Man, it was just this total pimpin’ ride, and a couple of skinny, kind of greasy-looking dudes come falling out of it. And as soon as I saw ’em, I was like, “Those dudes got something.” I didn’t even hear ’em, but you could tell, you know, it was just in their collective vibe. You know how you see people and you kind of go, “Y’all kind of got a little something going on, man. I don’t know what it is yet.” But they de nitely had a look—
GIGI: And a swagger.
ERIC: They were true. You know what I mean? They weren’t putting any front on or anything. What you saw was what you got. They were just a couple of dudes trying to make some music. But you could feel their brotherhood. I didn’t necessarily know they were brothers. I just saw ’em get out of the car, and I’m like, “Dudes look pretty cool, man. They vibin’ right.”
DANIEL COSTON, PHOTOGRAPHER: I met Bob. 3 In, I’m gonna say, ’98, ’99, he was playing in a band called the Memphis Quick 50, which was a rock band I met through other mutual friends. Bob came from a video background, like I did. He was anxious to make something out of music, and the Quick 50 didn’t want to do that. So when Bob met the Avett brothers, you know, here you have two guys who had been touring a little bit around the region with Nemo, and we’re kind of starting over again with this Nemo back-porch project, which became The Avett Brothers. And suddenly, I think he found the right people at the right time, and they found him. 2. Longtime Charlotte musician turned restaurateur.
3. Bob Crawford, a New Jersey native and the Avetts’ bass player since 2001.
4. WBTV’s country music variety show, which aired from 1951 to 1982.
5. Longtime Winston-Salem musician and producer who, with Don Dixon, produced . . . s first two albums at e e tion Sound Studios in Charlotte. He also fronted the jangle-pop band Let’s Active in the 1980s and continues to record musicians at his studio in Kernersville.
6. One of the most prominent and celebrated bluegrass musicians in the world. At 81, he continues to record and perform.
TRACK 3:
Signs
(Ed.: On September 12, 2002, on the advice of Eric Lovell and David Childers, a struggling record company owner from Concord named Dolphus Ramseur went to see The Avett Brothers at The Wine Vault in the University City area of Charlotte. He went home and told his wife he wasn’t even sure what he’d just seen and heard, but she had to see them. “They just had it,” he said later. The Avett Brothers signed a contract with Ramseur Records, which released the band’s rst o cial album, A Carolina Jubilee, in August 2003.)
DOLPHUS RAMSEUR, MANAGER: At the time, I was moving furniture for a company in Charlotte and trying to do this music thing … Growing up in the Piedmont, I was so fortunate to get to see The Arthur Smith Show, 4 and Tommy Faile was a part of Arthur’s crew. He was a great baritone voice and great rhythm guitarist. So to me, the brothers, I guess there’s a little bit of that going on. Then there’s a little bit of—everybody in the Piedmont here will have a piano in the living room, where families would get around a piano and entertain themselves. The brothers have a little bit of that.
I grew up about 10 miles from Davidson College, and through the ’80s, they had a college radio station, late night, like, it would kick up at 11 o’clock at night and go to 2 a.m. or something. And, of course, I grew up on a dirt road in Cabarrus County, out in the boondocks, and I didn’t have cable television, so I didn’t have MTV. But that station would play a lot of punk rock and post-punk music and alternative music from around the United States, and Mitch Easter5 up in Winston-Salem was producing R.E.M. So I was a fan of all that. And the brothers to me were just sort of the perfect marriage of roots music that’s kind of heartfelt but has an edge to it.
TIM DAVIS, JOURNALIST: They played some sort of outdoor festival around 2001, back when The Penguin was still there, and they—I want to say it was July 4—had a stage set up out front on the back of a truck. I just happened to catch them. I did this column for Creative Loa ng called “Scene & Herd,” and I was going out to shows all the time. There were a lot of bands at that time sort of doing the Son Volt or Whiskeytown kind of thing, and there weren’t a whole lot of people jumping in on the bluegrass element. I remember thinking at the time, “Well, this is not necessarily a guaranteed career move, to be playing that kind of music these days.”
Bluegrass has kind of a backbone of instrument-playing perfectionism and perfect harmonies, that sort of stu , and they were playing bluegrass instruments with kind of a punkier, rock ’n’ roll kind of energy. You go see Del McCoury,6 and it’s wonderful and beautiful, and the musicianship is amazing, but they try everything possible to sand down the rough edges, whereas the Avetts to begin with were all just rough edges. But there was something there, this kind of sibling harmony thing, where, I don’t know, it just barely worked, but it worked.
DAVID CHILDERS, MUSICIAN: I rst heard of ’em from my son, Robert. He’s a musician. We were playing at the Double Door Inn. I had a band, the Modern Don Juans. And we had this thing back then where every Tuesday night was Americana night for about four or ve years. There was this core of players, and (the Avetts) were one of the acts that came in as a guest. But they brought a big crowd, and they were obviously connecting with people, and there was a lot of excitement generated around it. But to me, they seemed like they were just kids. And that doesn’t mean they weren’t good as hell. I think they were a little deferential toward me, you know, being an older person, and I think they had some idea that I was worth looking up to some.
HOLLIS: Those shows were so physical. They’re jumping around, they’re bobbing their heads. They’re playing these instruments as hard as they possibly can—I haven’t known Seth Avett to have a guitar and not pop a string, not a day in his life. I used to keep a spare pair of guitar strings in my back pocket back in the day because it was popping o — all the time. There’s way cooler people that handle that now, but I remember constantly having a spare thing of strings in my back pocket.
I was the original merch girl, OK? The O.G. merch girl, that’s me, did not even know that that was a name back in those days, but I was responsible for every t-shirt, every CD, every poster, every sale, whatever show it was that they needed. If I had to hop in a car and get into a van and go on a small tour with them, I hopped in the van and we went on a small tour, and I handled all the merchandise.
The rst shows, I remember obviously Fat City. 7 There was a place in downtown Concord called George Washington Bookstore and Tavern, and that was always a big show because there were a lot of people from the area. And then around here, obviously, Neighborhood Theatre was huge. I was
7. Fat City Deli, a bar and live music venue at 3123 North Davidson Street in NoDa that closed in the early 2000s. It’s now a condo complex— although it did retain the old bar’s yellow façade.
