Mountain Xpress 01.18.17

OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 26 JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

Sex and race at Asheville Fringe

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APD policy favors de-escalation over force Heat pumps drive peak energy demand

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Diana Wortham Theatre

January 28th, 2017

7 PM

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Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Ballet routines. bluestardance@gmail.com

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Diana Wortham Theatre, Downtown Asheville Adults $20.00 Youth $10.00

Tickets are available at Diana Wortham Theatre Box Office

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OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 26 JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

45 min. Massage & 45 min. Cave Session for only $75.00

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APD policy favors de-escalation over force Heat pumps drive peak energy demand Sex and race at Asheville Fringe

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The Conquest of Canaan comes home Jan. 22

The upcoming local screening of The Conquest of Canaan — shot on the streets of Asheville in March 1921 — offers a rarely seen view of our city that today exists only on film.

COVER PHOTO George Masa’s Plateau Studios, courtesy of E M Ball Collection, Special Collections, UNC Asheville COVER DESIGN Norn Cutson

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I was recently touched deeply by the article “Black Lives Matter: Enough Is Enough” [Nov. 30, Xpress].

The perspective shared was very real and deep. And I was saddened to hear that [the writer, Robert White] has apprehension to stroll near his own home. But I understand why. I wish that I could say that I was shocked by his concern, and I wish that I could say that I thought he was wrong. I cannot, which is incredibly sad.

I could also hear in Robert’s writing that it sounded like Robert has hope; I do, too. I pray that we can all keep that hope, move forward toward honest self-reflection and change.

— Abbey Dyer

Asheville

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For the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day weekend, I spent nearly six hours collecting trash from a few hundred yards of the sides of the road and sidewalks in Oakley, the neighborhood where I live, and along the entrance to downtown Asheville where the 240 expressway and 19/23 converge — only because I was tired of looking at all of it every time I passed by.

Nowadays, driving almost anywhere in Asheville and Buncombe County, one might see a plastic bag or piece of cardboard or sheet of paper on the ground or up in a tree or bush, but getting a closer look will unveil beer and soda-pop bottles, and candy and cigarette wrappers, and articles of clothing, and empty snack and food containers, metal objects and even pieces of car parts from accidents. It is a bit of an internal fight to stop the urge to walk 10 more feet collecting the continuous array of detritus.

So here is my challenge to the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for 2017: Create a few dozen part-time jobs, and title them Street Sweeps.

Pay each of them $10 to $15 per hour for 10-20 hours per week, giving

them a reason to be proud to maintain the streets, sidewalks, roadsides and gutters free from all of the sorts of things I found.

Let’s recall what Woodsy Owl would sing: “Give a Hoot — Don’t Pollute … Help Keep (Asheville and North Carolina and) America Looking Good!”

— Michael Harney

Asheville

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O PINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

The Gospel According to Jerry

BY JERRY STERNBERG Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles offering a virtual tour of the riverfront as it has evolved over time. Previous installments can be found online at mountainx.com.

The trains kept delivering huge quantities of black treasure to the river basin, but some pretenders began to threaten King Coal’s empire. These upstart princes came from a rapidly emerging dynasty called Petroleum, whose emissaries were traveling far and wide to challenge King Coal’s awesome power.

Prince Oil, Prince Natural Gas, Prince Diesel and Prince Gasoline were extraordinarily powerful in their own right. They were also more convenient and far less obnoxious, because their use did not produce the billowing black smoke and ash that had fouled

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JERRY STERNBERG

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our air and grayed our landscape for decades.

These princes had yet another crucial advantage: great wizards who produced two miraculous inventions: electricity and the internal combustion engine. Long lines of copper wire were strung above the land, as if a huge spider had spun its metal web, which transferred this groundbreaking, lifechanging energy to homes, businesses and factories.

Meanwhile, underground pipelines delivered Prince Oil and Prince Natural Gas to every corner of the kingdom, making them available to all the king’s subjects. King Coal’s once impregnable throne was now in jeopardy.

No longer did that little boy have to shovel heavy coal into the great gaping maw of a stoker. No longer did the cookstove or the water heater need to be fired with soot-producing coal. At the flip of a switch or the turn of a valve, the furnace would produce the required heat.

These new energy sources also powered brilliant lamps that did not require coal oil or candle wax.

Soon the populace began to shun King Coal. No longer a merry old “soal,” he found himself banished to his last defense: the powerhouse.

For a time, though, King Coal — holed up in his fortress there — was able to salvage much of his influence, because he was still abundant and was the cheapest producer of the new sorcery known as electricity.

Sparks flew as the sovereign valiantly battled these potent foes over his place in the sun. Little did he know, though, that even that distant luminary would eventually attempt to gain a princedom, and yet another unheard of prince, called New Clear, would join the ranks of King Coal’s adversaries, seeking to finish him off once and for all.

In the meantime, back in the river basin, prodigious changes were brewing.

Queen River continued to vent her outrage, possibly because of her mistreatment by the populace, and in 1916 she threw her biggest tantrum ever. Swelling up to a mile wide in places, she flooded the first floor of the train station and the Glen Rock Hotel on Depot Street.

Insurrection in the kingdom Her beautiful Indian cousin, Princess Swannanoa, who’d also suffered many indignities, vented her wrath by flooding the entire village where Baron George Vanderbilt’s serfs lived. Legend has it that some of the local gentry were observed punting in flat-bottomed boats on Biltmore Village Lake.

Devastated, many manufacturers and other businesses began to seek alternate locations where they wouldn’t be at the mercy of Queen River’s whims. This, in turn, led them to look more favorably on the upstart princes, who promised to free them from the river’s retribution.

Instead of the awkward and inefficient steam genny, with its relentless demand for river water, and the cumbersome and unreliable drive wheel, leather belting and line shafts, manufacturers could simply plug their machines into the new electrical web.

And thanks to the wizards’ second invention, the internal combustion engine, huge chariots called trucks could now transport great quantities of goods, so producers no longer needed to be subservient to the railroads.

This newfound freedom sparked a dynamic outmigration from the river basin. And though the kingdom’s great seers, known as planners, continued to consult their crystal balls and predict the future, their divination devices were still clouded with coal smoke: They never saw the insurgency coming.

Nonetheless, the empire was changing, and as the old industries moved out, they were replaced by newer ones that chose to locate in the surrounding farmlands.

The soothsayers had missed their call again.

Next time: “The Dominion in Flux.”

Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol.com. X

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NEWS

SAFETY FIRST

Proposed APD policy favors de-escalation over force

BY ABLE ALLEN aallen@mountainx.com A proposed Asheville Police Department policy hashed out with substantial citizen input could mark a change in the way officers handle volatile situations, proponents say. If the policy is adopted as expected, officers will have to explain how they approached the situation and what they did to try to calm things down before resorting to violence — or, in extreme circumstances, what prevented them from trying to de-escalate.

Already, the groundbreaking cooperative process used to develop the draft policy has gotten high marks from many of those involved.

In the wake of the July 2 killing of Jai “Jerry” Williams by police Sgt. Tyler Radford, the Racial Justice Coalition and the APD formed the Community Police Policy Work Group. Over the course of several months last fall, Police Department staffers and a cross section of community members worked to craft a new use-of-force policy.

The proposed change comes at time when departments all over the country are experiencing increased scrutiny over the use of force, particularly lethal force.

Unhappy that the department’s current policy did not require officers to use de-escalation techniques first, the Racial Justice Coalition, made up of various community groups, approached the APD about changing the policy.

The State Bureau of Investigation later cleared Radford of any legal wrongdoing in the Williams case.

The work group got off to a rocky start, says participant Rich Lee, who represented the coalition (see “Don’t Force It,” Sept.

7, 2016, Xpress). But Lee says he was pleasantly surprised by the process and by law enforcement’s willingness to listen, noting, “It was a huge benefit to the community to be able to go through it.”

DRIVING CHANGE The new policy, developed with the help of facilitators from the Vera Institute of Justice, aims to

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DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS: Asheville Police Department personnel at Basic Law Enforcement Training class, working on self-defense and subject control techniques. While this sort of training is vital to police work, a new paradigm is emerging — reflected in evolving departmental policy — that emphasizes de-escalation and avoiding physical confrontation when responding to volatile situations.

Photo courtesy of APD strike a balance in protecting both police officers and the general public. According to its website, the New York City-based nonprofit’s mission is “To drive change. To urgently build and improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety and strengthen communities.”

The institute’s final report had high praise for the Asheville work group, pointing out that while police departments nationwide “are increasingly getting community input on draft policies, the process of actively engaging a wide range of community stakeholders — at the beginning and throughout the development of the policy — is unique and a model for other jurisdictions.” Lead facilitator Hassan Aden said, “This is the first process for such a policy that completely gives community a voice and power in terms of how they are policed.”

The approach, he noted, is particularly appropriate in cases like this, because a use-of-force policy regulates the single greatest threat to community members from police.

On Nov. 21, after reviewing the draft, the work group signed off on

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the policy. “It was very collaborative,” says Aden, “and not without dissent. There were areas ... [where] certain members of the community didn’t agree with certain language.

Sometimes the Police Department didn’t. And we just worked through that and got it to a point where everyone was happy with the language.”

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Still, the work group wasn’t starting from scratch. The new policy is based on “Guiding Principles on Use of Force,” a March 2016 report produced by the Police Executive Research Forum. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit conducts research on critical police issues. The work group also looked at recently updated policies from Seattle and Minneapolis, which APD Chief Tammy Hooper says reflect similar best practices.

“Guiding Principles” challenges conventional thinking about police use of force, emphasizing the sanctity of life as well as the need for continual improvement in policy, practice and training, including con-

sideration of community expectations. The report stresses alternative approaches such as proportional use of force, de-escalation of tense situations, and trying to slow things down rather than making hasty decisions.

Officers should work together, train together, hold one another accountable and try to build public trust. Any use of force should be documented thoroughly. “Guiding Principles” also pays special attention to how mental illness and other extenuating circumstances can affect interactions with police.

Even without the community input, says Hooper, the APD might have produced a similar policy, but “I don’t think it would have the depth that it does.” The group, she says, had strong feelings about certain kinds of language — especially what members saw as hackneyed catchphrases and empty legal jargon.

And though the APD is taking public comment on the proposed policy through Jan. 31, Hooper says she doesn’t expect it to change much. The chief hopes to implement something fairly close to the current draft within the next six months.

COMMUNICATION BREAKTHROUGH The draft policy’s opening sentence sets the tone for what follows.

“The Asheville Police Department is committed to preserving and protecting all lives,” it states, “and to upholding our community’s values while inspiring mutual respect and public trust.” To Lee, that displays sensitivity to community concerns.

“The fact that that’s at the very beginning, where people are more likely to read it, is really powerful,” he points out.

Work group members, notes Aden, didn’t need to be experts on police policy — that was his job. They were there to give their 2 cents’ worth on how the community wants to hold its Police Department accountable.

“We had great input from everybody that was a participant in this,” says Hooper, “even people that don’t necessarily oftentimes agree with the police. They gave their time and effort to help us produce something that’s valuable and valid.”

Work group member Beth Maczka, the CEO of the local YWCA, says she witnessed genuine efforts by stakeholders from all backgrounds to look out for one another’s interests. “I heard compassion and understanding from both sides: community members who expressed real concern for officer safety, and officers expressing the desire for deeper connection with the community they serve,” says Maczka, who also co-chairs the Racial Justice Coalition. Several participants said reviewing the policy had heightened their awareness of the dangers officers face.

Giving work group members a real say in shaping the document may have encouraged them to consider more perspectives, notes Hooper, because they felt a shared responsibility for creating a policy that meets the needs of both the police and the community at large.

DE-ESCALATING VOLATILE SITUATIONS The most substantial change in the almost totally reworked policy, says Hooper, is the addition of clear language about de-escalation. Anytime a police officer reports having used force, he or she will also have to document the attempts to de-escalate the situation first.

Like the revised Minneapolis and Seattle policies, the APD’s document requires officers to consider,

before using force, whether a person’s resistance or lack of compliance might result from a medical condition, mental impairment, developmental disability, language barrier, the influence of drugs or alcohol or a behavioral crisis. But Asheville’s draft policy goes further, adding perceived age to the list.

Aden says he’s particularly pleased about that because, elsewhere in the country, children have been hurt or killed by police. He says he doesn’t know of another policy anywhere that includes this criterion.

“While the use of force remains a legal police option,” notes the Vera Institute’s final report, “policing experts agree that utilizing deescalation increases the chances of gaining suspect compliance before force becomes necessary.” Both the current and proposed APD policies allow even lethal force in cases where it’s warranted and consistent with state and federal law. Under the APD’s new policy, however, any officer using force will have some explaining to do.

Rondell Lance, president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, says that while including community members in the process was important for building trust, he doesn’t see major practical differences in how officers will handle the harsh situations police sometimes face. “Some people, I think, have got the idea that all of a sudden, the police are just going to roll over,” he says. “They’ve still got to do their job; they’ve got to protect their self.

People don’t want to go to jail; people don’t want to be caught. They’re still going to fight, they’re going to kick, they’re going to do everything they can do to hurt the officers.”

The new policy, says Lance, will help officers know what’s expected of them, but real change will require having experienced officers on the street, improving their working conditions with things like shorter shifts and giving them more support — both within and outside the department.

TRAINING BLITZ Hooper, meanwhile, is adamant about the need for thorough training before the changes take effect. “The policy cannot be implemented until the officers are trained,” she says.

“That’s going to be a big focus for us in the first quarter of this year, so they have a complete understanding about what the expectations are and how this changes what we want them to do.”

Work group member Curry First, a retired civil rights attorney who chairs the ACLU of Western North Carolina, agrees. “There is much work to do with the overarching issue of training the officers on the new policy and developing a culture around it so the policy is accepted and supported,” he says. He’d also like to see the work group, with guidance from the Vera Institute, periodically review both the policy and the department’s actual performance, especially concerning de-escalation.

Work group participants recommended training all APD officers in de-escalation policy, community resilience/trauma, mental health/ community wellness, critical decision-making, nonphysical response strategies, and use of tone and language. And the department, Hooper notes, already does “implicit bias” training that considers the perspectives of vulnerable communities.

In addition, the APD has sent three officers to New Orleans for ICAT training (an acronym for “integrating communications, assessment and tactics”). Developed by the Police Executive Research Forum, the approach is “designed to fill a critical gap in training police officers in how to respond to volatile situations in which subjects are behaving erratically and often dangerously but do not possess a firearm,” the group’s website explains.

APD accreditation manager Hannah Silberman drafted the new policy, based on the documents provided to the work group, and Aden says she “did a fantastic job.” The resulting draft, he says, is easy to read and easy to understand. Shorter than the current version, its more concise language could help officers operate in the spirit of the policy.

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STEP BY STEP Clearly, the process of developing the policy was a public relations win for Hooper and her department.

Some of the APD’s most vocal critics have already endorsed the draft.

But almost everyone interviewed for this story, including Hooper, agreed that while the new policy is a positive step, the department needs to demonstrate continued vigilance and work on improving relationships with the community.

Curry First, for example, says that though he was satisfied with both the process and the result, the key question is whether the APD holds its officers accountable. “Inevitably in a

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NEWS large department,” says First, “there will be violations of the policy, and the department’s investigation, review and discipline [in response to those] violations will be a further test of how well the department is serving our community.”

As CEO of the Asheville Housing Authority, work group member Gene Bell is very familiar with the strained relationships between public housing residents and police. And though he was pleased with both the process and the draft document that came out of it, Bell points out that a policy can go only so far in addressing things like distrust, ill will and bias. “If the intent of the policy is to not have a police officer use too much force,” he says, “is that a policy issue, or is that a human

issue?” Simply having a policy on the books, he maintains, won’t stop individual officers from behaving in a certain way, any more than having speed-limit signs or murder laws on the books prevents those crimes.

Maczka shares Bell’s concern but says she’s hopeful because of the way it’s reflected in the written policy. “A lot of places have policies, and people still get shot by officers,” she says.

“But I believe our community will be safer because of the combination of policies and the training that the chief is committed to focusing on.”

To view the draft use-of-force policy and the Vera Institute’s report, visit avl.mx/3b3. To submit comments or questions, go to avl.mx/3b2. The deadline for public comment is 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31. X

Policy work group Here’s a complete list of Community Police Policy Work Group participants, according to the Vera Institute of Justice: • Amy Jackson — Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce • Carmen Ramos-Kennedy — Asheville Branch of the NAACP • Julie Mayfield — Asheville City Council • Pamela Baldwin — Asheville City Schools • DeLores Venable — Black Lives Matter Asheville • Jasmine Beach-Ferrara — Campaign for Southern Equality • Tyrone Greenlee — Christians for a United Community • Curry First — ACLU of Western North Carolina, Elders Fierce for Justice

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• Gene Bell — Asheville Housing Authority • Rev. Damita Wilder — Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance • Eric Howard — North Carolina Courts • Angelica Wind — Our Voice • James Lee — Racial Justice Coalition and Building Bridges • Sir Charles Gardner — Asheville Housing Authority Residents Council • Bettie Council — Stop the Violence Coalition • Beth Maczka — YWCA of Asheville • Chief Tammy Hooper — APD • Capt. Mark Byrd — APD • Lt. Jackie Stepp — APD • Sgt. James Boyce — APD • Hannah Silberman — APD

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Council explores district elections 232-unit apartment moves ahead At its Jan. 10 meeting, Asheville City Council agreed to undertake an effort to assess interest in district elections for the seven-member City Council. Council members and the mayor are currently elected in citywide, at-large voting.

A bill to impose districts on the city introduced by retiring Sen. Tom Apodaca of Hendersonville during the last session of the N.C. General Assembly came close to succeeding, Mayor Esther Manheimer said. Assuming that city staff has time to take on the project of collecting citizen input to determine how Asheville residents would prefer to elect municipal leaders in the future, Manheimer said, “I don’t see a downside of trying to gauge interest in district elections.”

Council instructed city staff to develop a program for studying the issue to provide “a robust opportunity for people to weigh in,” in the words of the mayor. She did not open the floor to public comment on district elections, saying it was best to begin collecting that input during the study.

— Virginia Daffron MOUNTAIN ISN’T BIG ENOUGH The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment moved a 232-unit apartment complex in East Asheville a step closer to reality. The proposed project,

off Piney Mountain Drive in the Chunns Cove area, triggered a conditional use permit due to its building height request.

