A&E

from Smoky Mountain News | October 21, 2020

Jackson approves $4 million for animal shelter project

COURAGE FOR THE ROAD

Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Coming into 2020, Greensky Bluegrass was looking forward to celebrating its 20th anniversary. A relentless national touring act, it would be countless shows and festivals — in front of an endless sea of folks who travel far and wide to listen and immerse themselves in the band’s seamless blend of bluegrass, jam and rock music.

But, this year had other plans for the legendary group, as it did for the rest of the music industry and planet as a whole. And yet, here we stand, each of us trying to navigate these unknown waters of time and space, all while discovering and embracing the silver linings in our respective lives.

For Greensky, it’s been an introspective period, peeling back the layers of two decades crisscrossing the country in hopes of finding creative and financial stability in an oftenunforgiving musical landscape.

Formed at a Halloween party in 2000 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Greensky emerged from humble beginnings, simply a small group of young friends looking to pick some tunes, stir up some fun and, most of all, be a catalyst for connectivity and melodic joy in our cosmic universe — 20 years later, that ethos remains.

Smoky Mountain News: With this downtime in the music industry due to the shutdown, it’s probably giving you some time to reflect on your time in the band and the band’s 20th anniversary.

Anders Beck [dobro]: Yeah, that’s for sure. It’s just such a unique situation to be in. The 20th anniversary of the band this Halloween, that goes back to when [guitarist] Dave [Bruzza], [mandolinist] Paul [Hoffman] and [banjoist Michael] Bont were starting.

The first time they played together live was in the basement of Dave’s house for a Halloween party. They needed a name and somebody suggested “Greensky Bluegrass,” this ironic name that’s bluegrass and the opposite of that.

Greensky Bluegrass. (photo: Dylan Langille)

Want to go?

Presented by the Asheville Music Hall, Greensky Bluegrass will perform three shows as part of a Halloween drive-in series on Oct. 29-31. Celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary, the performances will be held at Blue Ridge Falls, located at 337 Glen Cannon Drive in Pisgah Forest (outside of Brevard).

All social distancing and safety protocol will be encouraged and enforced. www.ashevillemusichall.com/ greenskyhalloween.

So, they played a show as Greensky Bluegrass. Just this house party, the usual first band kind of thing. But, there’s no denying that becomes the first Greensky Bluegrass show. Then, [bassist] Mike Devol and myself join a few years later.

And here we are 20 years later. From that little show to three nights at Red Rocks [Amphitheater in Colorado] — that’s something to celebrate. Even if it makes you a little old, it’s still a reality. [Laughs].

SMN: When you think about those early days in the band, what sticks out the most?

AB: I think, for me, it was the amount of belief that we had in it. It’s kind of shockingly amazing to me. Back in those days we’re playing tiny bars to 20 people and be like, “Yeah, this is going to work. We got something here.” But, then the next time you go through that town, there’s 30 people there. The whole thing was this word of mouth.

We didn’t have any MTV or radio hits or anything else. Play a good show. Release a good album. And then slowly build the thing. I think that’s why our fan base is as real as it is, you know? That’s why people are still there. It’s really human connection, good songs and good shows. It’s building it one person at a time. That’s how it got done.

SMN: Why the dobro? Why was that the instrument you felt you could best communicate with musically?

AB: I started out playing drums, then [acoustic] guitar and electric guitar. When I was started gravitating toward bluegrass, flatpicking the guitar wasn’t really working for me that well, as far as like transitioning from an electric guitar player to a bluegrass guitar.

I sort of stumbled upon the dobro as an instrument. And I realized because of the sustain it has — it’s got the longer notes — that it sounded kind of like the electric guitar of acoustic music. That’s what really grabs me with that particular instrument.

To this day, that’s still what I like about it. It’s really unique sounding. And then, over the years, I’ve kind of put some of my electric guitar influences back into the dobro — to try to evolve it and make it my own instrument, too.

SMN: You’ve had a career creating and performing music around the world, meeting folks from all walks of life and having all these experiences onstage. What has that taught you about what it means to be a human being?

AB: I’ve been on both sides of it. I used to follow bands around the country — Phish, The Grateful Dead and stuff like that. And I remember when people started coming on tour and seeing multiple Greensky shows. The idea that it had flipped, that I got to create that joy for people that I’d gotten from other musicians was an amazing feeling.

On a human level, the idea that what I’m doing can make someone happy for two or three hours and just take them out of whatever is going on in their lives, to give them something to look forward to or something that makes them feel a certain way, whether it’s to dance and smile, laugh or cry, or whatever, to make people feel — it’s an amazing thing and it’s never lost on me.

“I used to follow bands around the country — Phish, The Grateful Dead and stuff like that. And I remember when people started coming on tour and seeing multiple Greensky shows. The idea that it had flipped, that I got to create that joy for people that I’d gotten from other musicians was an amazing feeling.”