8. Puckett’s Farm Equipment, a farm equipment storeturned-bar at 2740 West Sugar Creek Road in Derita.
During early gigs, Avetts manager Dolphus Ramseur would sell CDs and other “merch” out of his briefcase—as he is here in Winston-Salem in 2004.
Musician and friend David Childers and Avetts bassist Bob Crawford (right) at the McGlohon Theater in Charlotte, where they played on January 24.
the New Year’s Eve girl as long as they were there. (Ed.: The Avetts played consecutive New Year’s Eve shows at the Neighborhood from 2004-06.) I remember being in dive bars. I remember one Mexican restaurant that we went to repeatedly. We were all over, and we were relying on the kindness of some people who lived in these cities to let us crash on the oor or on the couch. So we kind of had to gure stu out that way.
TOMMY TOMLINSON, JOURNALIST: We used to live up near Puckett’s, 8 and we went to see them there around 2003, ’cause we moved in ’04. At the show, (Dolphus) had a briefcase with their CDs propped up on the bar, selling them out of the briefcase. That was the rst time I knew any of those guys. I don’t think I’d even heard any of their music before this.
I got two things. First of all, I thought they were really good, and I’d never really heard anything like that, and I couldn’t believe three guys could make that much noise with acoustic instruments. And then I remember Dolph o to the side selling the CDs out of the briefcase. I think we bought a couple of
— DAVID CHILDERS
them. I remember later having a hard time guring out exactly how to describe it because, at the time, it was sort of a bluegrass band with sort of punk rock energy. Somebody—I don’t know who— described it as “Civil War stomp.” And I thought that was pretty good. Because of their look, too— they had sort of the old-timey sideburns, which of course they change every six months; it’s like how other people change their wardrobe, they change their hair.
But I just remember three guys just playing the shit out of those instruments, and even then Scott had the kick drum, and he’s playing the banjo at the same time. It’s just an incredible amount of sound coming out of these three guys. And there were probably 40 or 50 people there, and clearly some of them had seen them before, and other people like me were just like, “Who the hell is this?” LAURIE KOSTER, FRIEND: Dolph got to be a good friend of ours. There was this one time at Manifest, 9 and he was about at a breaking point. He was trying to make a living, his family was growing, and he’d put everything he had into The Avett Brothers, and he said, “They’ve got to make it. By the end of this year, if it doesn’t happen, I have got to move on.” That was probably around 2003. Then, all of a sudden, it turned the corner. Almost overnight, it happened.
TOMMY: I think that’s probably around the time “Americana” became a word that people applied to this type of music. And there were starting to be radio stations, like WNCW,10 where you could listen and hear that kind of stu . But they were di erent even in that genre because their music was more youthful and older sort of at the same time.
A lot of it at the beginning was banjo-driven, but it wasn’t bluegrass. With that sort of pounding beat with the kick drum— bluegrass generally doesn’t have drums, so you had this guy pounding his banjo like he’s playing rhythm guitar in a rock
9. Manifest Discs, a record store at 6239 South Boulevard.
10. A public FM radio station based in Spindale that often plays traditional American music.
Seth and Scott Avett, MerleFest, 2004. MerleFest, 2008.
band, and he’s got the kick drum going, and a bass player, but an upright bass instead of an electric bass, and it’s on those old instruments. So I thought they were nding a combination that I’d not heard before that I thought would really be appealing to people. I didn’t think at the time they would be, 10 years later, this constant touring machine they’ve become, where they get big crowds all over the country and parts of the world now, but I thought that the recipe they’re putting together, they can make a living doing that. And they sure have.
TRACK 4:
The Perfect Space
(Ed.: MerleFest, held every spring since 1988 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, is the world’s pre-eminent festival for roots and Americana music. The Avett Brothers have played it nine times: from 2004-06 and again in 2008, ’10, ’13, ’15, ’17, and ’19.)
DOLPHUS: I guess the thing to me that probably helped as much as or more than anything is when they rst got onto MerleFest. I do know that MerleFest was a thing that made people sit up and take notice, and while the guys were there on the grounds at the festival, they really won people over.
TOMMY: That was how Alix11 and I knew they were getting big. We went three years in a row, and the rst year we went, they were way o in the corner, and, like, 50 people there. The next year we went, they had one of the big side stages, and there were 500 people there. The next year we went, they were on the main stage, and there were 3,000 people there.
TED HAGAMAN, MERLEFEST DIRECTOR: I was at the college in 2004 when they rst appeared here. I guess the rst time I ever met them, we had gone to the Americana Music Awards week in Nashville in 2003. I can remember, we were out at dinner, before the awards show, and in walk The Avett Brothers with their manager, Dolph Ramseur, and their agent, Paul Lohr, into the restaurant. I really had not heard much about them. At that time, I was over the food and hospitality section for the festival, so I was kind of getting my feet wet and everything. But I can remember the conversation at our table was, “Those guys are really climbing fast. They’re going to be something down the road.” And I’ll always remember that. I can see them in my mind, exactly where we were sitting and what was said. They seemed like really nice men and, you know, sharp-looking.
Then of course I saw them several times at the festival. We don’t get to watch a lot of the acts because we’re always busy, but I did get to catch part of their set and stu , just to watch the crowd. You could tell that they were di erent. They had a real unique sound, and they were already cultivating a following.
DOLPHUS: MerleFest, people come from all over the world. They get, like, 80,000 people, and it’s a very diverse crowd. So getting in front of that crowd, and seeing that it really connected and they were kind of the hit of the festival—people sort of were, “Have you seen The Avett Brothers?” MerleFest was really, really crucial. When we got it the rst time, I think the only people that I did not reach out to about the Avetts being on MerleFest was like—what is that station that’s a Middle Easttype thing, like “algebra”?12 That’s the only—and I’m saying this jokingly—that’s the only media outlet that I did not reach out to about the Avetts being a part of MerleFest, because to me it was a big deal, and it still is such a big deal for an artist to get to play there.