The lot is zoned R-2, which allows for a maximum height of 32 feet, but the project developer requested the height be extended to 62 feet.

The developer noted that the project would only be building on 10 of 31 acres available and is using a lower density than allowed by zoning. R-2 permits a density of 12 units per acre while the project calls for about 7.4 units per acre.

However, a group of about five people attended the meeting to voice concerns about the proposed project, mainly traffic, environmental disturbance and crime.

Since the proposed project is off a city road and meets a size threshold of over 100 units, the city will require a traffic study.

To that end, board Chair George Lycan urged those concerned about traffic to get involved. “It helps. You at least find out what is going on, and voices of the community are taken into consideration.”

In regard to rent costs, the developer noted the apartments would not be for low-income tenants and would likely be comparable to what nearby condo owners could charge for their units.

The board unanimously approved the conditional use permit.

— Dan Hesse

RUBBING SHOULDERS: Civic Center Commission member Yvonne Cook-Riley, left, speaks with Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler at a lunch for the city of Asheville’s volunteer board and commission chairs on Jan. 10. Photo by Virginia Daffron GROWING LIKE A WEED Wicked Weed Brewing received unanimous approval for expansion of its production facility in Candler.

The 28,684-square-foot addition called for a conditional use permit because it will bring the brewery’s total footprint to more than 50,000 square feet.

Mitchel Sorin, on behalf of Wicked Weed Brewing, noted that New Belgium’s nearby production facility spans more than 100,000 square feet and his client’s expansion would be in the character of the industrial area.

Nobody spoke against the project, and the board unanimously approved the expansion.

— Dan Hesse HAVING LUNCH ON THE CITY Manheimer and members of City Council hosted the chairs of the city’s volunteer citizen boards and commissions at a lunch at the U.S. Cellular Center on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The annual event provides an overview of the laws and procedures all publicly appointed bodies must follow and offers a chance for board chairs to ask questions and interact with Council members and city staff.

Three board chairs shared some thoughts about the year to come with Xpress.

Architect Carleton Collins, who is embarking on his second year as chair of the Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission, said he finds serving on the commission a “meaningful way to give back to the community.” In 1984, he said,

as a graduate student at Clemson University, he did the first planning study for the River Arts District. Thus, he’s been watching the area develop over a long period of time. This year, the commission will focus on how the federally funded Transportation Improvement Projects underway in the RAD will create the framework for future development in the area, including new greenways. Also, he said, his board will continue its active engagement in the creation of a formbased zoning code for the area.

Sasha Mitchell has served as chair of the African-American Heritage Commission since the board’s inception about 2 1/2 years ago. Mitchell said she’s excited about $20,000 in funding commitments from the city of Asheville and Buncombe County which will funda planning and visioning initiative on how the community will honor its AfricanAmerican heritage. An important piece of that effort, she said, will be working closely with other groups that are creating monuments and other installations on local AfricanAmerican history.

Downtown Commission chair Adrian Vassallo said his board will advocate for city investment in downtown infrastructure this year, with a particular focus on sidewalks.

Lexington Avenue and Haywood Street are areas in great need of sidewalk improvements for safety, quality of life and business, he said. Walkability is a major concern among downtown businesses and residents, both within the core of downtown and in the rapidly growing South Slope, he said.

— Virginia Daffron X

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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N EWS F E AT U R E

by Frank Thompson

mhunt@mountainx.com

ASHEVILLE ON PARADE The Conquest of Canaan comes home

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MOUNTAINX.COM

For local film aficionados, The Conquest of Canaan, which will be screened at Grail Moviehouse on Sunday, Jan. 22, offers more than a movie. Shot on the streets of Asheville in March 1921, Conquest is a trip in a time machine, a tour of a lost city, a stroll past homes, neighborhoods, businesses and churches that today exist only on film.

Every movie, to some extent, contains within it a kind of accidental documentary of the time and place in which it was made. When a film is shot on location, as The Conquest of Canaan was, the background can emerge to become the main subject.

Based on Booth Tarkington’s 1905 novel, Conquest’s story and characters are compelling. But watching the film here nearly a century later, the main attractions are those precious images of Pack Square, the SwannanoaBerkeley Hotel on Biltmore Avenue, the trolley cars, the long-gone First Baptist Church at College and Spruce, the Southern Railway station, City Hall, the vanished fire station, the old Patton-Parker House at the corner of Chestnut and Charlotte, the original Pack Memorial Library, the Princess Theatre and so much more.

Because of all that, Asheville residents could easily forget that the story is set in Indiana; Tarkington was, after all, the quintessential Hoosier. Joe Louden (Thomas Meighan), a young ne’er-do-well, repeatedly goes up against Canaan’s establishment, in the person of Boss Pike (Louis Hendricks).

When his lifelong friend Ariel (Doris Kenyon) inherits a fortune and heads to Paris, Joe also leaves Canaan to study law. But he returns to defend the underdog, fight corruption and redeem himself in the eyes of his hometown.

Famous Players-Lasky had a studio on each coast. The task of adapting Conquest for the screen was handed to the New York branch. But filming in Indiana — or New York, for that matter — during the winter was problematic, so the studio looked south for a suitable location. In February 1921, the Asheville Board of Trade received a telegram from Paramount asking if there might be a place in Western North Carolina that offered a “town square, courthouse, buildings similar to a small western town of about 3,000.”

The quick reply, according to the Asheville Citizen, assured Paramount, “There isn’t anything we can’t supply in the way of scenery.”

HEART AND SOUL Location manager Arthur Cozine arrived on March 3, 1921, and immediately recognized that Asheville was the place. Before day’s end, he’d telegraphed Paramount instructing them to send along the cast and crew right away.

Roy William Neill was the director, and newcomer Frank Tuttle wrote the script.

Meighan and Kenyon’s supporting cast included Diana Allen, Alice Fleming and Meighan’s brother-in-law Cyril Ring.

On March 6, 1921, the Asheville Citizen’s headline proclaimed, “Lasky Company Arrives Today for Filming of Great Picture.” The company was met by a passel of city officials. A banquet that night was only the first of many such festivities.

Those social and civic obligations made working on the film an around-the-clock endeavor. They worked all day on the streets of Asheville and, at night, attended functions hosted by Kiwanis, the Rotary Club and the American Legion. Kenyon and other members of the troupe visited the Asheville Jail and handed out cigarettes to prisoners.

CASTING CALL: This ad in the March 24, 1921, Asheville Citizen urged locals to chase a dog with a tin can tied to its tail. Hundreds turned out to do so. Such ads drew crowds of extras throughout production of the film.

The company went out of its way to endear itself to both press and public.

When an Asheville Citizen reporter was interviewing the Swedish-born Diana Allen, Meighan elbowed him aside, saying, “Let me interview her.” Turning to Allen, he said: “Do you ever fall in love with the leading man? When he caresses you, do you put your heart and soul into it?” Allen laughed loudly, and readers were assured that the movie stars were charming, affable and, most important, nice.

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OF TIME AND PACK SQUARE: This shot of The Conquest of Canaan filming was taken by George Masa’s Plateau Studios, using the Greene & Goodwin Insurance Co. fire escape to get a high shot of Pack Square. The studio shared the second floor of 1½ Biltmore Ave. with this office. Photo courtesy of E M Ball Collection, Special Collections, UNC Asheville MOUNTAINX.COM

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FROM ASHEVILLE TO ‘CANAAN’: Actor Thomas Meighan steps off a trolley car in front of the Swannanoa-Berkeley Hotel at 45-47 Biltmore Ave. Director R. William Neill stands with his back to us, while Harry Perry cranks the camera. Reflectors were used to coax a little more light onto the star. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Collection, Pack Memorial Library It didn’t take much to transform Asheville into Canaan. One trolley car was fitted up with a sign reading “Canaan Rapid Transit Co.” The Swannanoa-Berkeley Hotel’s picture window was repainted to say “National House,” and a sign reading “Joseph Louden: Attorney at Law” was placed on a stairway entrance at 8 1/2 N. Pack Square, between H. Petrie, Tailor, and C.D. Kenny importers. For one day, the new Emporium Department Store was rechristened “Pike’s Emporium.”

Unfortunately, that particular day had been slated for an Easter sale that had been advertised for weeks. The sale was bumped back a week, and to make up for the loss, Meighan, Kenyon and their co-stars showed up to host the event.

The crowds were so big, the Emporium’s owner had to stop letting people in.

The shooting began March 9, with Thomas Meighan boarding a trolley car at the corner of Broadway and Patton Avenue. That scene actually appears more than halfway through the film.

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STORMING THE COURTHOUSE Ironically, since Asheville was chosen because of its climate, bad weather plagued the production. Several days of shooting had to be postponed or, in some cases, reshot due to rain. And when it wasn’t raining, the skies were dark and cloudy. A couple of locals, interviewed years later, remembered all the “mirrors” at every setup. These reflectors were used to throw as much extra light as possible.

The film’s outdoor locations are remarkable enough, but some scenes show interiors that can be seen almost nowhere else, and certainly not filled with such lively motion. Neill filmed in the lobby and cafe inside the Swannanoa-Berkeley Hotel as well as the basement of the building at 22 S. Pack Square, which had once been the home of the monument shop owned by Thomas Wolfe’s father, W.O. Wolfe. In the movie, it’s a pool hall.

On March 21 and again on the 26th, the company was allowed to shoot the

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film’s trial scene inside an actual courtroom. Even more remarkable, the notorious Slagle trial, in which three brothers were accused of murder, was just ending, and Neill asked the jurors if they’d be kind enough to stick around and play the jury in Conquest. They agreed. Asheville attorney R.S. McCall played the judge, and Register of Deeds George A. Digges played the court clerk.

Throughout the filming, the streets were lined with onlookers. Two mob scenes in Pack Square, as well as a scene at the railway station, required large crowds. Ads in the local papers notified readers when and where the company would be filming. Each time, people showed up, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. If not enough people responded, passers-by were offered $5 to appear in the scene. The publicity department claimed that 6,000 locals appeared in the film.

“One sequence in the script called for the crowd to storm the courthouse,” Frank Tuttle recalled in his memoir, They

Started Talking. “Neill shot all the medium and close setups first, his camera angled toward the building. During these preliminaries … assistants and the local police roped off the spectators who had come for miles to watch us. Meanwhile, Roy had a second camera ready to set up inside the doorway, shooting toward the watching crowd. ... As soon as the second cameraman was ready and signaled the assistants, they dropped the ropes and urged the watchers forward. The milling hundreds stormed the courthouse as though it were the Bastille. It was a dilly.”

FRIENDLY AND HEARTY COOPERATION At the end of March, most of the company left for the New York studios, where the bulk of the interiors were filmed, as well as a shipyard scene and the exterior of the “Beaver Beach” roadhouse. Cameraman Harry Perry and a small crew remained behind, hoping for one more sunny day.

BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: A camera crew films Pack Square from a fire escape on Biltmore Ave. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Collection, Pack Memorial Library On April 3, the Citizen ran an ad stating, “Mr. Thomas Meighan and Mr. R. William Neil [sic] and the members of the company, before leaving for their studio in New York, wish publically to thank the people of Asheville for their friendly and hearty co-operation in the filming of — ‘The Conquest of Canaan.’”

The movie opened in Asheville’s Majestic Theatre on Aug. 15, 1921.

An item in the Citizen testified that “Asheville people were delighted with the story, with the acting, with scenes of their home town — and with themselves.”

There’s an unfounded belief — perpetuated by many an article on the subject — that the film received scathing reviews everywhere but Asheville and was a boxoffice bomb. In fact, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive nationwide. The Washington Times called it “brilliant.”

And even in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where locals were pretty protective of Booth Tarkington, The News-Sentinel called it “a superb cinematic treat ... as attractive as it is artistic and satisfying.” The few negative reviews were mostly of the “not as good as the book” variety.

The Conquest of Canaan was not a blockbuster, but it did turn a profit.

And “profit” does not spell “bomb” in any language.

UP IN SMOKE There’s one important difference between The Conquest of Canaan and the many earlier films produced in Asheville. While those other mov-

ies were being made, the people of Asheville were mere spectators; for Canaan, they were participants. Each of them could cling to the dream that his or her face would somehow end up on the screen.

And many of them were right. Few, however, could have guessed that nearly 96 years later, their faces would once again be seen on a local screen.

It’s something of a miracle that The Conquest of Canaan survived at all. In the days before television, video and the internet, most films were considered obsolete after their initial release, as irrelevant as last week’s comic strip.

Only select stars — Charlie Chaplin, for example — merited a rerelease of their older films.

We don’t know precisely what happened to the prints and negatives of Conquest. According to historian/archivist David Pierce’s comprehensive 2013 survey, The Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912-1929, only 361 of Paramount’s 1,222 silent features survive. The reasons range from vault fires to the volatility of nitrate film to studio policies of junking films taking up valuable vault space. Sometimes when a film required a bonfire scene, someone would just go into the vaults and bring out some nitrate film, which burned brightly and beautifully.

In the 1960s, however, many “lost” American features started turning up in foreign archives. Moscow’s Gosfilmofond has been a rich source of such discoveries, as has the Czech National Film Archive. When these

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Silent movies shot in Asheville

HIGH DRAMA: “Judge Pike” (played by Louis Hendricks) incites the mob to storm the courtroom at the climax of The Conquest of Canaan. Asheville’s City Hall plays the role of the Canaan Courthouse. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Collection, Pack Memorial Library films were first released, American studios generally felt it wasn’t worth the shipping cost to reclaim prints from such faraway places. Russia and Czechoslovakia understood the importance of film preservation much earlier than almost any U.S. institution.

In the late 1980s, WLOS producer Bill Banner began searching for The Conquest of Canaan, recognizing it as a precious piece of local history. Doug Swaim of Asheville’s Historic Resources Commission joined the hunt. “We called all the major film archives and, at first, no one had even heard of it,” Swaim told Citizen staff writer Tony Kiss in 1989.

Swaim said that someone at New York’s Museum of Modern Art had noticed that Gosfilmofond held a print. “We wrote to [Moscow], and they were extremely accommodating,” Swaim recalled.

“They were willing to make us a copy for just over $1,000.” The Historic Resources Commission raised $1,260 to make the purchase in September 1988.

This print, which still had Russian intertitles, had one public showing in 1989 at the Beaucatcher Cinemas. As the film unspooled, a Russian speaker translated the titles on the fly.

After that, however, nothing. The print eventually ended up in cold storage in UNC Asheville’s D.H. Ramsey Library,

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but it was never shown again. On Dec. 13, 2016, Asheville’s mayor and City Council, acknowledging that both the university and the city “lack appropriate long-term facilities,” agreed to donate the print to the Library of Congress.

By the time Asheville’s print arrived there on Dec. 21, the Library of Congress was already moving forward to preserve The Conquest of Canaan. In 2010, Gosfilmofond had given the library digital scans of several features that no American archive held, Conquest among them. The library is now negotiating to access the original nitrate 35mm print from Moscow in order to do a full restoration, which will result in a new 35mm negative.

LABOR OF LOVE Earlier this year, I obtained a digital copy and started working to make it suitable for screening. First, I enlisted the aid of Irina Kipervaser, who translated the intertitles from Russian.

I then “retranslated” the translations (going from English to Russian and back to English is a bit like a game of telephone). For guidance, I referred to Tarkington’s novel as well as the only surviving script, a first draft that has only a marginal connection to the film as it was eventually released.

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For some reason The Conquest of Canaan is widely believed to be the first film made in Asheville. Google “Asheville’s First Movie” and you’ll encounter the claim all over the place. But it wasn’t the first — not by a long shot. Canaan came along only after a solid two decades of Asheville moviemaking.

This filmography lists only dramatic films produced in Asheville — that is, movies with actors and scripts. It’s impossible to be precise about the number of “actualities” and newsreels made here. We can verify 41 such films, but there were certainly more.

Even this list of features can’t claim to be complete. There are hints that as many as 12 more were shot in the area, but they can’t yet be confirmed.

The Conquest of Canaan is the only Asheville silent film known to survive.

A Warning From the Past (June 12,1914) Edison Meg of the Mountains (June 27, 1914) Edison In the Shadow of Disgrace (July 10, 1914) Edison Across the Burning Trestle (July 18, 1914) Edison Farmer Rodney’s Daughter (Aug. 1, 1914) Edison M’Liss (March 8, 1915) World Film Co. The Butterfly (May 10, 1915) World Film Captain Bob of the National Guard (9-30-1915) Special Feature Films

Production Co. Then I’ll Come Back to You (April 3, 1916) World Film Corp.

A Romance of Asheville (May 1, 1916) Hudris Film Co. The Summer Girl (Aug. 14, 1916) World Film Co. The Foolish Virgin (Sept. 26, 1916) Selznick The Warfare of the Flesh (May, 1917) Edward Warren Productions The Ordeal of Rosetta (July 21, 1918) Select Pictures Corp.

The Panther Woman (Nov. 25, 1918) First National Thunderbolts of Fate (April 6, 1919) Edward Warren Productions The Gauntlet (July 1920) Vitagraph The Conquest of Canaan (Aug. 21, 1921) Paramount Pictures An Asheville Romance (July 7, 1925) Asheville Citizen The Baseball Sheik (Sept. 22, 1926) Fitzgerald Films We’re Careful Now (aka Just Kids, April 8, 1929) Asheville Citizen

— Frank Thompson

The translated intertitles were sent to graphic designer David B. Pearson in Mississippi. He redid them in the font used by Paramount in 1921 and created an era-perfect Paramount logo and credit titles. Finally, Steve White of Grail Moviehouse edited the titles into my digital copy.

The Jan. 22 screening will be the first time in nearly a century that a theater audience will see this film in something like its original form.

The event will feature live music

by Asheville stride pianist Andrew Fletcher, an accomplished silent film accompanist. I will introduce the film and answer questions afterward.

It may be years before the full 35mm restoration is completed. But in the meantime, after a journey of many decades and thousands of miles, The Conquest of Canaan has come home.

