A&E

It’s ‘bout time I learn there’s just more to life

Maggie Valley Band release new EP, return to stage

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD S TAFF WRITER

With its latest EP, “Something New: Vol 1,” the Maggie Valley Band is breaking new ground, whether it be sonically or what lies within the creative spirit of the emerging Haywood County act.

In recent years, the sibling duo of Whitney and Caroline Miller (amid a rotating cast of guest backing musicians) have transitioned from an acoustic ensemble pushing the boundaries of folk and mountain music to a melodic entity that constantly stokes the hot coals of Americana and indie-rock stylings.

It’s about the idea of “serving the song,” rather than force it into a cookie cutter formula or particular genre, which may pigeonhole the artistic desire. And though the sights and sounds of the MVB might be more electric nowadays, the sense of purpose and evolving talents behind them — the hell or high-water mentality — remains stronger than ever.

Smoky Mountain News: With the pandemic and shutdown, how did it affect you, personally and professionally? To simply stand still and not be traveling or taking the stage?

Whitney Miller: Professionally, we felt like we were losing so much time. Finances? Yes. But, even more the time. So much of show biz is so weird with a “hit while the iron is hot idea.” We’re wondering if things will ever even be the same.

Personally, we were at a loss of what to do. Our routines and norms gone. That rhythm of life, way too much time to think and not do. But, we keep believing there’s a reason, there’s a lesson here we’ve got to take from all this. This doesn’t have to be a waste. It’s how we use this time that will make the difference.

Caroline Miller: It’s hard. Feels like our world has been flipped. We used to play as much as humanly possible and do whatever we could to work an extra gig in. One time, we did 26 shows in 25 days in 20 different states. That’s how we roll. That’s what we love.

Now, we’re benched and we have to not even think what’s best for our careers. We have to think what’s best for our community, our elderly parents. It’s painful, but at the same time makes us so appreciative of what’s really important in life — people. Selfishness and politics can’t be our responses right now. It has to be love and selflessness.

The Maggie Valley Band.

It’s kind of like when a parent tells their kids to do something and the kid resists, but then eventually comes around in their own time. I feel like our music did that to us. We wanted to evolve from the beginning, but our music decided on its own when it would.

— Whitney Miller

SMN: What spurred on this latest evolution of the band? The sound seems more ambitious, where the genre lines are blurred. Was that the intent of this latest chapter or is that how the group has changed as time has gone on?

WM: We wanted to change it up from the beginning, not to say we won’t switch back around. It’s kind of like when a parent tells their kids to do something and the kid resists, but then eventually comes around in their own time. I feel like our music did that to us. We wanted to evolve from the beginning, but our music decided on its own when it would.

CM: I think it’s where we’ve been going. I remember seeing David Mayfield shred an electric guitar at The Grey Eagle back in the day and it changed my idea of what we were limited to. Then, we worked with him and he put some electronic beats in and out, some Black Keys tones in it. We highly value personal growth. Character growth — in our lives and in art we enjoy — is almost always the thing we talk about most. So, it makes sense that our music changes as we do.

SMN: As an independent act, when you look at the landscape of the music industry — onstage, in the studio, finding creative and financial stability — what do you see?

WM: It’s only going to get harder. With fewer venues able to hold on, bands will be t competing for fewer stages. It will be a tough t recovery, but we can’t quit. What would we do? C Not that there aren’t a lot of great things in this t life, but when asked what else would we want h to do, both of us can’t think of anything — i music is the only thing.

CM: Our world is on pause. Yet, everyone t feels that way. I do believe live music will come h back because everything does in its time. I s think what keeps us going is just focusing on a what we can do, not what we can’t. We filmed s a music video, we made an EP. We’re going to L keep focusing on that and leave the rest. o

Our circumstances don’t really make us V who we are, it simply shows us what’s in our hearts. The song “Something New,” Whitney M wrote about how we try to start something new i to rid us of the real problem — of working t through things. i

We both would encourage others to work h through the tough things and not avoid the s hard things. If you can’t understand another f person, does that mean you should stop talking and listen more? Then do it. Embrace the s hard things. Whatever the rest of 2020 holds, it L won’t all be bad. s r n

Want to go?