11. Alix Felsing, Tommy’s wife.
12. Al-Jazeera.
The Avett Brothers perform a special tribute to Doc Watson on the Hillside Stage at MerleFest, 2017. The Avetts join their father, Jim (far right), onstage at MerleFest in 2019.
I just felt like that was an opportunity for the band, and sometimes you get these opportunities one time, and you got to take advantage of it. If you don’t, you might not get it again. I’ll just tell you about this moment. So we’re on this stage, and I don’t even know if they have shows on this stage. It’s a very steep hill. I mean, we’ve got it packed, and Barry Poss13 comes, and I’m sitting there, the guys start, and it’s like every single person there—and I’m talking 700, 1,000 people—singing every. Single. Word. And so the top brass at Sugar Hill, the Avetts were a little too rough around the edges for them—not for the younger people who were working at Sugar Hill, but the people in charge, they didn’t really get it. Barry, on the other hand, when he saw 1,000 people singing, he was like, “What the …?” I mean, he used a few choice words. They’re singing every single word to these songs. What is there not to get? This band is connecting with people in a way that is very rare.
TED: I think they are a good match for our festival because they’re not ashamed to let people know that they value family, and we’re a very family-oriented festival. As a matter of fact, a lot of times they appear with their father on a Sunday morning for a gospel set before they take the stage to do their own act. They bring their sister on the stage some with them when they are here at the festival and actually spend part of the weekend with us rather than just an in-and-out. You can see them with some of their kids out around the bus area or in the backstage area. So I think they value the concept of family, and that’s a great match for MerleFest.
I mean, I think they’re world-class musicians. We certainly try to bring them as o en as we can, because our fans love them. 13. The founder, in 1978, of Sugar Hill Records, an independent record label that specializes in roots and Americana music.
TRACK 5:
And It Spread
(Doug Williams founded EMR Recorders in Winston-Salem in 1993 and, starting with Mignonette in 2004, served as the recording engineer for two original Avetts albums, the deluxe editions of three more, two EPs, and assorted recordings by band members.)
DOUG WILLIAMS, RECORDING ENGINEER: I was really unaware of the whole Avett Brothers thing until right before they called me to start working on Mignonette … Everyone in that band moved incredibly fast. I mean, I kind of was viewing them through the lens of what it was like working with a lot of metal and hardcore bands at the time, really adrenaline, pumped-up 20-year-olds (chuckles), lots of that kind of energy in the room. (The Avetts) were all very serious, but it wasn’t really anyone in that band who was a joker or seemed like they were just along for the ride. They were really focused on what they wanted to do, and they still had a developing skill set.
They didn’t sound like anyone else. So many of those kinds of bands sound like something contemporary that they’re listening to and copying. They had an original thing that bridged a bunch of di erent styles and eras of music.
DANIEL: I’d been listening to them put Mignonette together over a period of months, and I knew that once people heard that record, they were going to go, “Yeah, this is something really special.” In “Denouncing November Blue,” there’s a bit in the song where Scott’s singing about something, and then Seth yells, “Volume one,” and it was a total goof; they’re recording live in this living room and that was what he yelled out on that take, and it made the record. And here they are ve, six months later at The Neighborhood Theatre, the last New Year’s Eve they did in ’06, they get to that part in the song, and the whole crowd goes, “Volume one!” And it’s like, “Oh, my God, this is happening. This is happening on a way bigger level now than might have been happening two or three years before.”
—ERIC LOVELL
TOMMY: When they were rst out there, I saw ’em a lot, eight or 10 times, professionally and not professionally. And I see them when they’re close by. We’ve seen them at Bojangles’ and that sort of thing. I’m not a Deadhead—you know, go out on the road for ’em and everything. But I’m interested in how they’ve chosen to evolve, because, especially that I and Love and You14 record—it sounded so different than the other stu .
It struck me as them trying to say, “How do we make what we’ve gotten something lasting?” Because although what they did had been really successful, are people still going to go see that forever and ever and ever? Can you make yourself into something new? I thought the subsequent stu , the Rick Rubin stu , has been an attempt at that, with mixed results. I think some of it’s good. Some of it’s not so good.
You know, when you go to a show, I think people are really amped for their older stu , just because it’s more energetic. At a show, people want to dance, they want to jump up and down and stu . I nd when I’m listening at home, I gravitate to the newer, slower stu just because it’s richer to me, has some depth to it ... and I think this is a credit to them, that they found a way to to be a good live band and a good listening-at-home band, because there are a lot of bands who are one and not the other.
14. The Avett Brothers’ majorlabel debut album, produced by Rick Rubin and released in September 2009.
The Avetts spent New Year’s Eve 2018 playing for an ecstatic crowd at Bojangles’ Coliseum.
TRACK 6:
When You Learn
HOLLIS: I always thought they were going to be really powerful when they were together because they’re so close. And they speak the same language musically. They’ve always been humble and appreciative and kind, and they always hustle very hard to make their dreams happen. And they believed it. So I believed, because I believed in them, because I knew what good people they were. I didn’t need any convincing.
You know how some kids kind of start bucking the system and getting really rebellious, especially when your parents are trying to show you the path? They just weren’t like that.
TOMMY: One thing about them that really comes through is earnestness, sometimes to a fault. It’s a heart-on-the-sleeve sort of thing. Like, “I’m going to read you my diary, and sometimes it’s really corny, and sometimes it’s really beautiful, and sometimes it’s both.” But there’s no slyness or subterfuge in the lyrics. You hear it, and you know what they’re intending to say in a very earnest and direct way, and I think that’s been true pretty much from day one. It’s not Dylan. You don’t have to take a class to parse what they’re talking about.
(Ed.: The Avetts regularly cover David Childers’ songs “The Prettiest Thing” and “Lucky Stranger” in concert.)
DAVID: It was huge. I mean, regardless of whatever else happened in my life, that happened, and that doesn’t happen to many people. So I’ve always got a lot of gratitude, you know, just as a person having a sense of having nally written something that got noticed on a very large scale, on a large stage. Even though I spend my time playing, you know, for tips in breweries and co ee shops, they’re out there somewhere playing “Prettiest Thing” or “Lucky Stranger” for 30,000 people. It’s certainly a con dence-builder.