Asheville resident Frank Thompson is a writer and film historian, the author of more than 40 books and nearly 2,000 articles. His next book is Asheville Movies Volume I: The Silent Era. He can be reached at thompsonesque@gmail.com or thecommentarytrack.com. X

COMING SOON

Grail Moviehouse (45 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville) will screen The Conquest of Canaan Sunday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. with live musical accompaniment by Andrew Fletcher. Frank Thompson will introduce the film; a Q&A will follow the screening. Tickets ($15) are available online or at the box office. For details, call the theater at 828-239-9392, or visit grailmoviehouse.com/ special-events//the-conquestof-canaan.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR JANUARY 18 - 26, 2017

all skill levels welcome. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • 4th TUESDAYS, 6-8pm - "Sit-nStitch," informal, self-guided gathering for knitters and crocheters. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TU (1/24), 6-7:30pm - “Preventing Identity Theft,” class presented by OnTrack WNC Financial Education and Counseling. Registration required: 255-5166. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • 4th TUESDAYS, 7-9pm - "Advance Care Planning Workshop," sponsored by the Mountain Coalition for Healthcare Decisions. Free. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx. com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

ANIMALS BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • TH (1/19), 4pm - “It’s For the Birds!” Presentation for all ages by NC Arboretum naturalists about local bird populations. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville FRIENDS OF THE SMOKIES 452-0720, friendsofthesmokies.org, outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org • TH (1/19), 7pm - "Elk in Western North Carolina," presentation.

Free to attend. Held at Blue Ghost Brewing Company, 125 Underwood Road. Fletcher TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY LIBRARY 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, 884-3151 • TH (1/19) or TH (1/26), 6:30pm "Wildlife of Transylvania County," presentation by the Friends of DuPont Forest. Free.

BENEFITS CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 754-2486, caldwellarts.com • SA (1/21), 7pm - Proceeds from the "Lenoir Comedy Club" event featuring host Yulson Suddreth and comedians Jarrod Harris and Blayr Nias benefit the Caldwell Arts Council. $35/$30 advance/$200 for a table of eight. Held at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, 1913 Hickory Blvd., SE Lenior CELEBRATION SINGERS OF ASHEVILLE 230-5778, singasheville.org • Through MO (2/13) - Proceeds from purchasing a singing telegram Valentine's Day delivery featuring chocolate, roses and the Celebration Singers of Asheville benefit the Celebration Singers of Asheville.

Registration: 424-1463 or charmsfloral.com. $40-$200.

CLIMB FOR COURAGE BENEFIT smacasheville.com/ • FR (1/20), 6:30-9:30pm - Proceeds from this “Climb for Courage,” rock-climbing competition benefit the Salvation Army’s Project FIGHT. $5 per climb. Held at the Smokey Mountain Adventue Center, 173 Amboy Road

NAMASTE CENTER BENEFIT gregbradennamaste.com • FR (1/20), 5:30pm - Proceeds from this reception and wine tasting with question and answer session and presentation by Gregg Braden benefit the Namaste Center. $100.

Held in the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall • SA (1/21), 9am-5pm - Proceeds from "Human By Design: From Evolution by Chance to Transformation by Choice," workshop by author Gregg Braden benefit the Namaste Center.

Lunch included. $119. Held in the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall • SA (1/21), 7pm - Proceeds from this concert with Martha Reich Braden benefit the Namaste Center. $25. Held in the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall WARHORSE JAM BENEFIT 232-5800 • SA (1/21), noon-5pm - Proceeds from the “Warhorse Jam” musical event featuring a silent auction and raffle benefit the Gray family medical expenses. $15. Held at the Grey Eagle Music Hall & Tavern, 185 Clingman Ave.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TH (1/19), 3-6pm - "Using WordPress to Build a Website for Your Business," seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TU (1/24), 10am-11:30am "SBA: Programs and Services for Your Small Business," workshop.

Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Madison Site, 4646 US 25-70 Marshall • WE (1/25), 10-11:30am - "Doing Business with the Government," workshop. Registration required.

Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler G&W INVESTMENT CLUB klcount@aol.com • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 11:45am General meeting. Free to attend.

Held at Black Forest Restaurant, 2155 Hendersonville Road, Arden

WOMEN MARCH ON ASHEVILLE: The Women’s March on Asheville, which is organized in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, will take place this Saturday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. beginning at Pack Square Park and moving throughout downtown Asheville. “My aim in organizing this march,” says Dr. Marie Germain, the lead organizer for the march, “is to peacefully show our new administration that we stand together in solidarity with our families and friends for the protection of our rights, safety, and health. We recognize that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our democratic society.” For more information, visit goo.gl/i2GX4H (p. 19) CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS COOKING CLASS: FISHERMAN'S STEW BOUILLABAISSE TO CIOPPINO (PD.) Local sharp cheese and crusty homemade bread and butter. BYO white wine to complete this meal to perfection. 917-566-5238. www.ofrishomecooking.com POLE DANCE + AERIAL ARTS + FLEXIBILITY CLASSES AT EMPYREAN ARTS (PD.) •Exotic Pole Dance on Mondays 8:00-9:15pm •Beginning Pole on Wednesdays 5:30-6:30pm, Thursdays 11:00am-12:00pm, Saturdays 11:45am-12:45pm, and Sundays 5:45-6:45pm •Flexibility on Tuesdays 8:00-9:15pm and Thursdays 1:00-2:15pm. •Beginning Aerial Arts on Tuesdays from 11:00am-12:00pm and Wednesdays 4:15-5:15pm. Sign up at Empyreanarts.org.

THE GREATEST EVENT IN HISTORY IS UNFOLDING NOW (PD.) The Transformation Has Begun.

Maitreya, The World Teacher is in the world. Rise of people power.

Economic, Social, environmental justice. UFO sightings. Crop Circles.

Signs/miracles. Find out how these events are related. Saturday, January 21 - Asheville Friends Meeting

house. 227 Edgewood Rd. 2pm.

Free presentation. 828-398-0609 ASHEVILLE TOASTMASTERS CLUB 914-424-7347, ashevilletoastmasters.com • THURSDAYS, 6:15pm - General meeting. Free. Held at YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St. BIG IVY COMMUNITY CENTER 540 Dillingham Road, Barnardsville, 626-3438 • 4th MONDAYS, 7pm - Community center board meeting. Free.

BLUE RIDGE TOASTMASTERS CLUB blueridgetoastmasters.com/ membersarea/, fearless@blueridgetoastmasters.org • Through FR (1/20) - Open registration for the "Be Fearless: Speak and Lead with Confidence Workshop," taking place MONDAYS (1/23) until (2/13) from noon-1:25pm.

Registration required: fearless. blueridgetoastmasters.com. $20.

Held at Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Ave. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • WE (1/18), 4-7pm "Intergenerational Knit Night" with refreshments. Supplies provided,

HOMECOMING CAREER FAIR goo.gl/i0BZWV • WE (1/18), 11am-4pm - The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce hosts this large annual career fair. Free to attend. Held at WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road HOMINY VALLEY RECREATION PARK 25 Twin Lakes Drive, Candler, 242-8998, hvrpsports.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Hominy Valley board meeting. Free.

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.Center

HHH

• 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - The Leicester History Gathering general meeting. Free.

MILLS RIVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River, 891-7101 • SU (1/22) through TU (1/31), noon8pm - "Puzzlefest," event with 4,000 piece and 1,000 piece puzzles available for completion. Free.

MOMS DEMAND ACTION momsdemandaction.org • TH (1/19), 4pm - General meeting.

Free to attend. Held at Ben's TuneUp, 195 Hilliard Ave. OLLI AT UNCA 251-6140, olliasheville.com • FR (1/20), 5-6:30pm - "Death Café," discussion, storytelling and exploration of ideas and feelings about death. Free. Held in the Reuter Center.

ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (1/19), 5:30-7pm - "Budgeting and Debt Class." Registration required. Free.

• MO (1/23), noon-1:30pm "Budgeting and Debt Class."

Registration required. Free.

• TU (1/24), noon-1:30pm "Understanding Reverse Mortgages," seminar. Registration required. Free.

• TH (1/26), noon-1:30pm "Understanding Credit. Get it.

Keep it. Improve it." Workshop.

Registration required. Free.

INAUGURATION-RELATED EVENTS

HHH

100 DAYS OF CREATION CARE ACTIONS

THE ELECTION MONOLOGUES

creationcarealliance.org • FR (1/20), 5-7pm - “Caring for Creation in Uncertain Times,” a gathering for lament, hope and action with music, prayer and refreshments. Free. Held at Lenoir Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave.

254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • FR (1/20), 6pm - Event with Ashevillians reading monologues about how the election has affected them. Free to attend. Held at The BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 South Market St.

FORWARD TOGETHER DAY 121 College St., goo.gl/IrXp42 • FR (1/20), 11am-4pm “Forward Together Day,” event to support the LGBTQ+, people of color, women, people with disabilities, people of all faiths and religions or none, the environment and civil liberties. Free.

Held at Pack Square Park, 121 College St.

WOMEN’S MARCH ON ASHEVILLE goo.gl/i2GX4H • SA (1/21), 11am - Women’s march through downtown Asheville in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington.

Free. Held at Pack Square Park, 121 College St.

J20 DAY OF RESISTANCE AND GENERAL STRIKE 255-8115, goo.gl/HJrp3T • FR (1/20), 10am-midnight - Gathering in support of community and network building.

Day-long events include free lunch, workshops and potluck dinner. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Bookstore, 610 Haywood Road

WOMEN’S MARCH HEALING CEREMONY 252-5335, jubileecommunity.org • SA (1/21), 1-3pm - Healing ceremony in support of the Women’s March. Offerings of poetry, sage, tobacco or sweet grass accepted. Free to attend.

Held at Jubilee Community, 46 Wall St.

MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y

By Kat McReynolds | kmcreynolds@mountainx.com

Project FIGHT

COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R PUBLIC EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (1/18), 3:30pm - "Visualizing Communities: A Roundtable Discussion on Creating Brave Places," facilitated by Associate Professor Lise Kloeppel. Held in Highsmith Union, room 224 THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • TH (1/19), 5:30-7:30pm "Defund the Dakota Access Pipeline" information session and meeting. Free to attend.

TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT tranzmissionprisonproject.yolasite. com • Fourth THURSDAYS, 6pm - Tranzmission Prison Project. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road

BANDING TOGETHER: Local indie rock group Armadilla will headline a fundraiser for anti human trafficking program Project FIGHT, which recently established a local presence. “The conversation is somewhat underdeveloped in Western North Carolina,” says case manager James Plunkett. “A lot of folks either don’t know what trafficking is or don’t think that it’s happening here.” Photo of Armadilla by Haley Suskauer of Light of Dawn Photography WHAT: A benefit concert, featuring Armadilla, Ben Phan and Hannah Kaminer WHERE: The Mothlight WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m.

WHY: The term “human trafficking” often invokes images of drug addiction, chains and sex slavery, but as James Plunkett explains: “The reality is that human trafficking covers a much broader series of offenses.”

Plunkett is a case manager for the Salvation Army’s new Ashevillebased anti-trafficking program Project FIGHT, which launched in the fall with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. His satellite position — like those recently established in New Bern, Greenville and Charlotte — is an addition to Project FIGHT’s Raleigh headquarters, which revealed a greater-thananticipated need for trafficking casework in North Carolina shortly after launching in 2011.

In Asheville, Project FIGHT will provide comprehensive case management — “everything from pointof-crisis intervention through selfsufficiency, including things like legal, medical or mental health [assistance], life skills, housing, anything that the survivor may need,” Plunkett says. Part of this will involve steering individuals toward existing social service organizations.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

Teaching people to recognize the nebulous form of oppression is also a high priority for Plunkett, who points out that ordinary citizens were the most common caller type to report instances of trafficking in North Carolina in 2016, according to national hotline Polaris Project. His examples of trafficking include foreign laborers without control of their documents or working and housing conditions; individuals providing unwillful service to pay down interminable debt; or women whose presumed significant other slowly revokes intimacy, which must then be earned back through assigned acts like sex with others.

In short, trafficking is “anything where someone is forced to act against their own will and is being oppressed by someone else, and that oppressor is holding something over their head,” he says.

Project FIGHT will host several events during January (Human Trafficking Awareness Month), including a culminating benefit concert, featuring three local acts: singer/ songwriters Ben Phan and Hannah Kaminer plus moody, piano-based rock band Armadilla, which will headline the show.

Visit themothlight.com for tickets ($5/$7) or event details. All proceeds go to Project FIGHT. For more information on Project FIGHT and its additional events, call 253-4723. X

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UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE 1 Edwin Place, 254-6001, uuasheville.org • FR (1/20), 10am-noon - "Get Woke, Stay Woke," safe space in support of Black Lives Matter movement. Free.

WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY wncpsr.org • 3rd FRIDAYS, noon-2pm Monthly meeting. BYO lunch.

Free. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

by Abigail Griffin

Bhangra Series 7pm Hula 8pm Lyrical Series • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4pm Girls Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm West African Drumming 7pm West African • Friday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4:30pm Kids Jazz • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • Sunday 4:30pm Dance party 6:45pm Electronic Yoga Wkt • $13 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $6. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www.studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595 LAND OF SKY SQUARES 989-5554 , landofskysquares.info • TU (1/17), 7-9pm - New dancer class. $5. Held at Senior Opportunity Center, 36 Grove St. SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB 697-7732, southernlights.org • SA (1/21), 6pm - "Hawaiian Dreamin' Halfway," themed dance. Advanced dance at 6pm.

Early rounds at 7pm. Squares and rounds at 7:30pm. Free. Held at Whitmire Activity Center, 310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville SWING ASHEVILLE swingasheville.com • TUESDAYS, 8-11pm - Jazz N' Justice: Beginner swing lessons at 8pm. Open swing dance with live jazz at 9pm. $10 beginner lesson/$5 open dance. Held at The BLOCK off biltmore, 39 South Market St.

ECO DANCE POLE FITNESS AND DANCE CLASSES AT DANCECLUB ASHEVILLE (PD.) Pole Dance, Burlesque, Jazz/ Funk, Flashmobs! Drop in for a class or sign up for a series: • 6 Week Burlesque Series - Begins Jan. 24 • 4 Week Beginner Jazz/ Funk to Bruno Mars - Begins Jan. 26 • 6 Week Intro to Pole - Begins Jan. 26 • Tues., Thurs. and Fri. at 12PM - Pole class for $10 • Memberships available for $108/ month • 1st class free with the mention of this ad DanceclubAsheville.com 828-275-8628 Right down the street from UNCA - 9 Old Burnsville Hill Rd., #3 STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 4pm Ballet Wkt 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 7pm Classical Ballet Series 8pm Bellydance with Veils Series • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 12pm 80/90s Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Bollywood 6pm

24TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 10-12, 2017. Keynotes: Gabe Brown & Matthew and Althea Raiford. UNCA. 140+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate sessions on organic growing, homesteading, farming. Trade show, seed exchange, kid’s program.

Organicgrowersschool.org.

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Ecopresentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Lenoir Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave. GREEN GRANNIES avl.mx/0gm • 3rd SATURDAYS, 4pm - Sing-along for the climate. Information: singfortheclimate.com Free. Held at Pritchard Park, 4 College St. RIVERLINK 170 Lyman St., 252-8474 ext.11 • TH (1/19), 11:45-2:30pm - RiverLink riverfront bus tour. Registration required: signupgenius.com/ go/10c0e4caea82ba1f49-2017. $20.

FARM & GARDEN POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST polkcountyfarms.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8am - Monthly breakfast with presentations regarding agriculture.

Admission by donation. Held at the 4-H Center, Locust St, Columbus WEST ASHEVILLE GARDEN STROLL westashevillegardens.com, scott.millerswoodworks@gmail. com • Through TU (1/31) - Grant applications accepted for for garden projects in West Asheville by citizens, community groups, neighbor collaborations, schools, businesses and youth groups. Contact for more information: chas.jansen@ mtsu.edu.

FOOD & BEER FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER WITH CHEF JOHN FLEER (PD.) SUN. FEB. 12TH 3:30-8:30PM, hosted by Organic Growers School. Celebrate Valentine's Day. Dancing with Cailen Campbell.

Workshop with Meredith Leigh. Artisan Menu. Gather in Community. http://organicgrowersschool. org/events/farm-to-table-dinner/ register/ ASHEVILLE VEGAN SOCIETY meetup.com/The-Asheville-VeganSociety/ • 1st TUESDAYS & Third SATURDAYS, 10am - Social meeting. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road FAIRVIEW WELCOME TABLE fairviewwelcometable.com • THURSDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Community lunch. Admission by donation. Held at Fairview Christian Fellowship, 596 Old Us Highway 74, Fairview FLETCHER CHILI COOK-OFF 687-0751, fletcherparks.org • Through FR (1/20) - Applications accepted for cooks who wish to participate in the Fletcher Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 11:30am-2pm. Registration: FletcherParks.org.

FOOD NOT BOMBS HENDERSONVILLE foodnotbombshendersonville@ gmail.com • SUNDAYS, 4pm - Community meal. Free. Held at Black Bear Coffee Co., Rosdon Mall, 318 N Main St., #5, Hendersonville

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester.Community.Center • WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Welcome Table meal. Free.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (1/18), 6pm - Aisha Adams presents her book, Vegan Curious: Answers, Recipes and Activities to Help you Jumpstart Your Vegan Lifestyle. Free to attend.

• TU (1/24), 6pm - Joe D'Agnese presents his book, The Underground Culinary Tour: How the New Metrics of Today's Top Restaurants Are Transforming How America Eats. Free to attend.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • WE (1/24), 5pm - Asheville City Council public meeting. Free. Held at Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • FR (1/20), 4pm - "Game Day," with games for kids of all ages. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain • FR (1/20), 4-5:50pm - "Children's Science Investigation," science activities for school aged children with Hands On! Museum. Registration required: 250-6480. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • MO (1/23), 4-5pm - Lego club for ages 5 and up.

Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • 4th TUESDAYS, 1pm - Homeschoolers' book club.

Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • WE (1/18), 10am - Alice in Wonderland, by Lexington Children’s Theatre. Recommended for pre-school through grade 3. $7.50.

MILLS RIVER LIBRARY 124 Town Center Drive, Suite 1 Mills River, 8901850, library.hendersoncountync.org • WE (1/18), 4-5pm - "Mad Scientist on Wheels,"

• WE (1/18), noon - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Lexington Children’s Theatre.

Recommended for Grades 3–6. $7.50.

• TH (1/26), 10am - Shadowland, by Pilobolus.