In celebration of the groups new EP, “Something New: Vol. 1,” The Maggie Valley Band will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.

There will also be a SOWO Car Show onsite at the distillery. Admission for the entire event (music and car show) will be $5, with all proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. www.themaggievalleyband.com.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

But long as there are stars above you, you never need to doubt it

Pulling onto Lake Street last Saturday afternoon, an odd sense of self flowed through my veins while cruising through Rouses Point, New York. My hometown until I left for college, the tiny Canadian Border community had seen better days. And yet, Saturday was another happy occasion for my family, who has lived in that town for generations.

Looking into the rearview mirror of my truck, I quickly fixed a few out of place hairs and adjusted the collar on the dress shirt. My little sister was getting married in an hour and I had to make sure I was presentable for her special day. Turning off Lake Street, it was a trek across the bridge over Lake Champlain and into northern Vermont.

Located at the southern tip of Isle La Motte, Vermont, the Fisk Farm was founded in 1788 and has remained a historical, cultural and social hub of sorts for the small island. It was also exactly where my sister had envisioned proclaiming her love for her significant other in front of a small group of family and friends.

Coming into 2020, my sister, Kate, was a single mother of a 6-year-old, my niece, Lucy. A hardworking educator in the local school system, Kate’s walked a tough road raising her daughter and creating a safe and nurturing home and life for the two of them.

And it was right before the pandemic and shutdown that a familiar face from the past reached out to reconnect. His name is Josh, and he’s someone I’ve known pretty much my entire life. Not only did Kate and I go to elementary, middle and high school with him, we were teammates during the basketball and cross-country seasons, too. As well, for a brief period, he and Kate dated in sixth grade.

Even after high school and the impending entry into adulthood, Josh and I kept in touch. We’d cross paths whenever I was home for spring break or the holidays during college, or when I wandered back to the North Country from time to time while I chased after a career in the written word, onward into the last eight years of living in Western North Carolina.

Thus, Josh and Kate started dating preCovid. None of us knew about it, and it remained a secret for a few months while they hunkered down together during the shutdown. Soon, the shelter-in-place orders were lifted as everyone popped their heads out of their homes and started to catch up with each other over this, that, and the other.

By late May, I’d decided to come back to the North Country and spend the summer in my old stomping grounds. It was a silver lining amid all the chaos and unknowns of yesterday, today and tomorrow. And throughout this period, I not only rekindled connections with others, I was also able to spend quality time with Josh, Kate and Lucy: barbecues, bonfires and beach bumming.

Summer rolled along and it was decided that Josh and Kate wanted to get married. August 22 soon appeared and there I was standing in the back of a small gathering at the Fisk Farm: making sure the background music was working properly, but mostly taking in the whole scene unfolding before my eyes.

It was something to just kind of look around and observe. My rough-around-theedges father seemed softened and in awe of the moment. My sentimental mother was filled with tears of joy. With a kiss to seal the nuptials, Josh and Kate walked back down the aisle and into the next chapter of their lives together.

The wedding reception was held at Josh’s parents’ home in nearby Champlain, New York. It was the same house I remembered when I would go over there as a kid to play video games or listen to music. A large white tent was situated in the driveway of the farmhouse, soon filled with laughter and drinks held high.

The next few hours were a joyous blur of champagne toasts, heartfelt speeches from both families, dancing and numerous camera flashes from seemingly every direction. We ate and drank to our heart’s content. We smiled and fondly remembered the past. We saluted each other to a bountiful life of love and adventure.

As the midnight hour appeared, I found myself sitting at one of the tables underneath the big white tent. Those left at the reception were either still dancing or situated around the bonfire in the backyard. I cracked a cold Molson Canadian can and sipped with gusto.

And it was in that moment when The Tragically Hip’s “Bobcaygeon” came over the

Garret, his little sister, niece and father.

speakers. An anthem of sorts in the North Country, the melody echoed across the farmhouse property and out in the darkness of the surrounding neighborhood.