HOLLIS: It’s hard to explain how assured they were in this concept. It was almost like, “There’s no question we’ve got this.” Most people—I do this—second-guess themselves, and there’s selfdoubt. I never heard self-doubt from either one of them in my entire lifetime of knowing these guys ... and yet, they were appreciative of every single body that was in that room, every single opportunity that somebody gave them to get on a stage and the people who worked there, and it was nothing but love, to be honest. And I was laughing the other day, I was like, you know, I’m sure people want the story of sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll. But there wasn’t any of it.
DAVID: Watching them grow musically has been pretty astonishing. I think their lyrics are very thoughtful and very fresh. People connect to them. People see their lives re ected in those songs … Man, it’s really rooted in folk music, traditional music that was for working people, people who have to get up every day and get behind a mule and sweat and su er with the things that life throws at you and enjoy the many good things you have, too. Hell, that’s nothing new. That’s what all good, e ective writers do. I mean, go back to Stephen Foster, 15 his songs, people were sitting around a parlor and heard that, and they started crying, because that’s their lives re ected in it. And that’s what the great folk songs do, going back for centuries.
ERIC: I think as far as humans go, Bob, Seth, and Scott? Pretty high quality. What they lay down, what they’re doing, they’ve always been true. They’re not putting on any fronts. They’re not trying to be something that they’re not. They’re speaking their lives. They’re creating art with their truth. And I think that, regardless of how big or small somebody gets, that’s the key. That’s what it is. For those boys, it just blew the f--- up, which is a beautiful thing—that they’re able to have great lives. And I think they’re people who aren’t malcontents about it. I think they’re enjoying it and can realize it for what it is.
TRACK 7:
Tell the Truth
15 The “father of American music,” author of “Camptown Races,” “Oh! Susanna,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” and other 19thcentury popular songs.
16. Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen, a restaurant in NoDa.
17. “Band of Brothers: Concord’s Avett Brothers Take Their Stand on the National Stage,” The Charlotte Observer, September 27, 2009. (Ed.: The Avett Brothers released Closer Than Together, the band’s 10th studio album, in October 2019—a record that, critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in AllMusic, “positively teems with the troubles of 2019.”)
TOMMY: I think it’s a move for them to be explicitly political in a way they haven’t been before, and, again, with kind of mixed results. I think it’s interesting, and I think it will push them and their fans, and we’ll see how people react to it. I think every act that starts doing political stu worries who are they going to lose and gain or whatever, but at some point, if you don’t say anything, then that becomes your statement.
DOLPHUS: I don’t know, I’ve always felt like the message has always been in the songs. So is this the rst time they’ve kind of tackled it head-on? Maybe. I guess some fans never want the artist or band they love the most to get politically involved. But it’s the guys making art, and if that’s the artistic statement, that’s the artistic statement.
TRACK 8:
It Goes On and On
HOLLIS: It’s weird, it’s trippy, and it’s happened to me for a decade now: Like if I’m at Boudreaux’s, 16 for example, and I hear a song in the background, and hear either Scott or Seth, every single time, I turn around to see where they are. Every time. Because I just recognize their voices. And I think, Did somebody call my name, or is Scott here? Then I’m like: It’s a song, Hollis. You’re listening to a song right now. So it still kind of trips me out when I go somewhere and I hear their songs.
TOMMY: One of my favorite moments in doing that story with them17 was when they played Bojangles’, or whatever it was at the time. I went to the sound check, and I don’t even think Scott was there. It was Seth and the drummer, maybe Bob, a couple of other people around. And Seth grabbed an electric guitar, and they did “Dazed and Confused.” And it was really good—I mean, top-notch Led Zeppelin cover band version of “Dazed and Confused.” And I was thinking, They could have done that and probably gotten somewhere much faster than they did going the way they went. So they chose their path and stuck to it.
DOLPHUS: They’re great people, and their songs and their art that they make—we’re friends and business partners, but also I’m just a fan of the art they make. I still love their songs, and I still want everybody to hear ’em and everybody to see ’em.
DAVID: Everything they’ve gained, they deserve it.
TRUE NORTH
From Bermuda shorts and safari-inspired pieces to tiered dresses and utility rompers, you can take your style whichever direction you choose. This season, find what fits your look, your spirit, your path — your true north
Photographs by OLLY YUNG // Photography assistant: VICTORIA PINSON Wardrobe stylist: STACEE MICHELLE // Wardrobe assistant: VICTORIA DELANE Produced by JANE FIELDS and MELISSA STUTTS Hair and makeup by JANIS LOZANO
Shot on location at Camp North End
THIERRY COLSON TWO-TONED COLLARED DRESS, $860, Poole Shop, 704-553-8868; FUZZI FLORAL PRINT MESH FAUX WRAP TOP, $375, Nordstrom, 704-442-6000; DUSAN RUST PLEAT FRONT SHORTS, $580, Capitol, 704-366-0388; GUCCI 38MM MINT G-TIMELESS LOGO LEATHER WATCH, $1,020, Neiman Marcus, 704-442-7900
SCARF PRINT DRESS, $85, Jade Sky Boutique, 646397-9173; MINT AND WOOD FRAMED ‘UFO’ SUNGLASSES, $135, Johnny Fly Co., 704-9100057; BP TIE DYE HEADBAND, $15, Nordstrom; MULTICOLOR BANGLES, $32 each, BOEM, 704-817-7009
HONORINE WHITE TIERED MAXI DRESS, $322, ROVE HAND EMBROIDERED BELT, $150, Five One Five, 704-4885725; JAKETT MATTE LEATHER JACKET, $485, Chosen Women’s Apparel, 704-919-1077; MULTI-COLOR BANGLES, $32 each and GOLD CHAIN NECKLACE, $32, BOEM
ZIMMERMAN MIXED VINTAGE FLORAL DRESS, $850, Capitol; BROOKLYN HAT CO. STRAW HAT, $50, Rowan’s Haberdashery, Ltd., rowanshaberdashery. com; FLOWERBOMB EARRINGS, $115, Primaura, Primaura.us
STAUD SHEER ORGANZA TIERED MAXI DRESS, $275, Coplon’s, 704-643-1113; LARIAT NECKLACE, $52, PINK STAR BARRETTE HAIR CLIP, $20, BLUE BARRETTE HAIR CLIP, $12, MULTICOLOR HAIR CLIPS, $18, and VINTAGE HAVANA STAR EMBELLISHED SNEAKER, $125, KK Bloom, 704-919-1142
MAAC LONDON GREEN UTILITY ROMPER, $148, NOBLE COLLECTIVE MULTICOLOR ROCK NECKLACE, $215, Chosen Women’s Apparel; BANJO SHIRT, $150, TARHEEL HAT, $25, DUCK CANVAS CHORE COAT, $130, Prism Supply Co., 980-819-6943
DAYDREAMER LA PINK FLOYD GIRLFRIEND TEE, $60, BOEM; STS BLUE DENIM SHORTS, $49, Nordstrom; ISABEL MARANT ‘BISA’ EMBELLISHED MESH BELT, $840, Capitol; MACHETE DOUBLE HOOP EARRINGS, $55, Sloan Boutique, 704-3381400; SHEYLA DENIM JACKET, $108, Allsaints.com; HELMET, $230, Prism Supply Co.