Recommended for Grades 3–12. $9.50.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30AM - FAMILY STORY TIME. FREE. HANDS ON! A CHILDREN'S GALLERY 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 697-8333 • TU (1/24) through FR (1/27), 10am-5pm - "We’ve Got Your Number." Activities to gain money competence and math skills for children over five.

Admission fees apply.

• TU (1/24), 10am-5pm - “What’s in your food?” an exploration of food nutrition for children. Admission fees apply.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am - Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend.

JACKSON COUNTY REPUBLICANS 743-6491, jacksonctygop@yahoo.com • MO (1/23), 6:30pm - Monthly meeting. Free to attend. Held at Ryan’s Steakhouse, 374 Walmart Plaza Sylva

KIDS ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • SA (1/21), 10am-noon - Saturday Morning Science: "Re-think food," drop-in event featuring the world of insects as food. hands on activities. Admission fees apply.

BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 296-7335 • SA (1/21), 11am - Storytime featuring the book, Nanette's Baguette. Free to attend.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

lego activities for children by the Hands On! Museum. Registration required: 890-1850.

Free.

gives participants a realistic air travel experience in a safe, controlled environment.

Registration: flyavl.com/wings.

RIVERLINK 252-8474, riverlink.org • Through MO (3/20) - Submissions accepted for the annual Voices of the River Art and Poetry Contest for pre-K to 12th grade students. Contact for full guidelines.

FRANKLIN SCHOOL OF INNOVATION 21 Innovation Drive, 318-8140, franklinschoolofinnovation.org • TH (1/19), 5:30-7pm - Tour and information session for prospective students. Free to attend.

SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE MUSEUM 283 Victoria Road, 253-9231, wnchistory.org • Through TH (1/19) - Open registration for the "Morse Code Friendship Bracelets" event for children taking place Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1:30am-12:30pm.

Registration: wnchistory.org or 235-9231. $7.

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • MO (1/23), 1-3pm - "Grand Day Out," grandparents can bring children to participate in games and crafts with other families. Free/$1 per child.

SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com • FR (1/20), 6-7pm - Teen Book Club discusses Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Free to attend.

• SATURDAYS, 11am - Storytime for ages 3-7. Free to attend.

STEPHENS LEE RECREATION CENTER 30 George Washington Carver Ave. • Through FR (1/20) - Open registration for "Tot Time: Mixed Up + Messy," toddler art program with the Asheville Art Museum that runs Monday, Jan. 23 through Friday, Mar. 17. Registration required: 350-2058.

OUTDOORS CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC creationcarealliance.org • FR (1/20), 10am-4pm - Contemplative guided 5-mile hike in DuPont Forest.

Registration required: Janelaping@sbcglobal.net or 772-0379. Free.

• FR (1/20), 10am-4pm - Guided hike in DuPont Forest with time for meditation. Registration required: 772-0379 or Janelaping@sbcglobal.net. Free.

LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126 Nebo, 584-7728 • FR (1/20), 10am - "Walk Like a Duck," ranger-led hike in search of waterbirds.

Free.

• SA (1/21), 12:45pm - "Winter Waterfowl Boat Tour," ranger-led boat tour focused on waterfowl. Registration required. Free.

PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 1 PARI Drive, Rosman, 862-5554, pari.edu • FR (1/20) & SA (1/21), 6-8pm - Stargazing event featuring observations of the crescent Moon, Venus, Uranus and Mars.

Registration required. $15.

PARENTING ASHEVILLE AIRPORT Terminal Drive, Fletcher • Through SA (2/11) - Open registration for the "Wings for Autism" familiarization program for people with autism spectrum disorders and their caregivers. The event

22

by Abigail Griffin

YOUTH OUTRIGHT 866-881-3721, youthoutright.org • 3rd SATURDAYS, 11am - Middle school discussion group. Free. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

PUBLIC LECTURES BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/ library • WE (1/25), noon-1pm - “Sex, Lies & Snake Oil: The strange career of Jackson County’s 'Doctor' John Brinkley,” presentation by historian Jon Elliston. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library - Lord Auditorium, 67 Haywood St. • TH (1/26), 6-7:30pm - "Solutions to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination," workshop with Dawn Westmoreland.

Free. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (1/18), 3pm - “Racial Battle Fatigue,” discussion facilitated by Professor Megan Underhill. Free. Held in the Highsmith Union Mountain Suites • TH (1/19), 7pm - MLK Jr. Celebration Week: Keynote lecture by Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University.

Free. Held in Lipinsky Auditorium PUBLIC LECTURES AT WCU wcu.edu • TH (1/19), 6:30-8:30pm - MLK Jr. Celebration: Public lecture by football coach Herman Boone. Free. Held in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom

SENIORS OLLI AT UNCA 251-6140, olliasheville.com • MO (1/23), 2pm - Elder Fraud Prevention: "Investment Fraud: Guarding Your Assets," with John Maron. Free. Held in the Reuter Center • MO (1/23), 3pm - Elder Fraud Prevention: "The History of Scams and Fraud," with Buncombe County Deputy Larry Pierson.

Free. Held in the Reuter Center

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • WEDNESDAYS, 1:30-4pm - "Bid Whist," card players club. Free.

• FRIDAYS, 12:30-3:30pm - "Canasta," group card game gathering. Free.

• 1st & 3rd FRIDAYS, 1:30-3:45pm "Charitable Sewing and Yarn Crafts."

Complete your own projects in the company of others. Free.

• TUESDAYS, 2-3pm - "Senior Beat," drumming, dance fitness class. For standing or seated participants. $3.

• THURSDAYS, 1-2pm - Contemporary line dancing class. Join anytime. $5 per class.

SPIRITUALITY ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions.

Readings also available. Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.

METAPHYSICAL COUNSELING AND ENERGY HEALING (PD.) New to Asheville. 33 years experience.

Pechet Healing Technique: experience intuitive counseling and energy work directed toward permanent resolution of core issues!

Trauma, depression, anxiety and more. Call today. Ellie Pechet, M.Ed. 508-237-4929. www.phoenixrisinghealing.com CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • 3rd SATURDAYS, 7-9pm - Dances of Universal Peace. Free.

CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 27 Church St., 253-3316, centralumc.org • WEDNESDAYS until (3/29), 6pm - Yoga class with a focus on faith and spirituality. Free.

SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113, 200-5120, asheville.shambhala.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10-midnight, THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 10-noon - Meditation and community.

Admission by donation.

URBAN DHARMA 29 Page Ave, 225-6422, udharmanc.com • SA (1/21), 2-5pm - "What's Karma Got To Do With It?" classes regarding Buddha's teachings on karma. $35 per class/$25 for members.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • TH (1/26), 7:30pm - "Listen to This," storytelling series hosted by Tom Chalmers. $15.

BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 296-7335 • SA (1/21), 1-3pm - Rose Senehi signs her book, Carolina Belle. Free to attend.

BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS BILTMORE PARK Biltmore Park Town Square, 33 Town Square Blvd., #100, 687-0681 • SA (1/21), 2-4pm - DW Beam and Kimball McRyan present their books, The Adventures of Kimball McRyan and The Mark Of A King. Free to attend.

BLUE RIDGE BOOKS 152 S. Main St., Waynesville • 1st & 3rd SATURDAYS, 10am - Banned Book Club. Free to attend.

BUFFALO NICKEL 747 Haywood Road, 575-2844, buffalonickelavl.com/ • WE (1/18), 7pm - Spoken word open mic hosted by Kathy Gordon and Debbie Gurriere. Sign-ups begin at 6:30pm. $15/$12 advance.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • TH (1/19), 2:30pm - Skyland Book Club: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. Free.

Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TH (1/19), 6pm - Swannanoa Book Club: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa • TH (1/19), 7pm - Flash fiction writer's group for adults. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (1/19), 6pm - Christine Simolke presents her novel, Children of Italy. Free to attend.

• FR (1/20), 6pm - "Literary Karaoke," public literary readings with host Laura Blackley.

Free to attend.

• SA (1/21), 4PM - "Poetry on Request," with local poets. Free to attend.

• SA (1/21), 6pm - Heather Lyn Mann presents her memoir, Ocean of Insight: A Sailor’s Voyage from Despair to Hope. Free to attend.

• SU (1/22), 3pm - "Asheville, We Love You," open-mic and stories from authors Randi Janelle, Alli Marshall, Nina Hart and Jennifer Fulford. Free to attend.

NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Through MO (1/30) - Submissions accepted for the 2017 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize.

See website for full guidelines.

• Through WE (2/15) - Submissions accepted for the Doris Betts Fiction Prize. See website for full guidelines.

WNCMYSTERIANS wncmysterians.org • TH (1/19), 6-9pm - Informational meeting for critique group for writers of mystery and suspense stories. Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101

SPORTS SOCCER REFEREE TRAINING (PD.) Referees needed throughout Western NC. Minimum age 14. More information: Ed Guzowski at guzowski@charter.net • Register here, complete the online training: Go to website: http://ussfnc.arbitersports. com/front/102762/Site

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Literacy and English language skills help people rise out of poverty and support their families. Volunteer and give someone a second chance to learn. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 2/22 (9:00 am) or 2/23 (5:30 pm) by emailing volunteers@litcouncil.com. www.litcouncil.com BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (1/19), 5-7pm - "Mentor Recruitment Social." drop-in event to learn about volunteer opportunities and meet staff and mentors. Free to attend. Held at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria, 42 Biltmore Ave., Asheville • TH (1/26), noon - Information session to learn more about volunteering to share interests twice a month with a young person from a single-parent home or to mentor one hour per week in elementary schools and after-school sites. Information: 2531470 or bbbswnc.org. Free. Held at United Way of Asheville & Buncombe, 50 S. French Broad Ave. HANDS ON ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE 2-1-1, handsonasheville.org • SA (1/21), 2-5pm - Volunteer to help accept donations at a nonprofit resale store.

Registration required.

• TH (1/26), 11am-12:30pm - Volunteer to serve a homemade lunch to veterans.

Registration required.

• TH (1/26), 4-6pm - Volunteer to assist with unpacking and pricing merchandise in a fairtrade retail store. Registration required.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • 3rd THURSDAYS, 11am - "Welcome Home Tour," tours of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population.

Registration required. Free to attend.

MOUNTAINTRUE 258-8737, wnca.org • WE (1/18) & TU (1/24), 10am-4pm Volunteer to help plant live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. Registration: mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/ For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/volunteering

WELLNESS

DECODING

Dyslexia makes learning difficult, but help is available in Asheville

2017

DIFFERENCE, NOT DISABILITY: “It’s not comprehension,” says Rachel Friel about her daughter Carmen’s dyslexia. “If I read to her, she can tell me back every detail of what I’ve said. It’s just her ability to see the words as they are on the page.” Photo by Clarke Morrison

BY CLARKE MORRISON clarkemorrison1@gmail.com When Carmen started first grade, it was apparent that she had a problem. Despite being a bright child, she struggled to make sense of the words on a written page.

“She’s my second child,” says Carmen’s mother, Rachel Friel of Asheville, “and I could just tell from reading with her when she was in the first grade that her brain didn’t work the same way that my older child’s brain worked. I went to the school and said to the teacher, ‘Something’s not right here.’”

Friel’s concerns were dismissed, so she had Carmen tested privately. It turned out that Carmen has dyslexia, a common learning disability afflicting as many as 17 percent of U.S. schoolchildren, according to experts.

“It’s not comprehension,” Friel says. “If I read to her, she can tell me back every detail of what I’ve said.

It’s just her ability to see the words as they are on the page. [Carmen] has a lot of the classic things, like instead of saying the word ’was,’ she would say ’saw.’ She would say it backwards. Or she would confuse Bs and Ds, or she would confuse the numbers 6 and 9.

“It’s not necessarily that [dyslexics] see things backwards; it’s just that the way their brain decodes things is different from the way other people’s brains decodes things,” Friel says. “It can also be a problem with numbers because [dyslexics] have this way of seeing things differently.”

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, dyslexia is a lifelong challenge that people are born with. It can hinder reading, writing, spelling and sometimes even speaking. Dyslexia is not a sign of poor

intelligence or laziness, nor is it the result of impaired vision. Children and adults with dyslexia simply have a neurological disorder that causes their brains to process and interpret information differently.

Dyslexia occurs among people of all economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Often more than one member of a family has dyslexia. According to the National Institute of Child and Human Development, as many as 15 percent of Americans have significant trouble with reading.

Carmen, now an 11-year-old sixthgrader, says having dyslexia makes learning more difficult. “It makes it hard for me to read and write,” she says. “I don’t really know why. The words didn’t come out right. It was kind of like the words were backwards.”

This past summer, Carmen made progress during four weeks at Camp

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24 MOUNTAINX.COM

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WELLN ESS Spring Creek in Mitchell County.

Approaching its 15th season, the camp helps children from around the world, ages 7 to 15, overcome their disabilities. Spring Creek Director Susie van der Vorst says the goal is to empower children with dyslexia to become confident and inspired achievers. “At Camp Spring Creek, they are really gaining self-confidence and independence skills because they are away from their parents,� she says. “It’s easy to give up on yourself or give up on a project when it gets too hard.

But when you’re away at summer camp for a minimum of four weeks, you have to push through the hard things. By accomplishing that, they get more pride in themselves because they accomplish things that they might think they couldn’t have done.�

Camp Spring Creek utilizes what’s called the Orton-Gillingham approach in helping children with dyslexia. In use since the 1930s, it’s an intensive, phonics-based system that teaches the basics of word formation before whole meanings. Orton-Gillingham utilizes the three learning modalities, or pathways, through which people learn — visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Friel is a believer. “OrtonGillingham, in a nutshell, is that if children can see things and hear them and touch them — have some tactile way of learning something — that’s the way all children learn best, but especially children with dyslexia,� she says. “[Carmen] was tutored every single day, one-on-one with a tutor, in addition to getting to do all the fun camp stuff. She made some really good progress.�

Van der Vorst says students at Camp Spring Creek can progress further than in a regular school setting because all they are working on is language skills. “They don’t have to worry about science and social studies and math and all those other subjects,� she says. “Last year we served 52 total students from as far away as Kuwait and Australia and as close as Spruce Pine and Asheville.�

Studies show that about 85 percent of people in prison have a reading or language disability, says van der Vorst, while about 35 to 40 percent of entrepreneurs have such disabilities. “If you don’t succeed in our conventional ways of learning, you find other things to be successful at, and sometimes it’s illegal things,� she says. “We don’t want them to end up in prison.�

The emergence of the written word in society changed things for people with dyslexia, says van der Vorst. “Before we were reading and writ-

ing and spelling, people with dyslexia were considered the top of the hill because they were the problem solvers, they were the engineers, they were the think-tank people,� she says. “It wasn’t until we put the printed word in front of them that they went down a little bit. “Now with technology the way it is, they’re taking off again, and colleges are actually looking for children with dyslexia, especially at schools of engineering, because engineering is simply problem-solving. And our kids are very good at problem-solving.

They’re not good at regurgitation, and regurgitation is the lowest form of comprehension.�

Dyslexia affects people throughout their lives, but its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life, according to the International Dyslexia Association. Dyslexia is referred to as a learning disability because it can make it very difficult for students to succeed without phonicsbased reading instruction, which is unavailable in most public schools.

The group says the exact causes of dyslexia are still not completely clear, but anatomical and brain imagery studies show differences in the way the brain of a person with dyslexia develops and functions.

Most people with dyslexia have been found to have difficulty identifying the separate speech sounds within a word or learning how letters represent those sounds. “With proper diagnosis, appropriate instruction, hard work and support from family, teachers, friends and others, individuals who have dyslexia can succeed in school and later as working adults,� the association says.

According to Decoding Dyslexia North Carolina, the state is one of just 11 in the country that doesn’t require screening for dyslexia in public schools. The group advocates for a universal definition and understanding of dyslexia in the state education code. It also would like to see requirements for mandatory teacher training on dyslexia, its warning signs and appropriate intervention strategies; mandatory early screening tests and remediation programs, which can be accessed by both general and special education populations; and access to appropriate “assistive technologies� in the public school setting for students with dyslexia. “I think it’s really sad that our legislature has not embraced the fact that we have these kids who think differently and that we need to help them,� van der Vorst says. “We need to try and grab them before they fail.

W E L L N E S S CA LEN DA R I don’t know why we’re in a system where we have to wait for a child to fail before we help them. I think we should be doing at-risk assessments at the beginning.”

Tutoring children with dyslexia is one of the ways that the organization OpenDoors of Asheville works to help families in poverty. The group’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty for kids through education, enrichment and advocacy, Executive Director Jen Ramming says. Many children with dyslexia aren’t properly diagnosed, Ramming says.

“With poverty, there are so many other issues that play into whether a child can succeed in school that it was hard to discern,” Ramming says. “Kids in multigenerational poverty in Asheville often live in public housing, so we partner with the Lee Walker Heights after-school program called Useful Hands. We have been bringing tutors into that setting.”

OpenDoors of Asheville also trains classroom teachers to use the OrtonDillingham method with their students. “They kind of weave it into the way they teach in the classroom,” Ramming says.

“In the past people have talked about dyslexia as if it was just people who weren’t able to learn to read.

But it’s not that they are not able to learn to read; it’s that they’re not being taught in a way that they can learn. They’re actually very bright.

Most dyslexics are above-average ability, but they just learn differently. We call it learning differences instead of learning disabilities, because that’s really more accurate.”

Van der Vorst points to successful public figures such as Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, who suffered from dyslexia. “Lots of [dyslexics] have invented things ... because they have a new way of looking at things, and they’re not just trying to recreate the same thing in a different way,” says Van der Vost.

There are other advantages, too, Carmen adds. “I observe more things that a lot of other people don’t really see, like small objects that people won’t really see so much detail in.”

And that special way of thinking and decoding the world may well lead students like Carmen to incredible achievements, just like Steve Jobs. X

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GREEN SCENE

WIRED

Heat pumps drive rapid growth in WNC’s peak electricity demand

BY VIRGINIA DAFFRON vdaffron@mountainx.com The cold front that blew through Western North Carolina Jan. 6, leaving snow and frigid temperatures in its wake, was a poster child for peak energy demand, says energy industry consultant Brad Rouse.

As temperatures hovered below 10 degrees at 9 a.m. Jan. 8, the region was drawing 1,042 megawatts from the electrical grid, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. At that hour a week earlier, with a low temperature of 28 degrees, electrical demand sat at 546 MW, or just over half the demand for the frigid morning of Jan. 8. That comparison, Rouse wrote on Facebook, shows “what a real cold snap can do to us here in the Asheville area.”