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Goose.

Smoky Mountain Event Center.

Things change but you don’t realize you have all you need

About halfway through the first set of the sold-out Goose drive-in show last Saturday, a friend turned to me and said with a smile, “You know, we’re probably going to follow this band around for the next few decades, right?”

Nodding in sincere agreement, I sipped my drink and gazed around the Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville. I took inventory of not only the 375 cars of joyous music freaks pushing up the hill and over the ridge of the fairgrounds, but also the serene and jovial tone of one of the emerging torchbearers of live music.

Hailing from Connecticut, Goose is an intricate ensemble, one that resides at the intersection of rock, jam and soul music. It’s catchy and incredibly inclusive. And yet, doesn’t shy away from complex improvisation jams, always in search of the “you had to be there” moments on a nightly basis.

“We love when people get fired up and yelling [in excitement during the show], this huge pull of energy,” Rick Mitarotonda, lead singer/guitarist for Goose, told The Smoky Mountain News following the performance. “But, I’ve started to get more patient and listen and get a little quiet at certain times during the whole thing, which I think, in the long run, is a really good thing for the evolution of the band, the sound and our improvisational language.”

With the ever-popular drive-in series taking the lead on the slow reopening of the music industry across America, these shows have provided an outlet after seven months of radio silence in the live music realm.

In regards to Western North Carolina, we’ve — in essence — become the live music capitol of the Southeast between the drive-in series at the Waynesville fairgrounds put on by the Asheville Music Hall and the series hosted by The Grey Eagle at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Seemingly every weekend this fall, our backyard has become filled with sold-out show after show of national touring acts — all eager to perform in real time in front of real faces again.

Until these outdoor shows started to appear this summer, most bands had to get creative, with Goose way ahead of the curve, in terms of online streaming and innovative avenues in developing digital content and attracting viewers. Even before the shutdown, Goose was constantly filming and uploading its music for consumption.

“When you’re a young band going out on the road, trying to build a grassroots following one person at a time, word of mouth is the strongest thing. But, if create a little bit of a buzz [online], people want to find out about band and see what’s going on,” Mitarotonda said. “It’s video. It’s soundboard recordings [from shows] and studio

“I’ll see something online and I realize all these individuals ... They know what we’re doing and their lives are affected by it in some way. And I just want to do the best I can to serve that.”

— Rick Mitarotonda, lead singer/guitarist for Goose

recordings. Content for [listeners] to go find that exists online. So, at a certain point, it became our goal to create this little world [online] for people to go to.”

Strolling the perimeter of the Smoky Mountain Event Center, an odd, yet familiar feeling came over me, that sense of self that only reveals itself in the midst of live performance. My life has revolved around concerts since I was in middle school. It’s the place by which I’ve been able to put down deep roots — as a journalist, but more so as an utter music freak.

“There’s a lot of moments where I’m going with ‘it’ or staying in the moment, responding to what needs to get done in that moment [onstage],” Mitarotonda said. “But, then I’ll see something online and I realize all these individuals, there’s not just numbers on a page — they’re people out there and they’re coming to [the show]. They know what we’re doing and their lives are affected by it in some way. And I just want to do the best I can to serve that.”

Looking towards the massive stage bordering Route 209, I started to come out of my fog of this “new normal” for society and humanity, in general. Being in the presence of pure tension and release that resides in the depths of a 20-minute jam, the line between Goose and the audience became blurred by the immense energy radiating from both sides of the microphone.

“You know, it’s a strange thing, but the joy in playing music? It’s a fine line between becoming really proficient at an instrument and maintaining your personal connection to music and your real enjoyment from playing music — it’s [remembering] that the instrument is a communication piece [to connect people],” Mitarotonda said.

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

West Ashville’s Largest Open Air Music & Food Venue Outdoor Stage Outside Dining Patio Live Music | Amazing Eats

743 HAYWOOD RD WEST ASHEVILLE ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends and Arnold Hill (rock/Americana)

Oct. 23 and Mojomatic Oct. 24. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• The Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot (Maggie Valley) will host a drive-in concert series with St. ALSO: Paul & The Broken Bones (soul/rock) on Oct. 29. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m.

Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile

Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

The Dirty Dead Halloween Party Oct. 31 and The Pony Express Nov. 7. All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host iliveinoblivion Oct. 24. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drive-in concert series with Jason

Isbell & Amanda Shires (rock/Americana)

Nov. 5 and Keller Williams & Friends (jam/acoustic) Nov. 13. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by

The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends.

Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Event Center in

Waynesville will host a drive-in concert series with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24 and The Marcus King

Trio (rock/jam) Oct. 27. All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, tickets are available at www.ashevillemusichall.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a Cherokee artist demonstration with

Tara McCoy from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 23 in the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom on

Main Street in Waynesville. For more information or to sign up for these events, click on www.haywoodarts.org. • The Blue Ridge Heritage Craft & Quilt

Exhibit will be held through Oct. 31 at the

Haywood County Arts Council on Main

Street in Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The “Haywood County Medical Exhibit: 1870-1950” will be held at The Shelton

House in Waynesville. 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.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 2 to 5 p.m every Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

Fall for Waynesville

The Fall for Waynesville street festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, on Main Street.

Musicians and entertainment will be located throughout Main Street. There also will be children’s activities, including two tents for pumpkin painting, which will be held by renowned artist Teresa Pennington.

Some restaurants will be putting tables on the street for dining, with other businesses also placing their merchandise outside for customers.

Though the annual “Treats on the Street” Halloween celebration will be cancelled for this year, local businesses will still be dressed up and handing out candy.

Social distancing and safety protocols will be followed. Presented by the Downtown Waynesville Association. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• The annual Swain County “Trick or Treat” event will be held this year as a drive-thru from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the

East and West elementary schools. The candy will be donated by the Swain County

Tourism Development Authority. Volunteers are needed and should call 828.508.2795.

• There will be “Spooky Storytelling” with master storyteller Tim Hall around the fire pit in front of the Storytelling Center of the

Southern Appalachians at 140 Fry Street in downtown Bryson City. The storytelling will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in October, weather permitting. Look for the yellow house with fall decorations and benches just down the tracks from the train depot (behind the train museum). Free. Donations welcomed.

The Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville will host a drive-in concert series with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (jam/rock) Oct. 24 and The Marcus King Trio (rock/jam) Oct. 27. All shows begin at 6:45 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and Covid-19 protocol will be in place. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hosted by the Asheville Music Hall, tickets are available at www.ashevillemusichall.com.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones.

Maggie Valley welcomes soul act

Acclaimed rock/soul sensation St. Paul & The Broken Bones will perform on Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot in Maggie Valley.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and safety protocols will be enforced.

Based out of Alabama, St. Paul & The Broken Bones formed in 2012, releasing their debut album “Half the City” in 2014 and its follow up, 2016’s “Sea of Noise,” to much acclaim.

Those strong efforts helped place them on the national scene, and the band worked hard to prove they were no mere retro-soul band — from touring the world relentlessly, including being selected to open for The Rolling Stones and headlining two nights at the Ryman Auditorium, to TV appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, Austin City Limits and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

It’s time to put away the books About politicos and other crooks, No more fat novels for today, It’s time to have some fun and play.

So welcome all to Rubin Land, That’s Adam Rubin, you understand, Kids’ book author extraordinaire, Come on, young pups, pull up a chair! First up is Rubin’s Jeff Minick book High Five, To teach that hand the way to jive, Here you’ll meet the High Five King, And slap the palm of everything.

Writer

From Kangaroo to elephant You slap the page — it’s quite a stunt! You slap the paws of lizard and bear You High Five away without a care.

Who knew the fun of slapping a book? Go ahead, pop it, and throw your best hook! Aim for the gold and win the prize And be the best High Fiver alive!

Here’s a read-aloud, Mom and Dad, To please your little lass and lad, But protect your face as you read, High Fives to your nose may make you bleed.

And when you’re all High Fived out, Don’t snarl, or weep, or even pout, Dragons Love Tacos is up next, It’s one of Adam Rubin’s best.

Who knew tacos were a dragon’s fave, Who knew salsa and cheese made dragons rave? Who knew they loved parties and to dance? Just add some tacos and watch them prance.

But jalapenos, as Rubin says, Will cause those dragons to make a mess, Hot salsa ignites a dragon’s fire That makes your house a smoking pyre. No, never, ever give dragons spice, The resultant flames will not be nice, Give them lettuce, meat, and even ice, But never, ever give them spice.

Rubin gave us other treats, So youngsters, gather and take your seats; We’ll read and read, and have some fun And bid farewell to the setting sun.

Okay, I’m not a poet, but it’s a gray day where I live, and I needed some entertainment.

I got a kick out of Adam Rubin’s High Five and Dragons Love Tacos, and plan to

share these books with my younger grandchildren. Rubin is a children’s author who describes himself in High Five this way:

Adam Rubin likes to write in his kitchen late a night. Rhyming nearly broke his brain. Currently he lives in Spain.

Four of the Rubin books I have at hand — Those Darn Squirrels! High Five, Dragons Love Tacos, and Secret Pizza Party were illustrated by Daniel Salieri. Crash McCreery illustrated El Chupacabras.

••• In memoriam: Only recently did I learn that Tomie dePaola, author of some 260 children’s books, had died this past spring. His books about Strega Nona, Jamie O’Rourke, the clown of God, and many others were favorites with my children and remain the same with my grandchildren. Thank you, Mr. dePaola, for many wonderful evenings of reading to my loved ones. (Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust

On Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make the Man. minick0301@gmail.com)