I sipped the Molson and listened, “So, I’m at your house this morning, just a little after nine, ‘cause it was in Bobcaygeon, where I saw the constellations reveal themselves, one star at time ….” The T-Hip always seem to conjure and capture the ideal feeling of wherever one may find themselves, either by chance or by circumstance.

Shifting my glance from those near the bonfire, I focused on Josh and Kate in the distance. They held each other close, two souls in harmony, ready to take on whatever life throws at them. For me, I now have a brother-in-law, more a brother-in-arms. And I couldn’t be happier.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

Cashiers Designer Showhouse

The annual Cashiers Designer Showhouse will run through Sept. 5 at 144 Cove Drive in Highlands.

Designers and landscapers representing the Southeastern region will bring trending design to Cashiers.

Throughout the week, showhouse attendees will view the work of the talented designers; enjoy a variety of workshops, book signings and panel discussions from creatives across the country.

Admission is $30. www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/showhouse.

Open call for artist grants

Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a partnership of the North Carolina Arts Council and Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center.

Artist Support Grants will be distributed to eligible applicants by Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Applications for the grants are available at www.coweeschool.org. The deadline is Sept. 30. Grants will range in awards from $500 to $1,000. www.coweeschool.org/nc-arts-council.

Artist grants now available

Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a partnership of the North Carolina Arts Council and Asheville Area Arts Council, Haywood County Arts Council, Arts Council of Henderson County, Tryon Fine Arts Center, Rutherford County Recreation, Cultural, and Heritage Commission, and the Transylvania Community Arts Council.

Artist Support Grants will be distributed to eligible applicants by Haywood County Arts Council in the following counties: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania.

Applications for the grants are available www.haywoodarts.org/grants-funding. The deadline is Sept. 30. Grants will range in awards from $500 to $1,000.

For information or questions, contact Leigh Forrester, executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, at www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.

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The Jackson County Arts Council is now accepting applications for Grassroots Subgrants.

The JCAC administers the Grassroots Arts Program Grant in accordance with current guidelines, policies, and requirements outlined by the North Carolina Arts Council. Funding for these subgrants come from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of Natural & Cultural Resources.

The Grassroots Arts Program Sub-grant provides financial support for Jackson County community groups and nonprofit organizations that offer programs and projects that enhance the arts for county residents. Grassroots Sub-grants are awarded to organizations in all cultural disciplines through a competitive application and review process.

The applicant organization must be based in Jackson County and produce its programming in Jackson County. Sub-grants are not awarded to support fundraising activities. Grassroots grants are matching

grants that must be matched dollar-for-dollar by the receiving organization.

The JCAC is required to spend a set percentage of our Grassroots funding on Multicultural programming that reflects African American, Asian American, Latino, and Native American cultures.

To qualify for a Grassroots Multicultural Sub-grant, the artist or presenter and the content of the art material should both belong to one of the groups listed above. Any organization can apply for multicultural funds to conduct art programs/events that meet these standards. Fill out the regular application for multicultural funding.

Interested organizations can obtain application information at www.jacksoncountyarts.org or by email at info@jacksoncountyarts.org. The deadline for acceptance of applications is Sept. 15.

For more information, contact the Jackson County Arts Council at 828.507.9820 or by email at info@jacksoncountyarts.org.

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host

Tyson Leamon 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 and Bona

Fide Band 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Silas

Reed 7 p.m. Aug. 28, Sly Sparrow 7 p.m.

Aug. 29 and Larry Joe Lambert 7 p.m. Sept. 5. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com. locals to share their great work at the height of the summer season. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 1870-1950” will be held at The Shelton House in Waynesville. ALSO: The showcase will run through October. Admission is $7 adults. $5 students. Children ages 5 and under free. Admission includes Shelton House. 828.452.1551 or www.sheltonhouse.org.

• The Great Blue Farms Brunch & Blooms will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays through Sept. 12 at 1101 Briartown Church

Road in Nantahala/Topton. Admission is $75, which includes a tour, brunch, all flowers, supplies and container to take home your floral masterpiece. www.greatbluefarms.com or 828.508.1502.