Regardless of the day, time or outside temperature, Duke Energy is legally required to meet the region’s need for electricity. When the company sought permission from the state Utilities Commission last year to replace the aging, coal-fired Lake Julian power plant, Duke proposed building two 280-MW gas-fired generators, plus a 186-MW unit to help meet peak demand. The regulators approved the first two generators but told the company to work with the community on ways to delay or eliminate the need for the third unit.

In April, the Energy Innovation Task Force — a partnership comprising Duke Energy, the city of Asheville, Buncombe County and representatives of local businesses and nonprofits — began meeting to develop strategies to reduce peak demand. The group first looked at data provided by the company to gain a better understanding of why peak demand has more than tripled since 1970. One key factor, Rouse told the task force in December, is the number of households converting their oil- and propane-powered heating systems to electric heat pumps during that period.

It had previously been assumed that development and population growth were driving the increase in peak demand, says task force member Brownie Newman. But after analyzing the data, the task force realized that’s “not really accurate,” notes Newman, the newly elected chair of the Buncombe County Board of

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

COLD COMFORT: In recent years, electric heat pumps have become increasingly popular for home heating in WNC. While the heat pumps can be highly efficient at moderate temperatures, engineers and energy industry experts say they are less so when the mercury drops below freezing. Data provided by the Energy Innovation Task Force and Duke Energy; graphic

by Scott Southwick Commissioners. The increase in peak demand from uses other than heating (such as lighting and appliances) is relatively insignificant, the task force’s Peak Reduction Work Group concluded.

PUMPIN’ IT UP “What we call a heat pump is an airconditioning unit that has been circuited to provide heat to the inside of a building, and it does that by cooling the outside,” Asheville engineer Bob Wiggins explains. Down to about 40 degrees, he says, the technology is highly efficient.

But below that point, the outside air contains little heat, so cooling it gets harder, and the heat pump struggles to produce enough warmth.

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For this reason, notes Wiggins, these systems also include “heat strips” inside the ductwork to generate additional heat when the outside air is very cold. The heat strips warm the air by means of electrical resistance — the same technology found in notoriously energy-hungry electric baseboard heaters. According to the website Energy.gov, resistance-type electric heaters use about twice as much energy to operate as typical air-to-air heat pumps.

Thus, precisely when the need for heat is at its greatest, electric heat pumps are at their least efficient and use the most power. Meanwhile, these systems are increasingly popular in residential buildings.

Between 2005 and 2015, 12,300 homes in Buncombe County converted to elec-

tric heat from oil or propane, according to a report prepared by the work group. During the same period, electric heat pumps were installed in 8,700 new homes, while installations of natural gas-powered heating systems fell slightly. Electric systems are often used in new construction, both because they’re the least expensive option and because natural gas service isn’t available in many new developments, says task force member Sonia Marcus, UNC Asheville’s director of sustainability.

That’s too bad, says Wiggins, because natural gas-fired furnaces are over 90 percent efficient. By comparison, he explains, a natural gas-fueled power plant loses about two-thirds of the heat energy produced. “Onethird of the heat energy goes to generating electricity, while the rest goes into heating up Lake Julian.” And in transmitting the electricity over power lines, says Wiggins, an additional 1 to 10 percent is lost.

While highly efficient heat pumps (those with a higher SEER, or seasonal energy efficiency rating) do a better job at lower temperatures, Wiggins maintains that during the coldest weather, systems that include a backup unit fueled by another source, such as natural gas or propane, are more appropriate for this area’s climate.

Jason Walls, Duke Energy’s government and community relations manager for the Asheville area, says he agrees with many of the work group’s conclusions. “Electric home heating is a key driver for peak electricity demand in this area,” he confirms. And though heat pumps are “very, very efficient and effective at a certain band of temperatures, when it gets really hot and really cold, they are not as efficient. The colder it gets, the less efficient they are.”

POWERING THROUGH WNC’s highest peak electric demand (1,074 MW) was recorded on a cold Tuesday morning: Jan. 19, 2015. Weekday mornings typically register higher demand than weekends (which makes the demand seen on Sunday, Jan. 8, all the more impressive). And based on current trends, Duke Energy expects that peak to reach 1,323 MW by 2030.

To meet that need today, says Walls, Duke uses an “all of the above” strat-

egy: generating power at its 374-MW coal facility at Lake Julian, running an existing gas-fired “peaker” unit there, transmitting power to the region via the electrical grid and running hydroelectric generation facilities. In addition, the company’s EnergyWise Home program cycles power on and off intermittently to electrical appliances like heat strips and water heaters during periods of high demand. Customers who sign up for the program receive an annual $25 credit on their electric bill for each enrolled appliance.

Another Duke program offers variable electric rates based on the time of use. During the nonsummer season (Oct. 1 to March 31), the highest rates are in effect from 6-9 a.m. on weekdays.

A “shoulder peak” rate applies from 9 a.m.-noon and 5-8 p.m. All other times, including any time on weekends, are subject to lower off-peak rates.

Walls says he has no statistics on the total number of residential customers enrolled in the time-of-use program, which “requires active management by the customer.” If people sign up but don’t modify their consumption patterns, he explains, their electric bills could go up.

The task force has set a target of keeping average peak demand growth below 17 MW per year, notes Newman.

“If peak continues to grow at that rate for next five to six years, then we will need the proposed peaker plant,” he points out.

THE LOW-INCOME LINK While the electric heat pumps being installed in newly built homes do contribute to peak electricity demand in the region, their impact is limited by the fact that they heat relatively efficient buildings. To meet the current building code, new structures must be wellinsulated and well-sealed against leaks.

But nearly half of Buncombe County’s housing stock was built before 1980.

A significant number of those homes are occupied by low-income residents who struggle with high winter heating bills and often don’t have money to invest in weatherization or insulation upgrades that would make their homes more energy-efficient.

According to a 2014 study by Appalachian Voices, a nonprofit conservation group, energy bills can represent 20 percent of these families’ household income. Vicki Heidinger, director of Community Action Opportunities, says some families in the eight-county area her organization serves bear an even higher burden, with up to 50 percent of their total income going to power bills during the heating season.

Helping those residents make their homes more energy-efficient should be one of the first strategies considered to lower peak demand, says Rouse, who volunteers with the nonprofit Energy Savers Network. “We have the opportunity to invest in these efforts and get a better payback than if we, as a community, invest $150 million in a new peaker plant,” he explains. This approach, he points out, also makes housing more affordable and benefits the environment.

Rouse cites the city of Knoxville’s Extreme Energy Makeover program as the kind of initiative that could make a significant difference in our region’s energy use. Funded by the Tennessee Valley Authority, KEEM will invest $15 million in upgrading 1,200 Knoxville homes by the time it concludes in September. The specific improvements will differ from home to home, but the program aims to increase each residence’s energy efficiency by at least 25 percent.

OPTIMUM STRATEGIES Armed with the new data, Newman says the task force will now turn its attention to determining the most effective strategies for reducing peak demand. “There are probably 100 different things we could decide to do as a community,” he says, “but we have finite resources and finite amounts of time.”

The trick will be to focus on a limited number of strategies that also maximize clean energy benefits and reduce the community’s carbon footprint, stresses Newman. The task force’s Programs Committee is studying Duke Energy’s existing incentive programs as well as energy efficiency initiatives targeting low-income households offered by local organizations like Green Opportunities and the Community Action Network.

“We’re looking at opportunities to scale up what’s already being effective in our community,” he explains. The task force is also considering new ideas such as demand management technology and battery storage.

Newman says he hopes the community will see concrete action based on the task force’s efforts as soon as this year. Though Walls doesn’t want to put a timetable on implementing such initiatives, he says he expects the task force to “show real progress” in 2017.

And for UNCA’s Marcus, that progress can’t come soon enough. Whether increased reliance on electric heat pumps is a good idea, she maintains, is directly related to the proposed peaker plant. “If we need to build a whole new power plant to run these heating units, it isn’t worth it.” X

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FOOD

TRASH TO NUTRITION A little-known law allows individuals and restaurants to donate leftover food

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WASTE NOT: Food Connection founder Flori Pate, right, delivers a container of fresh food to Adrienne Sigmon at BeLoved House.

Food Connection takes advantage of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to transfer high-quality, untouched food that would otherwise be thrown away to organizations that can distribute it to those in need. Photo by Cindy Kunst

BY JONATHAN AMMONS jonathanammons@gmail.com Another cold Tuesday morning, and the windows are fogged at 12 Baskets Café in West Asheville as the steam rises from hot curries, baked chicken, and rice and veggies. Chalk dust falls from the gray-framed blackboard as a volunteer finishes putting the last touches on the daily menu. But noticeably absent from the list of 12 Baskets’ entrées and sides — today and every

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day — are prices. That’s because this café doesn’t charge for its food, or even cook it: Everything served here has been rescued from a local restaurant, cafeteria or catering company.

Co-organizer Andy Thomas of the Asheville Poverty Initiative says the nonprofit’s goal is “to end poverty through mutual relationships. We have three missions that help us do this, but 12 Baskets is the most visible day to day. We run out of and in partnership with Kairos West, which is a ministry of The Cathedral of All Souls.

“There’s a chalkboard that lists what the food is every day, and then our volunteers go around and take orders and bring the food to them. All of our food and drinks are served on pottery that was donated to us by The Village Potters.”

Beaming, he adds: “A big goal for us is to help restore humanity for people who are experiencing homelessness or are living in poverty. Most places can only serve off paper plates or Styrofoam, but we are lucky enough to be serving on this gorgeous pottery.

When people come in to get their coffee, they even get to pick their favorite mug, which is a little thing, but it’s pretty cool.”

MISCONCEPTIONS The Asheville Poverty Initiative has been in operation for three years now, but the café opened only in October, taking advantage of a littleknown federal law that permits individuals and restaurants to donate perishable food to nonprofits. Most restaurateurs, grocers, caterers and event planners believe it’s illegal to give away unused food, but as various local nonprofits have been demonstrating, that just isn’t the case.

“There’s a nonprofit called Food Connection,” says Thomas, explaining how the café got its start. “Say someone catered an event, and not as many people showed up as they were hoping: What do you do with all that food? Well, Food Connection is an outlet that you can call to pick up that food and take it somewhere that needs it.”

Nationwide, a staggering amount of food gets wasted. “Statistically, 40 percent of all the food we produce in our country ends up in the trash,” notes Flori Pate, who founded Food Connection and co-founded Dig Local — a web and digital app that promotes Asheville businesses. One of the group’s clients, Pack’s Tavern, had expressed remorse about the constant flow of wasted food resulting from the restaurant’s catered events. “We did some research, because everyone was saying that it was against the law to donate food, and found that it’s actually a misconception,” she explains.

Now 20 years old, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was named for the Republican congressman who championed it, only to fall victim to lung cancer before the law was passed.

When President Bill Clinton signed the bill on Oct. 1, 1996, he said: “Through food recovery and donation, Americans can share with the hungry a portion of our country’s immense food resources that would otherwise be wasted. ... Most of this food is prepared in restaurants, hotels, cafeterias and other institutional settings and would otherwise have been thrown away. Through this important effort, thousands of hungry people have been fed, at no cost to the federal taxpayer.”

WEDDING LEFTOVERS Money aside, the law also reassures potential donors that their good intentions won’t land them in legal trouble. “Once people see that they’re protected at the federal level, that really alleviates the fear,” says Pate.

For two years, Food Connection has partnered with AVL Taxi to save and deliver unused prepared meals all over the city. As soon as a catered event within 4 miles of downtown is over, the caterer or host can text Food Connection, and AVL Taxi will dispatch a driver to pick up the food and deliver it to one of the nonprofits that accepts prepared meals.

“We’ve rescued over 30,000 meals this way,” notes Pate. “We’ve also had brides and grooms who know they’re going to have food left over contact us beforehand and arrange for a pickup.

We want to get the word out to all the people who are getting married, and their caterers, so we can rescue all of that food.”

Food Connection works with Pack’s Tavern’s Century Room, Céline & Co. and Corner Kitchen Catering, as well as breweries like New Belgium, Highland and Sierra Nevada that also cater events. Other major donors have included the Lexington Corner Market and Pete’s Pies. Another key partner is UNC Asheville’s cafeteria, where volunteers transport the leftover food all the way to the Hot Springs Community Learning Center, where it’s divided among four nonprofits.

“It’s usually well over 100 pounds of food,” says Pate. Some of those donations are broken up into family-sized

portions that people can pick up at local food pantries.

Similar partnerships are being developed with Mars Hill University’s cafeteria and local nonprofit kitchens.

Much of the rescued food is delivered to nonprofits like BeLoved House, the Downtown Welcome Table and the Asheville High School Homeless Student Support Group.

BEYOND FOOD “I like to say that we’re the Match. com for food,” says Pate. “We connect people with too much food to people without enough food. It’s about providing the food that Asheville is famous for to people who may not have even had a meal that day, and it makes the people who may feel invisible feel loved by the community.”

Something unexpected happens once the food reaches those kitchens.

“More often than not, we are taking in more food than we’re using, so, more than anything, we need people coming by and just being a part of the community,” says Thomas, who encourages anyone to come eat and get to know the café’s regulars. Many folks, he notes, express concern about taking food away from people who deeply need it, but Thomas says that’s not a problem.

In fact, 12 Baskets wants more visitors. “We encourage people to come out and eat and be a part of the community,” he explains. “There is always enough food. We’re really focused on building that sense of community. I like to say of 12 Baskets that food is what we have, but it’s not who we are.” X

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Filling the basket

12 Baskets Café (610 Haywood Road) welcomes lunchtime visitors Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations are gratefully accepted but by no means required.

Food Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs on donations.

Two upcoming fundraisers will support the organization’s work: • Food Connections Dance Party at Pack’s Tavern Friday, Jan. 20, 8-11 p.m. $10 at the door; all proceeds will go to Food Connection • Third Annual Benefit Concert at The Grey Eagle Saturday, March 4, 6:30 p.m.

Tickets $12 advance, $14 at the door, $5 kids, ages 5 and younger get in free Sponsored by Wicked Weed Brewing Bands include Ashley Heath and her Heathens, Jr. James and the Late Guitar and LYRIC Learn more at foodconnection.co

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29

FOOD

by Jonathan Ammons

jonathanammons@gmail.com

FAMILY VALUES

Blind Pig Supper Club rallies to fight hunger

FARM TO FAMILY: With the new Rally Around the Family initiative, Blind Pig Supper Club founder Mike Moore plans to use proceeds from club events to connect food-insecure families with Community Supported Agriculture shares from Western North Carolina farmers. Moore is pictured with his wife, Darlene, and children, Jack and Grace, near their home in Leicester. Photo by Cindy Kunst

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

When The Blind Pig Supper Club served its first dinner in an old farmhouse six years ago, with family-style tables sprawling through the rooms and out across the porch, it marked the start of more than five years of edgy, eloquently executed, multicourse dinners raising money for local charities and farmers. Lately, however, founder Mike Moore has been narrowing the organization’s focus.

“We decided that we wanted to do a campaign in the first of this year that would focus on hunger in our

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area,” he explains. “It’s just ironic how many people can’t afford food in a city known as Foodtopia that has so many great restaurants and so much great locally grown food.”

A 2015 study by the Washington, D.C.-based Food Research and Action Center ranked the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area the 28th hungriest in the nation, with 20 percent of families struggling to put sufficient food on the table. Those numbers have inspired Moore and the Blind Pig crew to make what difference they can

through a new campaign called Rally Around the Family.

“Every dinner, we’re setting a goal to purchase one large season CSA for a family in need, so we’re essentially adopting one family per dinner,” Moore says. In community-supported agriculture, a family pays upfront for a regular share of the crops a small, local farm harvests each week.

A typical CSA, he notes, can cost as much as $800 a year. “That money will go directly to a farm to pay for food for a family.”

So besides helping people in need, the campaign “helps startup farms in our area.” It costs a lot to get a small-scale farm off the ground, says Moore, and as government subsidies that once supported small, independent farmers are now increasingly funneled to factory-farming operations, farmers must develop new guerrilla marketing strategies on top of the already backbreaking work they do. “A startup farm really counts on CSA sales to supply them with steady income and profit,” he notes.

Accordingly, Moore has chosen Just Ripe Farm, a new 5-acre enterprise in Brevard, to supply the produce for the first family chosen.

All told, Blind Pig’s regular dinner series aims to purchase CSAs for six to eight families over the next six months.

That modest number highlights the challenges implicit in providing farm-fresh, wholesome food for families on the fringe. One of the parameters in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition of “food insecurity” concerns the availability of fresh food. “This isn’t like boxed cereals and fortified rice and that kind of food-shelter stuff, which you and I both know can be very unhealthy,” Moore observes. “This is local, fresh food like chefs would find in their walk-in refrigerators.”

But good deeds aren’t necessarily easy to accomplish, and this seeming virtue puts another kink in the chain, since many families in

need lack even the basic amenities for cooking. To identify families that could benefit the most from the supper club’s campaign, Blind Pig has partnered with MANNA FoodBank, Bounty & Soul and the Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement.

“They’ve been really helpful when it comes to finding individuals and families in need,” says Moore.

“There’s no ultimate directory of who needs food, no single identifying factor for poverty in our communities.”

Rally Around the Family’s first dinner is slated for Saturday, Jan. 21. Titled “Happy Days,” the ’50s-themed dinner will feature chefs Ivan Candido of The Admiral, Sam Etheridge of Ambrozia Bar & Bistro, A.J. Pitner of Union Jack’s English Pub, J.T. DeBrie of Intentional Swine, Josh Armbruster of The Blind Pig, and Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road Café & Kitchen. Tickets ($65) are available via the website; the location and menu are kept secret until the last minute.

The organizers also plan to invite many of the families to the dinners.

“Not to point them out or anything,” clarifies Moore, “but just to let them see who we are and what we do, and hopefully show them that we want them to be a part of it.”

For more information on the Rally Around the Family campaign, or to become a Blind Pig member, visit theblindpigsupperclub.com. X

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

31

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Asheville Restaurant Week returns for its fifth year What does the Cuban-inspired ropa vieja from The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village have in common with Golden Fleece’s grilled octopus, Twisted Laurel’s duck pastrami sandwich and Copper Crown’s blackened catfish over jambalaya? Give up? They are all available during Asheville Restaurant Week, which runs through Thursday, Jan. 26.