AMELIA ISLAND
Come make memories on Amelia Island, a charming barrier island off Florida’s northeastern coast. The destination captivates visitors with breathtaking natural beauty, Southern elegance and hospitality, a collection of upscale accommodations and historical inns, and a wide array of exciting, outdoor activities. Consistently voted a favorite destination in North America, Amelia Island offers visitors an irresistible mix of outdoor adventure, seaside serenity, and luxurious lifestyle. Cherished for her miles of pristine beaches, Amelia offers a perfect balance of natural beauty complimented by world-class services, a variety of well-appointed accommodations and a growing collection of award-winning independent restaurants, luxurious spas and superlative golf courses. Situated between Georgia’s Golden Isles and historic St. Augustine, Amelia Island is about a five-hour drive from Charlotte, and just 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport, with 55 weekly flights from Douglas International Airport.
A WONDER ON THE WATER
Countless visitors have stepped from Amelia’s shores to explore and enjoy the island’s liquid assets. For a peaceful and picturesque aquatic adventure, visitors will find plenty of options for guided cruises, privately chartered excursions or jet ski tours of area waterways. Luring boaters and anglers alike, Amelia’s waters are teeming with red bass, trout, flounder, tarpon and more. Whether for fishing, cruising or sightseeing, Amelia is also home to a crew of friendly and knowledgeable guides who love to share the island’s secrets.
GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY
There are countless ways to take in the island’s natural attractions, with guided tours by kayak, stand-up paddleboard, Segway and bike, perfect for all experience levels. Exploring Amelia’s calm inland waters and scenic trails, you may come face to face with egrets, herons and maybe even a dolphin, manatee or sea turtle. Amelia Island is also one of just a few places in the United States where you can saddle-up for an unforgettable horseback riding experience on the beach, taking in the scenery and local wildlife while trotting along the Atlantic shoreline.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Make your getaway to Amelia Island truly eventful with one of these signature celebrations.
JANUARY 24 – APRIL 26
Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival
AmeliaChamberMusic.org
MARCH 5-8
Amelia Concours Week
AmeliaConcoursWeek.com
APRIL 17-19
Amelia Island Wellness Festival AmeliaIslandWellnessFestival.com
MAY 1-3
Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival
ShrimpFestival.com
MAY 7-10
Fish to Fork at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation FishtoForkWeekend.com
MAY 15-18
Wild Amelia Nature Festival
WildAmelia.org
OCTOBER 4-11
Amelia Island Jazz Festival AmeliaIslandJazzFestival.com
DECEMBER 10-13
Dickens on Centre
AmeliaIslandChristmas.com
Discover Amelia Island’s charm, plan your getaway at AmeliaIsland.com.
DOWNTOWN DELIGHTS
The heart and soul of Amelia’s historic past is her charming Victorian historic district, a 52-block area that blends past, present and future, where Victorian style meets modern day marvels, and where islanders gladly share the importance of Amelia’s diverse and sometimes tumultuous past. Picturesque downtown Fernandina Beach is now home to a unique collection of independently owned shops and upscale restaurants, and surrounded by 450 ornate Victorian structures, approximately 300 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The walkable downtown also leads to Fernandina Harbor Marina, where visitors can enjoy a sunset river cruise or charter a boat for a day on the water.
EVENTFUL ISLAND ESCAPE
From holiday home tours and a Christmas festival, to sport fishing and ja celebrations, Amelia Island fills each year’s calendar with an amazingly diverse and lively schedule of local events. In March, the prestigious Amelia Concours Week brings thousands of car buffs to participate in seven dynamic automotive events. In April, visitors can escape to the annual Amelia Island Wellness Festival, a three-day renewal of mind, body, and soul, with educational and inspirational sessions with acclaimed names in yoga, meditation and fitness. he Annual Isle of ight Flags Shrimp Festival takes place in May, featuring pirates, parades and dozens of food booths to celebrate the island’s status as the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry. Throughout the spring, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival fills the island with world-class musical artists and performances. October brings the Amelia Island Jazz Festival and a lineup of world-renowned artists, drumming in fans and competitors from around the world for the Pétanque America Open in November. Also in November, the annual Right Whale Festival is a free, family-friendly festival celebrates the annual return of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale to the destination’s warm coastal waters and highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction. And every December, Amelia Island hosts a holiday celebration like no other, headlined by the annual Dickens on Centre holiday event, festive Holiday Homes Tour, and so much more.
EXPERIENCE A WARM WELCOME
When you arrive, start your island exploration at the Amelia Island Welcome Center. Located in a lovingly restored historic train depot at the foot of Centre Street in Fernandina Beach, the Welcome Center combines the best of 21st century technology with the personal touches of the expert ambassadors who stand ready to help you get the most out of your visit. Take advantage of interactive maps and augmented reality throughout the island, and be sure to read the story of David Yulee, whose statue in front of the Welcome Center has become a popular selfie spot.
EAT
As the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry and at one time the shrimping capital of the world, Fernandina Beach is best known for its fresh shrimp. Timoti’s Seafood Shak is a local favorite and can’t-miss seafood spot for visitors, serving up fresh local and wild-caught seafood to support local fishermen.
