Highlands Music Scene

Highlands heats up cool spring evenings with cool jazz and sharp beats.

After a chilly January and February that forced me indoors, I look forward to warmer days and venturing back into the world, trying to reestablish old routines. As I do I gravitate towards music and the renewal that comes from being in the presence of live performers. And, just in time, the Highlands’ music scene roars back to life.

Hummingbird Lounge

Settle into the warm vibe and comforting surroundings of Hummingbird Lounge as music fills the room, light bites are served, and a roaring wood fireplace is center stage.

The rich, velvety sound of Cy Timmons tinkers with his blend of jazz, love songs, old standards, and contemporary pop in a jazzy bossa-nova style with acoustic guitar. Timmons gets to show off his gorgeous songs in an intimate session, featuring his smooth renditions on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M.

Jazz Tenor Saxophonist Tyler

Kittle brings to the stage the talent that secured him gigs alongside some of the world’s best jazz musicians – including Erykah Badu and American singersongwriter Freddie Bryant. Just wait until Kittle claims the spotlight, unleashing his signature style – all fire and energy. Saturdays from 5:30-7:30 PM.

The music of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon are the inspirations for local musician Zorki. But it’s his standout ability to make one acoustic guitar sound like a band that keeps his fans coming back. On stage most Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Ugly Dog Pub

Entertaining and spirited, Ugly Dog s – the accomplished bluegrass trio of Charles Wood, Darren Nicholson and Colby Nichols – is the nucleus of the music scene and the late-night soul of Highlands. Outstanding pub fare and excellent cocktails combine to make it a town favorite.

Charles Wood is a two-time National Banjo Champion, known for his appearances with Steve Martin and Earl Scruggs on The Late Show with David Letterman.

He’s joined by Darren Nicholson, the Grammy-nominated, 13-time International Bluegrass Music Association Award Winner, and Grand Ole Orpy performer since 2004.

Rounding out the trio is Colby Laney on acoustic guitar, who’s earned a national following thanks to multiple performances at The Grand Ole Opry. Along the way he’s earned two International Bluegrass Music Association Awards and composed a Number One Bluegrass Song, Rich Man’s Daughter.

You’ll find these artists collaborating and crafting a downhome sound every Wednesday night from 6:30-9:30 P.M.

by Marlene Osteen

Spoon Headlines Bear Shadow

Spoon brings decades’ worth of Indie cred to Bear Shadow. For more information, visit bearshadownc.com .

When Spoon ascends the stage at Bear Shadow on Friday, April 28, audiences will see a band that has long been held up by fans and critics as a paragon of Indierock consistency.

Formed in 1993 after front man Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno left a rockabilly group called the Alien Beats, Spoon was really a product of its members coming to Austin in search of the bohemian life that had existed in the city since the late 1960s, when it became a hippy oasis.

Over three decades, Spoon has quietly built one of modern rock’s most robust discographies – putting out multiple alternative hits and scoring a handful of Top 5 albums on the Billboard rock charts.

“They have never made a bad record. They make hits with a nervous guitar, add soul, try electro, greet Prince and The Kinks as well as Motown and Wire,” said Rolling Stone Magazine.

But whatever the mix, the results always sound like Spoon, forever catchy and surprisingly ingenious, with strokes of brilliance and inventiveness.

Last February they released their first album in five years, Lucifer on the Sofa. As one critic remarked, “Spoon have never cranked up their Spooniness so Spoonfully.” It was also their first recording to receive a Grammy nomination. It has been described as one of the band’s “rawest and most straight-ahead albums” and signals the band’s delight in returning to good old rock ‘n roll music. The album’s track Wild is a loving tribute to Neil Diamond. In an era governed by streaming, the song On the Radio, which tells the story of a guy listening to the radio is surely an anomaly. “The song is about how radio made me feel good. When I was lonely, it comforted me a bit and gave me evidence that there was an outside world where people were interacting and life was still happening out there,” Daniel said.

In making Lucifer on the Sofa, Daniel was determined not to lean on technology. “This time it was just more about the rhythm, the syllables, the chords, the melodies.” The album has been universally praised as their best yet, “one of those records that revive forgotten dreams.”

All this adds up to Spoon getting back on the road and reuniting with audiences. As Daniel said, “People go to rock shows to experience real music and real songs that mean something to me, and that’s always going to be powerful. The important thing is to have a shared experience with an audience. The thrill of that will never go away.”

by Marlene Osteen

Celebrating Mother Earth

Earth Day, set for April 22, is a celebration of the mysteries and miracles bestowed upon all those who call this planet Home. On the Plateau, there’s an entire month to revel in.

Though Earth Day has been set aside as a reminder of the blessings that surround all of us, on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau there’s no point to limiting that spirit of gratitude to a single day – we’re all in the midst of year-round celebration.

Just consider the wild places literally right outside our doors; the incursions of bears and raccoons and raucous crows into our public spaces; the set-aside glories curated by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust; the Glades at The Village Green; and the Highlands Nature Center and its unique native-plant Botanical Garden. The Plateau is a place where not much needs to inspire or motivate one to think about, appreciate, and respect nature. The beauty and natural surroundings are what draws people year-round.

In fact, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has a few things throughout April including the relaunch of its popular Eco Tours! You’re invited to a Spring

Wildflower Walk on April 4, and its initial Eco Tour on April 14.

If you’re looking for a more strenuous commemoration, you can join the Land Trust’s two Trail Work Days – April 11 in Highlands and April 25 in Cashiers. And if you’re looking for a more sybaritic way to celebrate Earth Day and support the Land Trust, make sure you visit Whiteside Brewing for Its Grub for Good event.

You can get information on all of this goodness by calling (828) 526-1111 or visiting hicashlt.org.

by Luke Osteen