Restaurants participating in the fifth annual event offer special prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner that include options ranging from $15-$35 per person.

For Kate Bannasch, general manager and co-owner of Copper Crown, Asheville Restaurant Week is a mutually beneficial event. Locals get to sample a wide variety of multicourse meals at establishments they might not regularly frequent, while restaurants get to prepare special fare primarily for locals during the slower winter season. “It is an event that appeals to every diner, from college student to retiree,” says Bannasch.

Katie Button, owner and executive chef at Cúrate and Nightbell, agrees.

“It gives the restaurants a chance to impress,” she says. “It is also an event that is primarily supported by the local community. Having the support of the locals in your restaurant is the only way to have any staying power.”

This year’s participating restaurants include 131 Main, The Market Place, Addissae, Modesto, Ambrozia, Nightbell, The Blackbird Restaurant, Posana, Blue Dream Curry House, Red Stag Grill, Bomba, Rezaz, Buffalo Nickel, Rhubarb, The Bull and Beggar, Roux, The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Chestnut, Salvage Station, Copper Crown, Sovereign Remedies, Corner Kitchen, Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro, Cúrate, Strada Italiano, Golden Fleece, Table Asheville, Isa’s Bistro, Twisted Laurel, Lexington Avenue Brewery, White Duck Taco, Marco’s Pizzeria and Wicked Weed Brewing.

Asheville Restaurant week runs through Thursday, Jan. 26. For more information, visit avl.mx/3aw.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

FISHERMAN’S STEW: BOUILLABAISSE TO CIOPPINO Fisherman’s Stew: Bouillabaisse to Cioppino is the latest class offering at Ofri’s Home Cooking. Creamy New England chowder, French bouillabaisse and Italian cioppino will all be prepared during the three-hour session. In addition to soup, students will make rouille (a garlic-pepper paste that goes along with the soups) and homemade bread. Space is limited.

The class runs 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Call or email Ofri Gilan for location details at (917) 566-5238 or ofrigilan@ hotmail.com. Tickets are $65 and are available at avl.mx/3as.

SUPER BOWL SNACKS CLASS The Super Bowl is a few weeks away, and in preparation for the big event, The Farm’s executive chef, Mike Ferrari, will hold a cooking class on making Super Bowl treats. Featured game-day favorites will include wings, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers and several dips, including a seven-layer bean dip. The class can accommodate up to 12 students.

The class happens 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24, at The Farm, 215 Justice Ridge Road, Candler. Tickets are $70 per person. For details, visit thefarmevents.com.

SCHUG WINE PAIRING DINNER AT ISA’S BISTRO

FULL PLATE: “Asheville Restaurant Week gives an economic boost to local restaurants and offers a special prix fixe menu to diners during the winter,” says Erin Leonard, director of communications for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. “It is a great opportunity to get out to a favorite restaurant or try something new.” Photo courtesy of Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce BURIAL BEER DINNER AT HICKORY NUT GAP FARM Burial Beer Co. will be a part of Hickory Nut Gap Farm’s Winter Dinner Series this week. The meal will feature five beers — favorites and seasonal releases — paired with five courses that include locally sourced produce and meat from the farm. A free shuttle

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ride from Burial Beer to Hickory Nut Gap Farm will be available at 6 p.m.

Guests will receive complimentary Burial Beer glasses.

The dinner is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Road. Tickets are $67 (not including tax or gratuity). To reserve a seat, visit avl.mx/3at.

Five wines from Sonoma, Calif.’s, Schug Winery will be paired with four food courses at an Isa’s Bistro wine dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The Asheville School of Wine and Tom Leiner of Grapevine Distribution will join Schug winemaker Mike Cox in leading the event. The gathering begins with a glass of 2012 Schug rouge de noir sparkling wine followed by a first course of chilled shrimp and blue crab paired with a 2015 Schug Sonoma sauvignon blanc. Other pairings will include seared scallops with a 2014 Schug Carneros chardonnay, roasted North Carolina pork shoulder with 2014 Schug Carneros pinot noir and braised short ribs with creamy polenta, cipollini onions, parsnip chips and herb gremolata served with a glass of 2012 Schug Sonoma cabernet sauvignon.

The dinner takes place at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Isa’s Bistro, 1 Battery Park Ave. Tickets are $75 per person. To reserve a seat, call Isa’s Bistro at (828) 575-9636. X

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

NO FEAR

The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival confronts bold ideas

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com “We have a subtheme for this year’s festival,” says Jocelyn Reece, co-organizer of The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. “We are the Fearless Fringe.”

Entering its 15th year, the fourday multidisciplinary arts festival runs Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 26-29. Its latest message is in response to the recent presidential election. “We realize the festival is happening a week after the inauguration,” Reece says. “We feel very strongly that we want to promote a respectful and open and affirming creative space. We want our artists and audiences to not be afraid to be artists. And so we felt like fearless was the best way to describe that.”

As in years past, the gathering will feature more than 30 acts — both locally and nationally based — performing new and original material at a number of venues throughout Asheville. “We have some pieces that are very provocative and thoughtful, and others that are just sheer fun,” says Reece. “I think it’s a pretty good mix of the two.”

FROM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS One of this year’s returning performers is Amanda Levesque. The 33-year-old artist has participated, with dance partner Tom Kilby, in the Asheville Fringe since 2011.

This year’s production, Opening Amanda’s Closed Door, will be held at the BeBe Theatre. Levesque, who has limited mobility due to cerebral palsy, considers it her most personal work to date. “I’m a virgin,” she says. “In this performance, I’m going to commence my sexuality through ritual and burlesque.”

While her previous shows have touched on the issues of sex and sexuality, those topics have never been the central focus. “We just decided that it was time to bring it to the forefront,” says Levesque.

“I know that I’ll never be ‘normal,’ [but] I’d like people to be aware that most people with a disability want to be looked at as a sexual being.”

For this reason, Levesque and Kilby brought in Giovanna

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LET’S DANCE: Amanda Levesque rehearses with dance partners Giovanna Allegretti, left, and Tom Kilby, in preparation for her latest show, “Opening Amanda’s Closed Door.” Photo by Thomas Calder Allegretti who, with a background in burlesque, helped shape the hourlong performance. In addition to a striptease, Allegretti will introduce bodywork to the act. “There is no touching,” she says. “I will run my hand over [Levesque’s] body and guide her as she opens and connects with herself, in an energetic and symbolic way.”

While Levesque views the performance as personal expression and self-exploration, her intention is for it to lend voice to the disabled community. “The message of the show is to be open to everyone’s sexuality,” she says. “I can’t speak for the whole disabled community, but I do believe that in general, the nondisabled —

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and even some people with a disability — see [the disabled] as asexual.

To me, that’s crazy.”

NEW TO THE SCENE The Asheville Fringe will also host a number of first-time participants.

Arizona-based actor and writer Michael Washington Brown will debut his one-man show, Black!, at The Magnetic Theatre. He’s excited not only to perform at Fringe but also to be an audience member. “I want to immerse myself in what’s going on,” he says. “I plan to make the most of my time in Asheville.”

Born in London, Brown was raised

by Caribbean parents and came to

the U.S. in 1992. He says much of the material in Black! is derived from personal experience. The show is composed of four monologues delivered by four characters, all played by Brown. These unnamed personalities come from different areas of the world — Europe, America, the West Indies and Africa. What they have in common is skin color, yet each offers a unique perspective on what being black means to him and how it has affected the way the character interacts with the world.

Brown has decades of experience onstage in New York City and San Francisco. His performance at the local Fringe Festival, however, will mark his first time writing a stage

Schedule The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 26-29, with two pre-festival gatherings. $13-$16 per show unless noted as free/$50 all-access pass. Tickets can be purchased online or in person, Monday, Jan. 23, through Saturday, Jan. 28, from noon to 6 p.m. at Fringe Central, 14 Battery Park Ave. Info at avl.mx/3an Sky Lanes Bowling Center, 1477 Patton Ave. • Fringe Festival Kick Off Party featuring The Accidentals — Sunday, Jan. 22, 5-8 p.m., free event

• Elec-Shun Movement Workshop led

by Kathleen Meyers Leiner — Sunday, noon-2 p.m.

The Crow & Quill, 106 N. Lexington Ave. • Butoh Parade — Saturday, 1-4 p.m., free event The Dirty South, 41 N. Lexington Ave. • Hot for T-Rex by Taylor Gruenloh — Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

• The Unaccompanied Minor by Elan Zakir — Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

Downtown Books & News, 67 N. Lexington Ave.

Fringe Central • I Freak Faster by Constance Humphries — Monday, Jan. 23, noon-6 p.m., free event

• Literary Circus featuring Alli Marshall, Jennifer Fulford, Nina Hart and Randi Janelle — Saturday, 5 p.m., free event

The BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St.

NEW PERSPECTIVES: In his stage production, Black! Michael Washington Brown explores what it means to be black, not only in America, but all over the world. Photo courtesy of Brown production. “I don’t want gimmicks,” he says, so Black! will have no set or wardrobe change between monologues. “If the characters are not distinguished by my voice and my actions, then I haven’t done my job.”

Brown is also emphatic about the show’s inclusivity. “The most important thing to me is not to make this a black and white thing,” he says. The message is universal: Black! intends to break down stereotypes and generalizations in order to highlight the similarities that exist across the world.

“Culturally speaking, we all have our own perspective,” says Brown. “But innately we’re connected, because we’re all human beings. We’ve got the same ability to express emotions. We want the same things in life: We want to be happy, we want to be surrounded by loved ones, we want to do good in the world.” X

• Happy Birthday Stupid Kid by IRTE Theatre Company — Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

• Dante’s Itch by Anam Cara Theatre — Thursday and Saturday, 9 p.m.

• The Fringe Dance Show featuring Downtown Replay, In Flight, Lauren Thompson, Lindsey Kelley, Michele T. Hower, Silvia Sheffield, and Susan and Giles Collard — Friday, 7 p.m. and Sunday, 4 p.m.

• Opening Amanda’s Closed Door

by Amanda Levesque, Giovanna Allegretti and Tom Kilby — Friday, 9 p.m.

LaZoom, leaves from Coxe Ave at Commerce St. • LaZoom Bus Fringe Tour featuring Caroline Williford, Claire Dima, E McClain, Kathleen Meyers Leiner, Kevin Patterson, Rigel Pawlak, Sera Sehara — Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m.

The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St. • The Ride Along by Deanna Braine — Thursday-Saturday, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.; Sunday, 4 and 5 p.m.

• Unredeemable by Jim Sea — Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

• Poetry Cabaret led by Caleb Beissert — Thursday, 9 p.m.

• Breakfast at Wimbledon by Brita Thorne and Willie Filkowski — Friday, 7 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m.

• Black! by Michael Washington Brown — Friday, 9 p.m., and Sunday, 6 p.m.

The Mothlight, 701 Haywood Road • Fringe Double Feature: Mine and Yours ... & No Shame and The Cardboard Sea — Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

• The Sexy, Weedy Reality Show — Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m.

RockDoll Vintage, 46 Commerce St. • A Disorienting Divertissement by Grayson Morris and Lynn Nesseth — Saturday, 2-5 p.m., free event Toy Boat Community Arts Space, 101 Fairview Road • Spuyten Duyvil by Amy Hamilton and Victor Palomino — Thursday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

• The Sealskin by West of Roan — Thursday and Saturday, 9 p.m.

• Who Are?! What Are! THE THUNDER ELVES! by Keith Shubert — Friday, 7 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m.

• Fringe Double Feature: Ubu Faust & Roman Meal and Down With Pants — Friday, 9 p.m., and Sunday, 6 p.m.

2017

Wellness Issue Contact us today!

828-251-1333 x 320 advertise@mountainx.com

Publishes Jan. 25 & Feb. 1 MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

35

A&E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY Del McCoury teams up with Steep Canyon Rangers for three nights in Asheville Bluegrass legend Del McCoury remembers vividly the first time he saw and heard Steep Canyon Rangers. It was at a street festival in Raleigh or Charlotte, not long after the group had formed. “The boys might have still been in college or just out of college,” McCoury recalls.

Even then, he was struck by their distinct musical personality. And, of course, as bluegrass players themselves, the Rangers were all fans of McCoury and his body of work.

The current-day fruit of that mutual admiration society is a three-date run by Steep Canyon Rangers with McCoury as their special guest at The Orange Peel, Friday through Sunday, Jan. 20-22.

“A lot of these younger bands, you know, they tend to sound alike,” says McCoury. “But those boys, they have their own sound. And it’s a natural thing. Woody [Platt] has got his own voice, and, of course, they’ve got great harmonies.”

Perhaps in bluegrass, more than with most other styles of popular music, tradition is a highly valued commodity. Now 77, Pennsylvaniaborn McCoury developed musically in the mid-Appalachian region, while the Steep Canyon Rangers are based in Asheville and Brevard.

McCoury thinks that time and location do account for some of the differences between his music and that of the Rangers.

“Naturally, a lot of the younger musicians were influenced by different people than I was,” McCoury says. “Myself, when I heard Earl

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BLUEGRASS SUMMIT: Del McCoury — a giant in the bluegrass world — joins forces with Steep Canyon Rangers for three concerts in a row at The Orange Peel.

Photo by Jim McGuire Scruggs, that was it for me. But when I was in my teenage years in high school — and that’s when I was really into music — all the other kids in school were listening to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and that ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ guy, Carl Perkins.”

McCoury says that banjo player Scruggs (working with guitarist Lester Flatt) was a primary influence of his, along with Bill Monroe. “I think it’s just according to what young people hear when at a certain age,” he says.

“It hits you like a ton of bricks, man.

And then you can’t let go of it. But I’m not sure about [who influenced] these boys because they’re a lot younger.”

Perhaps McCoury’s just being modest. When asked about their influences, the Rangers are unequivocal.

“The Del McCoury Band has been my favorite bluegrass band since I first started learning to play my instrument in college,” says mandolinist Michael

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Guggino. “I’ve always appreciated how he and his band have had one foot in the traditional bluegrass world, and one in the progressive.”

Rangers’ banjo player Graham Sharp believes that McCoury has “been making the best traditional bluegrass anywhere for a long while now.” He singles out McCoury’s voice for special praise: “He’s always been lonesome, but somehow it makes you smile.”

Lead singer and guitarist Platt echoes his bandmates’ sentiments.

“Del is a bluegrass hero of ours; he and his band have influenced us as much or more than any other bluegrass group. I love how Del has maintained his traditional roots but has been able to cross over to a wide variety of fans.”

Asked for his perspective on the reasons behind the resurgence of bluegrass in popular culture — especially among younger audiences — McCoury notes that he views bluegrass as an art

form. But he goes on to contrast it with other kinds of popular music, like vocal pop. “For a teenager, that stuff’s just too mild,” he says. “Those crooners will not hit a teenager; they just want some fire in it, you know?”

The three Asheville dates will offer concertgoers a choice of experiences. The Friday, Jan. 20, and Saturday, Jan. 21, concerts will be standing shows, while the sold-out Sunday performance will have a seated audience. McCoury likes both kinds of shows. “The standing audience is usually louder,” he says.

“They’re more vocal, and they’ll holler up requests and this and that. I like that.”

But seated shows have their appeal, too. McCoury likes it “when you can hear a pin drop in between songs. But it’s the variety: That’s what I like. And I suppose the boys are used to that, too; they’re used to playing to a reverent audience, and then they’re used to playing to a loud audience. It’s all just fun.”

Other than his tours with mandolin player David Grisman, McCoury doesn’t do a lot of live dates without his own band. So the shows with the Steep Canyon Rangers are something special. Speaking about his performances with Grisman, McCoury says, “If we mess up, everybody knows it.

There’s nowhere to go! And it’s kind of that way with these boys, too.

“I’m always up for a challenge,” he says, “and when you step outside of your own band, you get one.” X

WHO Steep Canyon Rangers with special guest Del McCoury WHERE The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave. theorangepeel.net WHEN Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m. $25 advance/ $28 day of show Sunday, Jan. 22 was sold out at press time

A&E

by O Ryne Warner

the_ohioan@hotmail.com

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE “My father gave me a banjo one day when I was in middle school,” says musician Hiroya Tsukamoto, known simply as Hiroya. “He found it in a thrift shop or something. I didn’t [even] know what it was.” This sort of origin story might be commonly heard around North Carolina.

If not given one in infancy, many people end up plucking a banjo for a year at a liberal arts college. But it’s not what you would expect from a guitarist who was born in Japan, graduated from the Berklee College of Music and plays a synthesis of contemporary jazz, ’70s AOR folk and South American nueva canción.

Hiroya — who will be performing at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 25 — began his musical journey on this most Appalachian of instruments, though growing up in rural Japan didn’t make it easy for him to learn. “I taught myself,” he says. “There was no way to find a banjo teacher in my small town, so I tried to learn from records [like] Foggy Mountain Banjo

by Flatt and Scruggs. I really liked their music, even though it was very hard to play. So I tried to fake it.”

Hiroya eventually noticed that all of his friends were playing guitars and starting rock bands, so he switched instruments and started expanding his sonic palette. His initial discoveries were the soft-touch folk of Simon & Garfunkel and James Taylor, and the influence of solo-era Simon can still be heard in Hiroya’s work.

Once he began college in Japan, though, Hiroya found a music that would deeply alter his artistic trajectory and remain with him to this day. “My major was Spanish and South American culture,” he says.

“One of my professors was a very good musician, who had vast knowledge of South American folk music.

I ended up joining his group while I was in college.” Primary in these studies was the music of Victor Jara, a Renaissance man and activist who is credited with spearheading the nueva canción movement in Chile during the 1960s and ’70s.

This part of Hiroya’s development is most fully realized in Interoceanico, his collaborative band that has oscillated between an octet and a trio. The group juxtaposes contemporary jazz and torch

Hiroya draws musical inspiration from South America to Appalachia

parts. So I decided to [practice until I could] do a whole concert by myself.”

Now, Hiroya performs almost exclusively solo. In his work, each era of his development is evident. There are the finger-rolls of Scruggs, the dramatic beauty of Jara, academic jazz chops, Paul Simon’s lilt and, at the times when Hiroya sings, even the faintest hint of Nick Drake. His music is unapologetically consonant, the way that landscape calendar photos are meant to be pleasant for the eye to rest upon. Though he could veer dangerously close to pumpkin-spice-latté preciousness (it’s not just his album covers that skew toward Windham Hill), it’s Hiroya’s earnestness that carries his music into a direct connection with his audience — much like the best New Age music once did before it was banished to the café endcap of eternity.