PLAY
Amelia Island offers the rare opportunity to enjoy horseback riding on the beach, an exciting an unique way to explore the shore. For more outdoor adventure, come face-to-face with egrets, herons and maybe even a dolphin, manatee or sea turtle with the folks at Kayak Amelia or Amelia Island Kayak Excursions.
STAY
So many options – from the five-diamond, oceanfront Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, and Bed & Breakfast Inns in the heart of the historic downtown, to familyfriendly surroundings at Home2Suites, and beachside access at the Seaside Amelia Inn – you just can’t go wrong!
Learn more information about Amelia Island’s accommodations on next page
AMELIA ISLAND — VERY ACCOMMODATING
Amelia Island offers an award-winning collection of luxury resorts, charming inns, favorite hotels and an assortment of condos and vacation homes, making it easy for visitors to find their perfect home away from home. Consistently recogni ed as one of the south’s finest beachfront resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island invites guests to discover the joys of AAA Five-Diamond luxury, directly on a stunning stretch of Amelia’s beautiful beaches. From the comfort of their private balcony and luxurious room, guests are treated to breathtaking ocean views. An onsite, full-service spa, fine dining restaurant, and private -hole golf course are among the resort’s most notable amenities. he it -Carlton truly exemplifies the luxury lifestyle of Amelia, with a setting and amenities ideal for a Florida family retreat. he Seaside Amelia Inn is conveniently located at Main Beach and just minutes from the historic district of Fernandina. his comfortable, affordable hotel offers amenities to satisfy the entire family. njoy complimentary daily ot asty southern homestyle breakfast, beach chairs and umbrellas, covered parking, and Wi-Fi in all rooms and public areas. isitors can also choose their home away from home at the new Home2Suites by Hilton or the favorite Hampton Inn Amelia Island at Fernandina Beach, both just a quick walk from popular restaurants and a 0-minute stroll to the Atlantic shores. Dine on hot breakfast at the hotel before starting your day at these ecofriendly options. Amelia Island is also home to a collection of charming bed and breakfast inns, each offering its own distinct character, with secret gardens, shady courtyards, porch swings and rockers, fountains, stately architecture, and distinctive d cor. here is a style and location to fit every traveler’s taste.
AMELIA ISLAND Plan your trip at AmeliaIsland.com
SEA ISLAND: SO MANY REASONS TO VISIT THIS 5-STAR RETREAT
Since 1928, Sea Island has been known as an exceptional destination, appealing to those who appreciate gracious service and heartfelt hospitality. With four Forbes Five-Star experiences – The Cloister at Sea Island, The Lodge at Sea Island, The Spa at Sea Island, and the Georgian Room restaurant – Sea Island entices families, outdoor and activity enthusiasts, conference attendees, and those simply wanting to refresh and recharge. It is the only resort in the world to have received four Forbes Five-Star awards for 11 consecutive years and the only U.S. resort to host a G8 Summit of world leaders.
Recent enhancements at The Lodge (shown above) include an oceanfront pool, pool house, 18-hole putting course, new cottages with sleeping rooms, and a 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center. Sea Island features five miles of private beach, a each Club, tennis, offshore, inshore, and nearshore fishing, Shooting School, beach horseback riding, and Camp Cloister for kids. Steeped in golf tradition, Sea Island is home to championship golf courses, including Seaside and Plantation, home of the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic, hosted by Sea Island’s own Davis Love III. Davis and his brother, Mark, of Love Golf Design, recently redesigned Plantation, which reopened in fall 2019. More touring pros live, train and/or play at Sea Island than anywhere else.
Accommodation options include The Cloister, with Mediterranean-style architecture; The Lodge, reminiscent of an English country manor; and Cottages, featuring all the privacy of a personal home. Located on St. Simons, The Inn at Sea Island offers comfortable, casual accommodations with access to many Sea Island amenities. uests may also enjoy roadfield, a Sea Island Sport Club and Lodge, with a variety for seasonal hunting, fishing, sporting, and organic culinary opportunities.
Learn more at seaisland.com and plan your visit today.
SEA ISLAND 100 Cloister Drive, Sea Island, GA 31561 Plan your trip at SeaIsland.com or call 866-526-7442
EXPERIENCE AWESOME IN ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA!
Kick off your weekend getaway by exploring the streets and seasonal events of Avalon, featuring 60+ retailers and more than 20 restaurants. Head to the charming downtown district on Saturday morning for the Alpharetta Farmers Market—over 60 vendors span this walkable market. Grab breakfast or lunch at one of downtown’s 40 eateries before strolling the sidewalks to explore the district’s 45+ exclusive boutiques.
The Taste of Alpharetta, a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event from 2017 - 2020, will hit downtown Alpharetta on May 7, 2020. This event attracts more than 50,000 festival enthusiasts each year with over 60 restaurants to satisfy your taste buds. The Alpharetta Arts Streetfest runs May 23 to May 24, 2020 with nearly 00 artists filling the streets to showcase their creative talents and artwork.
A spring or summer weekend hardly goes by without a concert at one of the live music venues in Alpharetta—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, The Velvet Note or Matilda’s. Free live entertainment is featured every Friday night from April through October at Avalon Nights Live. The Home by Dark Summer Concert Series at Brooke Street Park brings free music to life the 2nd and 4th Saturdays between May and September.
Why not stay the whole weekend? Learn more at awesomealpharetta.com.
TWO LEGENDARY ESTATES. ONE UNFORGETTABLE GETAWAY. BILTMORE PRESENTS DOWNTON ABBEY: THE EXHIBITION.
You’re cordially invited to experience life as a Vanderbilt – and a Crawley – at Biltmore. This spring, America’s Largest Home® opens its gates to Downton Abbey: The Exhibition and to guests everywhere seeking an escape into a gentler, more graceful time.
Our suggested weekend itinerary begins by checking into one of Biltmore’s two on-property hotels. Nestled among the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, both The Inn on Biltmore Estate® and Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate® exude the hospitality of a bygone era.