Jefferson’s education, books, reading and gifts

For five years, just after we were marthe slaves at Monticello, discusses at length In no way should you associate this time ried, my wife and I were house parents the role of the clergy in education, and looks for reading with school, but treat it instead for a sorority at the University of at the rift that was already taking place as you might some special enjoyable activity Virginia, responsible for the upkeep of the between the New England states and the like playing basketball, swimming, or dancbuilding and for the safety and behavior of South. ing. All students have required reading for the 20 young women who resided in the old As Taylor points out in his Introduction, school, and you must see they do that readbrick home. because of its diversity today, “there is more ing, but because they associate literature

We sometimes faced mild disciplinary with a classproblems within the room, some sorority, but the fracome to disternities were by far like reading. our worst nemesis. So make The sorority house this reading abutted an alleyway time outside behind an Episcopalian church, and the alleyway led from the bars to fraternity row. On Jeff Minick Writer the classroom a pleasure. Focus on the student’s interest. If 8- weekend nights that year-old alley became a stream of drunken frat boys Johnny likes who often smashed bottles against the to create bathouse, shouted obscenities, and relieved tles with his themselves by the fence. During my tenure toy soldiers, there, I was spat upon, threatened, cursed go to the too many times to count, and was once library and knocked unconscious. find him age

Reading Alan Taylor’s Thomas Jefferson’s appropriate Education (W.W. Norton & Company, 2019, books on war426 pages) brought back memories, some fare. If 12- painful, some humorous, of those long-ago year-old days. Miranda loves

Here is just one of Taylor’s many descripbasketball, tion of riotous students shortly after softball and Jefferson founded the University of Virginia: soccer, hit the library again, “In early 1826, students doubled down on their where she’ll vices, for dissipation seemed more even more find both ficalluring than when it defied efforts to control tion and nonthem. Venturing into Charlottesville, they fiction sports haunted taverns and confectionary shops books galore. (which served alcohol). A student noted, ‘Here For teens, nothing is more common than to see students so consider startdrunk as to be unable to walk.’ A visitor to to celebrate in what the University has ing a book club. Teens feel the need for peer Charlottesville reported awakening at 3 a.m. to become than in how it began. But we could companionship more intensely than the rowdy students playing ‘drum, fife, and claribenefit from cherished parts of Jefferson’s younger set, and here is an ideal way to ons… aided by their Bachanalian clamours of legacy, including the pursuit of democracy, a blend friends, books, literary discussion, applause.’ Breaking into the courthouse, studevotion to rational inquiry, and a determiand pleasure. You’ll need an adult instructor dents ‘rang the bell violently for 20 minutes as a nation to pursue the truth wherever it leads. to prompt discussions with questions and to solo.’ Riding back to the University, they tore If that pursuit leads us to conclude that he keep those discussions on track. Throw in down a fence and rebuilt it to block the road.” fell short, the burden is on us to do better.” some popcorn and other snacks, and you’re Thomas Jefferson’s Education gives us a helping to forge friendships and create read

The vast majority of these students were fascinating look into our colonial and posters. the sons of planters, young men whose revolutionary past as well as into the foundAs for the pre-K crew, awaken their imagwealth and position in Virginia society were ing of the University of Virginia and the life inations with the delights of nursery rhymes surpassed only by their arrogance. Many of of Jefferson himself. and fairy tales, reading aloud to them from them scorned tradesmen as beneath them, books with colorful pictures. If there are brutalized the slaves employed by the ••• older siblings in the home, get them into the University and in the town’s hotels, disSince the theme here is education, and act. Their participation will improve their played a fierce sense of personal honor, and since our own system of education today is, reading and entertainment skills while helpsaw no reason whatsoever for a “gentleman” to put it mildly, in a state of flux, I am ing educate the little ones. to obey the regulations of the school. including here some tips for parents, grandReading, author Kate DiCamillo once

In addition to this study of aristocracy, parents, and guardians on reading and stated, “should not be presented to children Taylor provides us with insights into books. as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a Jefferson’s personal education as an adolesWhether your student is homeschooling, gift.” cent and as a student at William and Mary, distance learning, or sitting in a classroom, Agreed. gives numerous sketches of various family try to set aside time each day for reading (Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. members and friends, examines the lives of outside of your school schedule. minick0301@gmail.com)

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