In his usual live setting, Hiroya performs mainly on the acoustic guitar, using effects pedals and looping to establish broader soundscapes as foun-

dations for improvising. But, just as his family’s goading years earlier prompted a crucial expansion of his style, writing and performing in this way for the past few years has sparked a need for growth.

“In a way, I am very comfortable playing solo, but at the same time I feel like I play it too safe, especially at concerts,” says Hiroya. “I want to play something new; that’s my next step.” X

WHO Hiroya WHERE Isis Restaurant & Music Hall 701 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Wednesday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. $15

NEVER STOP LEARNING: Multi-instrumentalist Hiroya’s evolution includes not just world travel but movement from full band to one-man performances. “In a way, I am very comfortable playing solo,” he says. Now, “I want to play something new, that’s my next step.” Photo courtesy of the artist ballads with more polyrhythmic South American-influenced sounds.

After gigging around Japan for five years, he received a scholarship to the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston. Following graduation, he moved to New York in 2004. But it wasn’t until he returned home to Japan for a family visit that his current iteration as a solo performer opened up before him. “When I was first playing with a group, I was not very confident,” says Hiroya. “I mean, I was very comfortable as a part of the band.

But whenever I went back to Japan by myself, [I’d be] at family gatherings and they would ask me to play some music.

And I couldn’t do that because I just played in the band and could only play my guitar

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SMART BETS

A&E

by Emily Glaser | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Paula Poundstone Comedian Paula Poundstone has made audiences laugh since she began touring open-mic nights in the early ’80s. Since then, Poundstone has stayed busy with regular appearances on NPR (she’s a regular panelist on the quiz show “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me”), HBO specials, performances in TV shows and movies such as Inside Out. She’s also a writer — her second book will be released this spring.

The success of Poundstone’s eponymous 2016 chart-topping, double-live album proves she’s still culturally and comedically relevant. Her performance in Asheville will coincide with the presidential inauguration.

“January 20th — a historic night of laughter, in Asheville, too,” says the wry comedian.

Poundstone’s show takes place at the Diana Wortham Theatre on Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m. $36-$47. dwtheatre.com. Photo by Michael Schwartz

Asheville, I Love You In Emmanuel Benbihy’s Cities of Love film franchise, audiences observe several different perspectives of life in a beloved city. The literary reading event “Asheville, I Love You” offers a similar glimpse into four resident authors’ experiences. The members of Literary Circus include poetry and fiction writers Nina Hart, Jennifer Fulford, Randi Janelle and Xpress staffer Alli Marshall, who will all share work inspired by life in Asheville. The reading — which includes multimedia, treats and shenanigans — will be followed by an open mic for anyone who would like to share their own short-form writing inspired by local environs. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. The ode to Asheville takes place at Malaprop’s on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. Free. malaprops.com. Photo by Adam McMillan

Love Trumps Hate If you’re looking for a way to unwind — or focus on the positive — on Inauguration Day, consider Love Trumps Hate, an evening of entertainment curated by local musicians. The production promises positive music and self-care, intentionally created in direct response to the turbulence and negativity many citizens have experienced since the election. Performances will include I, Star’s politically attuned hip-hop and folk-rock; the harmonic soul of Jonathan Santos; energetic rock, soul and hip-hop from Natural Born Leaders; and Summit Jaffe of Numatik with his soothing electronic beats. The event includes a chocolate temple, tea lounge, massage zone and plenty of opportunities to relax and/ or dance. The Altamont Theatre will be transformed into a musical utopia on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. $10-$30. thealtamonttheatre.com.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Santos

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

Photographers of Black Mountain College When Black Mountain College was founded in 1933, teachers and students recognized the potential of photography and incorporated it into workshops and the curriculum.

“Lacking funds for anything beyond a rudimentary darkroom and basic supplies, artists had to work and experiment within limitations,” explains Jeff Arnal, executive director of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. “As seen over and over again at Black Mountain College, the teachers and students found creative solutions, cultivating an eager and open culture.” From this experimental base emerged some notable photographers of the era, like Robert Rauschenberg and Martha McMillan Roberts. The exhibit Begin to See: The Photographers of Black Mountain College features their work, primarily from their days at the college. The opening reception takes place on Friday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. blackmountaincollege.org. Pictured: Barbara Morgan, Photography Class, Lake Eden, 1944. Courtesy of the Western Regional Archives, State Archives of N.C.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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A &E CA LEN DA R

by Abigail Griffin

Coming Feb. 8!

2017

specialty shops issue

PRINTMAKING EXHIBIBITION: Jonathan Fisher, UNC Asheville graduate and assistant professor in the School of Art and Design at Kennesaw State University, will exhibit new works in the Blowers Gallery in UNCA’s Ramsey Library until Thursday, Feb. 9. “My recent body of work explores the idea of systems and growth patterns” says Fisher. “From maps, biological cells, planets and constellations of the solar system, I am fascinated by the way our neighborhoods, world and universe are structured.” A reception with the artist will be held from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, in the gallery. For more information, visit library.unca.edu. The Myriad by Jonathon Fisher courtesy of UNC Asheville (p. 41) ART ART AT WCU 227-3591, fineartmuseum.wcu. edu • TH (1/19), 4-6pm - "Impasto Painting” workshop.

Registration required: hensley@ wcu.edu. $20. Held in the Fine Arts Museum BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER

Contact us today!

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • SA (1/21), 2pm - Discussion regarding Begin To See: The Photographers of Black Mountain College with curator Julie J. Thomson, researcher Michael Beggs and archivist Heather South. $5.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through WE (2/15) - Submissions accepted for the Asheville Art in the Park Arts & Community Grant application. Contact for full guidelines.

Information session: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 5pm. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. • Through MO (5/15) - Applications accepted for the 2017 Professional Development Grant for Artists.

Contact for full guidelines.

• WE (1/18), 5pm - “Asheville Art in the Park,” grant information session.

Free to attend. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave., SW Lenoir, 754-2486

• Through TU (1/31) - Portfolio submissions accepted for 2018 exhibitions. Information: caldwellarts. com/157-guidelines/CALDWELL. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • Through WE (2/15) - Submissions accepted for the 2017 "New Playwright Series." Contact for full guidelines.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through TU (2/7) - Open call for submissions for the Folk Art exhibition taking place Friday, Feb. 10 through Tuesday, Feb. 28. Submission accepted Monday, Feb. 6 and Tuesday, Feb. 7. Contact for full guidelines.

GALLERY DIRECTORY ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through FR (2/10) - Exhibition of new works by printmaker, Jonathan Fisher. Reception: Friday, Jan 20, 4-7pm. Held in Ramsey Library.

• FR (1/20) through FR (2/17) Drawing Discourse, international juried exhibition of contemporary drawing. Opening reception and lecture: Friday, Jan. 20, 5pm.

Held in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery in Owen Hall • FR (1/20) through FR (2/17) Senior BFA exhibition of fiber installation created by Sally C. Garner. Reception: Friday, Jan. 20, 6-8pm. Held in the Highsmith Intercultural Gallery ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/17) - CMYK (cyan - magenta - yellow black), mixed media exhibition.

Reception: Friday, Feb. 3, 5-8pm.

Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through SA (5/13) - Zola Marcus: Kinetic Origins, exhibition of the paintings of Zola Marcus.

• FR (1/20) through WE (5/20) Begin To See: The Photographers of Black Mountain College, exhibition. Reception: Friday, Jan. 20, 5:30-8pm.

MUSIC VILLAGE MARIMBA CLASSES • ALL AGES (PD.) New session of classes beginning January. Sue Ford, voted Best Music Teacher in WNC, Mountain Xpress, 3 years in a row. Registration/information: (828) 776-7918 or suef444@ gmail.com ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 126 College St., 252-6244, ashevillemusicschool.com • WE (1/18), 7-9pm - "Gypsy Jazz 101 Workshop," with guitarists Steve Karla and Phil Alley.

Open to all ages and skill levels.

Registration required: brownpapertickets.com/ event/2723552. $15.

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SA (1/21), 8pm - Judy Carmichael Trio, swing and jazz. $35/$30 student/$20 children.

MUSIC AT UNCA 251-6432, unca.edu

BLUE SPIRAL 1 38 Biltmore Ave., 251-0202, bluespiral1.com • Through (3/24) - Exhibitions featuring work in four different galleries.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • Through TU (1/31) - Swannanoa High School…Past and Future in Pictures, exhibition. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa CRUCIBLE GLASSWORKS 60 Clarks Chapel Road, Weaverville, 645-5660, crucibleglassworks.com • Ongoing - Exhibition of the glass work of Michael Hatch.

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Hwy 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • Through MO (1/30) - Outsider painting exhibition featuring works by Scarlett Swann.

GREEN SAGE CAFE SOUTH 1800 Hendersonville Road, Hendersonville • Through TU (1/31) - Exhibition of paintings by John Haldane.

HENDERSON COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM 1 Historic Courthouse Square Hendersonville, 694-1619, hendersoncountymuseum.org • Through SU (6/4) - Exhibition of works from the Baker-Barber museum collection.

• TU (1/24), 7-8:30pm - Faculty Music Lecture Series: Pianist Bill Bares discusses and plays samples of environmentalist music. Free.

Held in Lipinsky Auditorium

THEATER 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (1/22) - Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm, Sun.: 2:30pm. $20.

BURNSVILLE TOWN CENTER 6 Main St., Burnsville, townofburnsville.org/crafts-fair • SA (1/21), 1:30pm - Granny D, performance with Barbara Bates Smith.

Admission by donation.

NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (1/25) until (2/19) - Jeeves In Bloom. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm.$16-$40.

MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY 9 Walnut St., 575-2294, moracollection.com • Through TU (1/31) - Exhibition of the jewelry of Lisa Klakulak.

THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through FR (3/3) Counterpoint, abstract oil and cold wax paintings by Douglas Lail.

THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY & DESIGN 67 Broadway, 785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org • FR (1/20) through WE (5/20) - The Good Making of Good Things, exhibition exploring the 1941-1979 Craft Horizons publication. Reception: Friday, Jan, 20, 6:30-8:30pm.

THE REFINERY 207 Coxe Ave., ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/17) - Susanna Euston: Nature in Abstract, exhibition.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (2/3) - Faces of Freedom, group exhibition.

Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (1/21), 9pm - "The Great American Strip-Off," burlesque improvisation. $24/$21 advance.

THEATER AT UNCA 251-6610, drama.unca.edu • FR (1/20), 1:30pm - "NC Stage Behind the Scenes," presentation

by NC Stage Director Charlie FlynnMcIver. Free. Held in the Reuter Center THEATER AT WCU 227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • FR (1/20), 7:30pm - Step Afrika! dance troupe performance with spoken-word artist and poet Kyla Lacey.

Free. Held in the Bardo Center WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, 669-0816 • THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SUNDAYS (1/22) until (1/29), 8pm - Oleanna, two-character play. $20/$18 advance.

MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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CLUBLAND WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ashley Heath, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Window Cat (funk, neo-soul), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Dao (jazz fusion), 9:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY The Paper Crowns (indie rock), 6:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singersongwriter), 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL Gypsy Jazz 101 Workshop, 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Soul Magnetics (soul, R&B, funk), 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM

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BUFFALO NICKEL David Joe Miller Spoken Word Open Mic, 7:00PM BYWATER Cocktail night w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 9:00PM CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (swing jazz, dance lessons), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN The Band of Heathens w/ The National Reserve (Americana, folk rock, country), 8:00PM

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Indigo De Souza (shoegaze, pop, songwriter), 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM The Nightshirts (blues), 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Billy Litz, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Dweezilla On The Road w/ Dweezil Zappa (guitar masterclass), 3:00PM

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50 Years of Frank w/ Dweezil Zappa (Frank Zappa tribute), 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats (50s & 60s vintage rock, swing), 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Western North Carolina Female Musician's Hang w/ Peggy Ratusz (open mic), 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Oariana w/ Jake Pugh, Mojavenaut & Matt Barlow, 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (international soul, R&B), 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE Paint Nite "Blue Moon Cherry Blossoms", 7:00PM Jordan Okrend (acoustic), 9:00PM

SALVAGE STATION Fish & Friends, 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Unite! Open mic night (sign up @ 7 p.m.), 7:30PM

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Mark Stuart, 8:00PM

BEN'S TUNE-UP Chris Coleman Blues Experience, 8:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 10:00PM

BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY January Thursday Residency w/ Hustle Souls (funk, soul), 6:30PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Bryce Denton (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM

BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18

PACK'S TAVERN Hope Griffin Duo (acoustic rock, folk), 8:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars (Americana, blues, roots), 7:00PM

LADY OF THE MOUNTAIN: From the sleepy town of Marshall to taprooms and stages around the Asheville area, Western North Carolina’s own Sarah Tucker is steadily making a name for herself since winning Asheville Music Hall’s Brown Bag Songwriting Competition in 2011. Blending rock and pop sensibilities with the folk and old-time traditions of her mountain home, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter has released several albums and won several accolades from regional music lovers. Check out Tucker’s singular sound at Asheville’s ISIS Restaurant & Music Hall on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Photo courtesy of Sarah Tucker Music

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Matt Walsh (blues), 6:00PM

GOOD STUFF John the Revelator (folk, swamp stomp), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Old Salt Union & Forlorn Strangers (bluegrass), 8:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Debra Cowan (folk, singer-songwriter), 7:00PM Nick Moss Band, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM The Mudbottoms w/ Mr. Mange & Milo In the Doldrums (rock), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:30PM Jouwala Collective (world music), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Pendulum Jazz Trio, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Appetite For Destruction (Guns N' Roses tribute), 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT The Moth: True Stories Told Live ("voyage" theme), 7:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Vince JR Blues Band Dinner Show, 7:00PM WILD WING CAFE Jordan Okrend, 8:00PM Kincaid Dos (acoustic rock), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Jason Whittaker, 8:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/ Steve Weems, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 185 KING STREET Spalding McIntosh & Cody Siniard (singer-songwriter), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Goldie & The Screamers (rock, soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Flashback Sally (rock), 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Love Trumps Fear Inauguration Day w/ I, Star & Santos and friends, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Joe McMurrian, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Dead 27's w/ The Freeway Revival (rock), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Vinyl Night w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BOILER ROOM 40 Thieves present Haystax w/ Beni-Hana, Bloodline, Kilo Fresh, Kato the Thraxxx, Young Savage, City Jordan & DJ Dr. Ill, 10:00PM

BYWATER Darien Crossley w/ Noah Larssen (singer-songwriter, acoustic), 8:30PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE In the Round Trio (singersongwriter, country, Americana), 7:00PM CORK & KEG Zoe and Cloyd & friends (bluegrass), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Tom Waits for No Man (Tom Waits covers), 10:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Paula Poundstone (comedy), 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Garage & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER Classic World Cinema, 8:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Jaliete (funk, jam), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Community Center (orchestral rock), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Gracie Lane (folk, Americana), 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Greyhounds w/ The Digs (rock), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Lyric (funk, soul, pop), 7:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Sarah Tucker (pop, songwriter), 7:00PM An evening w/ Carrie Newcomer (singer-songwriter), 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Freeway Revival w/ Jay Bragg (rock), 9:00PM K LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (Korean pop, trap, dance), 10:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Dance party benefit w/ DJ Malinalli, 10:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Asheville Gypsy Jazz Trio, 6:30PM

LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Mark Bumgarner, 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Advance Base w/ Lisa/Liza & Gold Grace (indie, rock, experimental), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM Masseuse w/ Na'an Stop (funk, rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Roots & friends, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Steep Canyon Rangers w/ Del McCoury (bluegrass), 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Ross Osteen & Crossroads (rock, soul), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Dance for Food Connection (DJ party), 8:00PM DJ Dance Party Benefit w/ DJ MoTo (pop, dance hits), 9:30PM

THE MOTHLIGHT The Heads Are Zeros w/ Weather Lore & Weak Wrists (punk, softgrind), 9:30PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL EZ Productions & Sol Vibes present 2 Dance Floors of Techno, DnB, Psy & Breaks, 9:00PM TIGER MOUNTAIN Friday Nite Mash Up w/ B-Boy Evan & Nex Millen, 10:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Gracie Lane (folk, americana), 7:00PM The Jordan Okrend Experience (blues, dance), 10:00PM TWISTED LAUREL Request-powered dance party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Station Underground, 9:30PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Cranford Hollow (Americana, rock 'n' roll), 8:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM

SALVAGE STATION Same As It Ever Was (Talking Heads tribute), 9:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Electric w/ DJ Phantome Pantone, 8:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Carver & Carmody (Americana), 8:00PM SCARLET'S COUNTRY DANCE CLUB Open Mic night w/ Sam Warner, 8:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY King Possum, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE The Election Monologues, 6:00PM Solidarity Sing w/ Ash Devine (community sing-along), 8:00PM DNA Dance Party w/ DJ Audio, 10:00PM

FREE!

1.19 10PM

ONE STOP

1.20 9 PM

AMH

195 HILLIARD AVE.

JANUARY LINEUP MONDAY: 7-10 Open Mic Jam Session Tuesday: 7-10 Eleanor Underhill Americana/Roots/Fusion Wednesday: 7-10 Soul Magnetics Soul/R&B/Funk Thursday: 8-11 Brews N’ Blues w/ The Cris Coleman Blues Experience Friday: 10-1 Vinyl Night w/ DJ Kilby Saturday: 3-6 Gypsy Guitar Trio

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 185 KING STREET Josh Erwin & Troy Harris (Americana, bluegrass), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Dave Dribbon (Americana), 6:00PM Eleanor Underhill & Friends (Americana, soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE DJ karaoke & dance party, 9:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR January Birthday Pizza Party, 5:00PM

Instrumental Jazz Saturday: 9:30-12:30 The WildCard Feel-Good Funky Dance Party Good Vibe Sundays 6-10 w/ the Dub Kartel Roots/Rock/Reggae

(World)

Dead 27s

(Rock) adv. $7

w/ The Freeway Revival FREE!