After a blissful night’s sleep, plan your day over breakfast in bed. Will it be touring the Biltmore house, meticulously preserved with the Vanderbilt’s own gilded-age décor? Strolling the 8,000-acre estate, ablaze with azaleas in bloom? Or immersing yourself in the costumes and characters of Downton Abbey? All excellent options. Good thing you have the weekend to enjoy each one. BILTMORE ESTATE Plan your trip at Biltmore.com/stay or call 866-336-1245
BIKE THE HISTORIC VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL IN ABINGDON, VA
Pair the arts with backcountry exploration and small-town gatherings. Join us on April 18th for Reverie, a cool performing arts festival hosted by the McDowell Arts Council in Marion’s downtown 310 District. The original content festival celebrates the diversity of performance art by including a variety of mediums ranging from short-form theater to puppetry to a performance from the Old Gods of Appalachia. Tickets are available March 1st, call for details, 828-652-8610. mcdowellarts.org
On June 6th Marion celebrates the local food culture by hosting their annual Livermush Festival on Saturday. The fun begins at 5pm with a livermush eating contest, pig calling contest, and more. Marion’s own Hunter’s Livermush cooks up and shares FREE sandwiches, get in line! This is a free event.
The 2nd Annual Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival takes place on June 20th, also in downtown Marion’s 310 District. Hosted by the Greyson J. Andrews Foundation, proceeds of this event are used to relieve financial burdens experienced by families of NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) babies. Tickets are available
Little Switzerland, NC
online or at the event. gjafoundation.com/ brews-blues-bbq-s To receive free trail maps, visitor guides, and more call 828-668-4282 or visit us online, blueridgetravelers.com THE BLUE RIDGE TRAVELER Plan your trip at BlueRidgeTravelers.com or call 828-668-4282
The history of the Virginia Creeper Trail is as long and twisty as a railroad itself. Where the Creeper Trail lies today was once part of the Norfolk & Western Railway’s Abingdon Line. Starting in the 1800s, trains began transporting timber from old-growth forests located atop Whitetop Mountain to a lumber mill in Damascus, Virginia. The line earned the nickname of “The Virginia Creeper” due to the sluggish speed it traveled up and down the steep mountain grades.
Today the Creeper Trail is considered one of best rail trails in the eastern United States, regularly attracting thousands of visitors each year.
The trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop Mountain on the Virginia/North Carolina border. Hikers, bikers, and equestrians share the crushed-limestone and hard-packed dirt trail. It’s extremely popular with families: kids will love the downhill, coasting friendly nature of the trail.
At times the trail parallels Whitetop Laurel Creek through a deep narrow gorge where there are both spectacular whitewater rapids and the occasional quiet swimming hole. At other times the trail crosses trestles, some of which are more than 500 feet high and afford insanely beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. White steeple churches and homes from an early era dot the landscape as you enter and exit towns.
Another draw of the Creeper Trail is the availability of rental bikes and shuttles. How does a 17-mile downhill ride sound? Several outfitters will rent you the bikes and shuttle you to Whitetop Station where you can cruise down hill, aided significantly by gravity. r take the full 34-mile ride all the way back to Abingdon to experience the entire trail.
GRACIOUS CHARM AND MODERN RENEWAL IN COLUMBIA, SC
In the heart of South Carolina, tradition and tomorrow pair perfectly in Columbia. It’s a modern city where stately buildings bu with new businesses, and centuries-old sites give rise to fresh perspectives. It has all the gracious charm you’d expect from a Southern destination nothing saccharine, just good old-fashioned kindness.
As home to both the state’s capital and its largest university, it’s a vibrant city and creative hub that’s bursting with big ideas, forward thinkers, and modern attitudes. ere, you’ll find more things to do than hours to do them. Design a different itinerary for every day of the year with Soda City arket on Saturday mornings, First hursdays on ain, Indie rits in April, and the ervais Street ridge Dinner in ctober. r, discover the capital city sip by sip with a brewery tour.
With three rivers running right through the city, it doesn’t take long to get from the middle of town to what seems like the middle of nowhere. et it’s manageable without the headaches and hassles common to many other larger cities. With evidence of renewal everywhere, Columbia SC will leave you looking forward to what’s next. EXPERIENCE COLUMBIA SC Plan your trip at ExperienceColumbiaSC.com or call 803-545-0002
DISCOVER SOUTH CAROLINA’S BESTKEPT SECRET —EDISTO BEACH
With miles of beautiful beaches and an average temperature of 60 degrees in the offseason, you can spend your days on a pet friendly beach, golf course, or head to the creeks for fishing. disto is proud of its grand state park that covers over 00 acres. eachfront camping and creek front cabins are just two of the many exciting things that place disto each State ark at the top of so many lists. ake an adventure with a local tour boat captain and discover the island’s rich history and diverse ecological system. disto offers ama ing dining options. From comforting breakfast selections to cocktails overlooking the water, seafood at a renowned seafood dive, or fine dining at a chef’s table, the local establishments strive to offer the best in local culinary delights. he perfect beach vacation doesn’t just happen in the summer. EDISTO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Plan your trip at edistochamber.com or call 843-869-3867
IMMERSE YOUR TASTE BUDS IN THE YOCO TASTE TRAIL
Come immerse your taste buds in a brand-new adventure in ork County. As an emerging food destination, just minutes south of Charlotte, York County offers meals that highlight southern flavors that will create lasting memories. ome to award-winning restaurants and a state chef ambassador, York County’s unique flavors give you a truly special culinary experience. Whether you’re looking for the down-home cooked meal that reminds you of Sunday dinners with your grandparents or a high-end creation that is a culinary masterpiece, ork County has the taste for you. From classics like shrimp and grits to unique burger creations, you have to try them all. hat’s why we created the perfect curated culinary experience he oCo aste rail. his interactive trail is comprised of dishes from some of the best and most unique restaurants across ork County, full of southern favorites. o complete the trail, download the isit ork County, SC app. hen, visit the participating restaurants and order the signature dish featured on the oCo aste rail, checking-in via the app. When you’ve visited of the participating restaurants, you get a free t-shirt o start your oCo aste rail experience head to www. oCo aste rail.com and download the isit ork County app YORK COUNTY, SC Plan your trip at YoCoTasteTrail.com
“She Goes Ancient” by Jackie Milad, an abstract mixedmedia painting on hand-dyed canvas, appears at the Gantt Center’s exhibition.
GUIDETHE
WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO EAT
ARTS Strokes of Genius
Gantt Center survey looks at both gurative and abstract innovation in painting
With Painting Is Its Own Country, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture o ers a survey that the museum says “re ects the idea that painting, despite its long existence, still o ers limitless space for freedom, diversity, and self-expression.” Among the list of emerging and established artists shown: Stacy Lynn Waddell, Lavar Munroe, Mario Moore, Kimberly Becoat, Jackie Milad (shown), and several others. The exhibition, running through April 12, is curated by Dexter Wimberly.
Arts and Culture
WHAT TO DO THIS MONTH
Music: Classical, Jazz, & Opera
JAZZ AT THE BECHTLER: MILESTONES
MARCH 6 This month’s Jazz at the Bechtler concert features tunes from 1958 live performances by the Miles Davis Sextet, which included Davis on trumpet, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Bill Evans on piano, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. $10 for museum members, $16 for nonmembers, 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. 704-3539200, bechtler.org.
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY: BEETHOVEN’S MISSA SOLEMNIS
MARCH 6-7 Our city’s symphony performs the Beethoven masterwork under the direction of Christopher WarrenGreen. The program includes Charlotte Master Chorale, with featured vocalists Christina Pier, Siena Licht Miller, Yeghishe Manucharyan, and Jordan Bisch. $20$152, Fri-Sat, 7:30 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
PIERRE BENSUSAN
MARCH 11 Bensusan’s style has been described as “the way the guitar would want to sound if it played itself.” He de ly moves between classical selections and styles from across the world, blending brilliant guitar work and a distinct vocal technique. $22-$25, 7:30 p.m. Stage Door Theater, 155 N. College St., 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY: STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
MARCH 13-14 The CSO’s ever-popular “Movie Series” o ers the second lm in the original Star Wars trilogy. “The Imperial March,” the John Williams tune synonymous with series baddie Darth Vader, premiered in this lm. Hear the complete Williams score, performed live by the orchestra, while the movie plays on the big screen. $29.50-$124.50, Fri-Sat, 7:30 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
THE JAZZ ROOM: WOMEN IN JAZZ
MARCH 19-21 In celebration of Women’s History Month, this threeday run brings an all-female group of jazz instrumentalists who pay homage to the greats of the genre. $16-$18, Thu-Fri, 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.; Sat, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Stage Door Theater, 155 N. College St., 704372-1000, carolinatix.org. CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY: 007: THE BEST OF JAMES BOND
MARCH 27-28 The setlist for this CSO performance pulls from more than two dozen lms featuring agent 007. Vocalist Chloe Lowery helps bring some of those opening songs—such as “Nobody Does It Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me—to life. $20-$152, Fri-Sat, 7:30 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St., 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
Music: Popular
AUDREY MIKA
MARCH 1 With more than a million subscribers on YouTube, Mika has built a reputation for performing high-pro le covers on the streaming channel. Her takes on artists such Camila Cabello and Ariana Grande tracks have led to widespread interest in her original material. $18-$32, 7 p.m. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave., 704-358-9200, visulite.com.
JOE BONAMASSA
MARCH 2 When this guitarist was 12, he opened for B.B. King. Since then, he’s amassed a following for his incendiary talent in blues guitar. $69-$199, 8 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
STURGILL SIMPSON WITH TYLER CHILDERS
MARCH 6 Simpson’s newest record, Sound & Fury, blends country rock with psychedelia and a funk edge. Released last September, the album debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. $50.50-$100, 7:30 p.m. Spectrum Center, 333 E. Trade St. 704-688-9000, ticketmaster.com.
MARC BROUSSARD
MARCH 7 Broussard performs at one of the city’s most intimate venues. He arrives fresh o the release of his new LP, A Lullaby Collection SOS III, and a children’s book, I Love You For You, his rst e ort as an author. $25-$74.50, 8 p.m. McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College St. 704-3721000, carolinatix.org.
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
MARCH 10 Following the release of her album For the Girls, Chenoweth’s revue is a tribute to the female singers and songwriters who have inspired her. She covers the likes of Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Jennifer Hudson, and Ariana Grande. $39.50-$299.50, 7:30 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
MIJA
MARCH 14 The electronic music producer and DJ broke through with an appearance at Bonnaroo in 2014. Since then, Mija’s proli c discography has included collaborations with Ghastly, Vindata, and others. $15-$67, 9 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. 704-942-7997, neighborhoodtheatre.com.
DAR WILLIAMS
MARCH 15 The celebrated singer-songwriter brings her tunes, which explore gender issues, loss, religion, and much more, to the Stage Door Theater stage. $30-$35, 7 p.m. Stage Door Theater, 155 N. College St., 704-3721000, carolinatix.org.
MICHAEL BUBLÉ
MARCH 18 The four-time Grammy winner returns to Charlotte. Previously, he’s had ve sold-out world tours, with more than 60 million records sold worldwide. $68$148, 8 p.m. Spectrum Center, 333 E. Trade St. 704688-9000, ticketmaster.com.
AGAINST ME!
MARCH 22 Led by Laura Jane Grace, Against Me! has been a force in punk since the early 2000s. Detroit indie rocker Stef Chura opens for the band on this tour. $22.50, 8 p.m. The Underground, 820 Hamilton St., 704-916-8970, livenation.com.
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
MARCH 23 Raised in D.C., this singer-songwriter and bassist o ers a mix of hip-hop, reggae, rock, soul, jazz, and other genres. Known as one of the originators of neo-soul, she has been nominated 10 times for a Grammy Award. $27.50-$37.50, 7:30 p.m. McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000, carolinatix.org.
THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND
MARCH 28 Formed not far from here in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Marshall Tucker Band was big in the 1970s— but the group shouldn’t be underestimated today. Feel the same good vibes from the classic hit “Can’t You See” that fans felt in 1973. $27.50, 8 p.m. The Fillmore Charlotte, 820 Hamilton St., 704-916-8970, livenation.com.