Red Clay Revival and Friends

Locochino

THE MOCKING CROW Trivia and karoke night!, 9:00PM

LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE Chris Flanders, 8:00PM

Jouwala Collective

Masseuse

THE DUGOUT FineLine, 9:00PM

1.20 10PM

ONE STOP

(Funk/Rock)

1.21 9 PM

AMH

1.21 10PM

ONE STOP

FREE!

w/ Electric Kif and Space Time Travelers

(Funk/Grass)

FREE!

(Rock) MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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C LU BL A N D ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Red Clay Revival & friends (soul grass), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Gypsy Guitar Trio (gypsy folk), 3:00PM The WildCard (funk, dance), 9:30PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Ryan Furstenberg (folk, rock), 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ben Phan (indie, folk, singersongwriter), 7:00PM

BOILER ROOM Dirty Soul Revival w/ The Styrofoam Turtles & Tennessee Iron Band (rock), 10:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Dave Desmelik Trio (singer-songwriter, Americana, folk), 7:00PM CORK & KEG Russ Wilson & the Wrong Crowd (swing jazz), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL House Hoppers (swing jazz), 10:00PM

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Judy Carmichael Trio, 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter w/ DJ Big Smidge (50's/60's R&B, rock 'n' roll), 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Murmuration (funk, jam), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Sugar Still (acoustic duo), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Kerchief (alt. rock), 8:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN 8th annual Django Reinhardt's Birthday w/ Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo & more, 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Marcel Anton (rock, blues, punk), 7:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Peter Mulvey (Americana, folk, jazz), 7:00PM Jahman Brahman album release party w/ Backup Planet, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Pierce Edens (Americana), 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio (jazz), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM The Grateful Meds & Friends (hip-hop), 9:00PM

Fri•Jan ri•Jan 20 Screening “We The People 2.0” 1/22, 5pm theblockoffbiltmore.com 39 S. Market St., Downtown Asheville

LYRIC 7-9pm

Sat•Jan 21

Marcel Anton 7- 9pm Sun•Jan 22

Reggae Sunday hosted by

Dennis “Chalwa” Berndt

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Locochino w/ Electric Kif & Space Time Travelers (rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Free Dance Party w/ DJ Marley Carroll & Brandon Audette, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Steep Canyon Rangers w/ Del McCoury (bluegrass), 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Carpal Tullar (pop, rock), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Lyric (funk, pop, soul), 9:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR The Crown Jewels Band w/ Paula Hanke (Motown, R&B, contemporary), 8:00PM

1-4pm

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Jordan Okrend Experience w/ Jonkandy & Billy Presnell (singer-songwriter), 8:00PM

Tue•Jan 24

PURPLE ONION CAFE Citizen Mojo (funk, soul), 8:00PM

Dr. Brown’s Team Trivia 6-8pm Wed•Jan 25

Woody Wood 5:30-7:30pm

SALVAGE STATION Phuncle Sam, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM Jamison Adams Project (Americana, rock), 8:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY The Pea Pickin' Hearts, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Conscious Comedy Night, 7:00PM International Salsa Dance Party, 10:00PM THE DUGOUT Twist of Fate, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT The Missing Stares w/ Kitty Tsunami, The Chickenhawks & The Mudbottoms (rock), 9:00PM

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES The King Zeros (delta blues), 7:30PM Ruby Mayfield & The Friendship Train (live music), 10:00PM TWISTED LAUREL Dance Party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Baby Kudzu & The Business w/ Rooster (homegrown folk), 9:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY BlueSunday w/Garry Segal & Friends, 5:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE "We The People 2.0" film screening w/ Tammy Belinsky, 5:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Phantom Pantone (french pop, disco house), 9:30PM THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL ZØDIAC: Moon in Sagittarius w/ Live Animals, SKAWT & more, 9:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Gray Family Benefit, 12:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Memphis or Bust Fundraiser (live music), 7:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Live w/ Naked Scholar, 8:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Ultrafaux (original gypsy jazz), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA The Paper Crowns, 7:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Dub Kartel (reggae, dub), 6:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner (Americana, bluegrass), 7:00PM

MONDAY, JANUARY 23 185 KING STREET Open Mic Night, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Jazz Club (soul, R&B, jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Classical Guitar Mondays, 7:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Open mic jam session, 7:00PM BYWATER Open mic w/ Rooster, 8:00PM

BYWATER Grateful Sunday (Grateful Dead covers), 8:00PM

CROW & QUILL Jason Webley (accordion troubadour), 8:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Country karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY True home open mic (sign-up @ 5 p.m.), 5:30PM

GOOD STUFF Songwriter's "open mic", 7:30PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt, 1:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open mic night (music & comedy), 6:00PM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL The Belle Hollows (acoustic, folk), 5:30PM "Romancing the Duke: A Tribute to Duke Ellington" w/ Wendy Jones, 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo, 7:00PM Open Mic Night, 9:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Irish session, 5:00PM

ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Punk Night w/ DJ Chubberbird & Hard Mike, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hot Club Asheville, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM 80s/90s Dance Party, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass brunch w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood, 11:00AM ORANGE PEEL Steep Canyon Rangers [SOLD OUT], 7:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Travers jam, 6:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & Friends (bluegrass), 6:30PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Gathering For Climate Justice Jam, 7:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Trivial trivia w/ Geoffrey & Brody, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Tonstartssbandht w/ Aunt Sis & Southern Racing Inferno (rock, indie, psychedelic), 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (dark wave, trap, house music), 8:00PM

BONFIRE BARBECUE Thunder karaoke w/ Jason Tarr, 8:00PM BYWATER Open Drum Circle, 6:00PM Spin Jam, 9:00PM CROW & QUILL Boogie Woogie Burger Night (burgers & rock n' roll), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Honky-tonk, Western & Cajun night w/ DJ Brody Douglas Hunt , 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Asheville Beer & Hymns, 6:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Unspoken Tradition, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Cajun Two-steppin' Tuesday w/ Cafe Sho's (Cajun, zydeco, dance), 7:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown (folk, singer-songwriter), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Odd Open Mic Comedy, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 11:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesdays, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Trivia! w/ Ol' Gilly, 7:00PM ORANGE PEEL Breaking Benjamin w/ Wilson [SOLD OUT], 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Tuesday blues dance w/ The Remedy (blues), 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-n-Justice Tuesday w/ Solomon Douglas, 9:00PM Vintage blues dance, 11:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Open jam w/ Rob Parks & Chuck Knott, 7:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Jazz & Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM WILD WING CAFE Doghouse Band & The Appalachian Mountaineers, 6:00PM

7:00PM –INDIGO DE SOUZA

(IN THE LOUNGE) thu 1/19

7:00PM –DEBRA COWAN 9:00PM –NICK MOSS BAND fri 1/20 7:00PM –SARAH TUCKER (IN THE LOUNGE) 9:00PM –CARRIE NEWCOMER sat 1/21 7:00PM – PETER MULVEY 9:00PM – JAHMAN BRAHMAN (ALBUM RELEASE PARTY)

& BACKUP PLANET

$3.50 DAILY PINTS

THIS WEEK at THE CREEK MON Burgers & Trivia 7pm TUE

Tacos + Blues w/ Matt Walsh - 7pm

WED

Wings & Roots & Friends Open Mic Jam - 7pm

sun 1/22

5:30PM – THE BELLE HOLLOWS 7:30PM – WENDY JONES

ROMANCING THE DUKE: A TRIBUTE TO DUKE ELLINGTON tue 1/24 7:30PM –TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 1/25

7:00PM – HIROYA TSUKAMOTO thu 1/26

7:00PM – MOORS AND MCCUMBER 8:30PM – THE CURRYS fri 1/27 7:00PM – CARDINE, SIPE, & WRIGHT 9:00PM –SEDUCTION SIDESHOW PRESENTS:

7 DEADLY SINS (NIGHT ONE) sat 1/28

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BREWS

THU FRI

1/26

1/27 1/28 1/29 1/31

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7PM DOORS 7PM DOORS 8PM DOORS

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1/23

OPEN MIC NIGHT 6PM SLICE OF COMEDY OPEN MIC 9:30PM

MAGPIE, S I AM E S E J A Z Z CLUB +

The Long Distance Relationship

DEAD HORSES + THE GREENLINERS (DUO) ERIN FOLEY DARRIN BRADBURY GAELYNN LEA

Patrick Locket - 7pm Fish n’ Chips + Byrdie & the Mutts 7pm

SAT

BBQ Nachos + Billy Litz - 7pm

SUN

Football Nachos & FOOTBALL!

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action on our 10 TV’s

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6PM DOORS

And

8TH ANNUAL DJANGO REINHARDT’S BIRTHDAY FEAT. FRANK VIGNOLA & VINNY RANIOLO + MANY SPECIAL GUESTS!

6PM DOORS

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner (Americana, bluegrass), 7:00PM

COMING SOON wed 1/18

1/20 GREYHOUNDS + the Digs

STRANGERS

8PM DOORS

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia Night, 7:30PM

East Asheville’s Craft Beer & BBQ Destination • 29 Taps

THU

BEN'S TUNE-UP Eleanor Underhill (Americana, roots, fusion), 7:00PM

1/19

FRI

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

OLD SALT UNION + FORLORN

W/ THE NATIONAL RESERVE

SAT

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:00PM

1/18 THE BAND OF HEATHENS

MON

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM

THU

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24

ISISASHEVILLE.COM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

45

CLU B LA N D

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25 185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 8:00PM

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm CAJUN TWO STEPPIN’ TUESDAYS Every Tuesday in Jan. • 7pm Gumbo, Po Boys and more!

WEDNESDAYS Asheville’s Original Old Time Mountain Music Jam • 5pm THURSDAYS Mountain Feist • 7pm Bluegrass Jam • 9:30pm Bourbon Specials

BRAGG OPENING FOR FRI JAY UPLAND 1/20 9PM / $5 DRIVE

SAT PIERCE EDENS 1/21 9PM / $5 ‘17 NORTHERN COMFORT TOUR

FRI UPSTATE RUBDOWN & 1/27 DAMN TALL BUILDINGS 9PM / $5

IRISH SUNDAYS Irish Food and Drink Specials Traditional Irish Music Session • 3-9pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singersongwriter), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Soul Magnetics (soul, R&B, funk), 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM

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LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM The Log Noggins w/ Billingsly (rock, blues), 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Illiterate Trio, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats (50s & 60s vintage rock, swing), 7:00PM

BYWATER Cocktail night w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT MANAS w/ Acid Reign & Kangarot, 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (swing jazz, dance lessons), 9:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (international soul, R&B), 8:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE Democracy for Sale (film screening), 7:00PM

Sun - Service Industry Night 7pm Mon - Old Time Jam 6:30pm

Tue - Open Mic Night 7pm

Wed - WideScreen Wednesday 7pm

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM

BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM

CRAFT BEER, SPIRITS & QUALITY PUB FARE SINCE 1996

46

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Hiroya Tsukamoto (acoustic, Americana, jazz), 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Hemp Wednesday w/ author Chase Rachels, 7:00PM Chalwa acoustic (reggae), 8:00PM

OPEN MON-THURS AT 3 • FRI-SUN AT NOON

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HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM

Expires 2-28-17

WILD WING CAFE Jeff Anders (acoustic), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Paint Nite "Bear Bedtime", 7:00PM Jason Whittaker, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An Evening w/ Grateful Red (Grateful Dead covers), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL A Live One (Phish tribute), 9:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Chris Coleman Blues Experience, 8:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 10:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Below the Baseline (jazz, funk), 9:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Magpie w/ Siamese Jazz Club & The Long Distance Relationship (folk rock), 9:00PM

1/19 - Vince Jr. CD Release (Blues) Free! 7pm 1/20 - Station Underground (Reggae) 9:30pm 1/21 - Baby Kudzu w/ Rooster (Americana) 8pm

TAVERN

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Community night w/ Friends of the Smokies, 4:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Moors and McCumber (folk, singer-songwriter), 7:00PM The Currys (folk, rock, acoustic), 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Bryan Marshall & His Payday Knights (classic country covers), 10:00PM Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Bluetech, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM The Plague of Man Presents: Left Cross, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:30PM Soul Mechanic (rock, blues), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING One Leg Up, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Nappy Roots (hip hop), 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Dan Lavoie (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM

Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 14 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

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• Two TVs • Game Time Nacho & Hot Dog Bar

Full Event Details on Facebook

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FOOTB ALL RGERS, PIZZA &, BUEER! B

THU. 1/19 Hope Griffin Duo (acoustic rock, folk)

FRI. 1/20 DJ MoTo

(pop, dance hits)

SAT. 1/21 Lyric

(funk, pop, soul)

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PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders Duo (acoustic rock), 8:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY January Thursday Residency w/ Hustle Souls (funk, soul), 6:30PM

1/18

PURPLE ONION CAFE Jimmy Landry (singer-songwriter, folk), 8:00PM

wed series: wednesdays in january

oariana

w/jake pugh, mojavenuat, matt barlow

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Armadilla (indie, rock), 7:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Spin Sessions w/ DJ Stylus, 6:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Marley Carroll w/ The Touch & Tin Foil Hat, 9:30PM

thu

1/20

fri

1/21

sat

1/23

mon free monday!

told live (theme: voyage)

missing stares

w/ kitty tsunami, the chickenhawks, the mudbottoms

free!

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM

the heads are zeros w/ weather lore, weak wrists

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY David Zoll w/ Krista Shows & Dave Desmelik, 7:00PM

the moth: true stories

1/19

tonstartssbandht

w/ aunt sis, southern racing inferno

Woodpecker Pie

WILD WING CAFE Ashli Rose, 8:00PM

Savory and Sweet Hand Pies!

5pm to last call

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ben Shuster, 8:00PM

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 11:30am

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/ Pam Jones, 8:00PM

Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

47

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, JOHNATHAN RICH & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Director Martin Scorsese makes a strong statement on spirituality with Silence

Silence

HHHHS DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese PLAYERS: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Issey Ogata, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yoshi Oida, Yosukey Kubozuka, Liam Neeson.

HISTORICAL DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: A pair of Jesuit priests seek out their mentor, a missionary who has gone missing amidst the persecution of Christians in 17th century Japan.

THE LOWDOWN: Scorsese’s passion project, nearly 25 years in the making, strikes a delicate balance between faith and doubt that will resonate with believers and skeptics alike.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

To call Martin Scorsese’s Silence a passion project might very well be an example of proficient pun play, but it would also be a severe disservice to this film and its position in a legendary director’s oeuvre. To be fair, Silence is not Scorsese’s most entertaining or exciting film. However, it will almost certainly go down as one of his most significant. The filmmaker’s fixation on religion is well-documented, and the influence of his Catholicism on the work he’s produced is undeniable, so it should come as no surprise that Scorsese has tirelessly shepherded this project through development hell for more than twenty years. Silence is far closer to Kundun than Goodfellas, but in some ways it might prove to be a definitive Scorsese film.

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Adapted from a 1966 novel of the same name by author Shusaku Endo — a Japanese convert to Roman Catholicism — the narrative focuses on the quest undertaken by two 17th century Portuguese Jesuits (Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver) to find their mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), a priest rumored to have apostatized under torture at the hands of inquisitors in Nagasaki.

As the priests minister to persecuted Japanese crypto-Christians and witness the horrors they endure for their faith, Scorsese’s maturity as a filmmaker contributes a genuine sense of grace to the film. Rather than indulging in the shock tactics lesser religious filmmakers such as Mel Gibson would have employed, the brutality of the suppression is

M A X R AT I N G rendered with a matter-of-fact intensity that avoids easy sensationalism.

“Religious” Scorsese could very nearly constitute a subgenre within the director’s work, and one to which popular reception has not traditionally been warm. But the hallmarks of his auteurial signature are evident, from his use of the sweeping God’s Eye View perspective found in many of his films to spiritual ambiguity that distinguished his films as far back as Mean Streets. Influences from Dreyer and Bergman to Kurosawa and Mizoguchi are evident throughout, but the film displays a stylistic austerity that places the story at the forefront.

Silence is a slow-burn, and the deliberate pacing of its nearly three-hour running time will make it a hard sell to mass-market moviegoers. But the narrative is compelling throughout, and the last hour is easily among Scorsese’s most virtuosic work. The cast delivers uniformly strong performances, with Neeson, Garfield and Driver all ably rising to the demands of the material. Issey Ogata is a true standout as chief inquisitor Inoue Masashige, conveying a nuanced menace that more than warrants to awards buzz he’s garnered. But the real draw here is Scorsese, and he’s in top form.

The most commendable aspect of Silence is Scorsese’s willingness to engage with thorny theological questions while abstaining from any sense of sermonizing. There are no easy answers in questions of faith and persecution, and the filmmaker’s courage in addressing these issues head-on without digressing into proselytization speaks volumes, not only to his acumen as an auteur, but also his character as a Christian. Those with preexisting religious affiliations will find a great deal of value in Silence, but it may be even more worthwhile to those with no dogmatic convictions whatsoever. The masterstroke of Silence is not only the film itself, but the conversations that it’s likely to start after the end credits roll. Rated R for some disturbing violent content. English with limited Japanese and Latin dialogue.

Now Playing at Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Elle HHHHS DIRECTOR: Paul Verhoeven PLAYERS: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Judith Magre THRILLER/BLACK COMEDY RATED R THE STORY: The head of a video game company is raped by a masked assailant, only to develop a bizarre relationship with her attacker in her quest to uncover his identity.

THE LOWDOWN: Paul Verhoeven delivers a blend of black satire and twisted sexual psychology that will leave audiences head-scratching long after the credits roll — but everyone will agree that Isabelle Huppert is one of the greatest actors working today.

Now in his seventies, there’s nothing new about Paul Verhoeven’s role as a provocateur, so I went in to Elle fully prepared for a unique cinematic experience. Or at least I thought I was prepared — I was dead wrong, as it turns out. The term bizarre doesn’t begin to do this film justice. I’m still struggling to find the words to adequately describe what Elle is, and what it’s trying to accomplish as a piece of filmmaking. The closest I’ve been able to come so far would be to say that it’s a film that challenges sexual mores and traditional conceptions of gender roles with a sense of humor so dark that, for some, it may be completely overshadowed by the more salacious plot points. It’s definitely not a movie for everyone — which is to say, it’s every inch a Verhoeven.

From the opening frames, it’s clear that the director’s aim is to both transgress and titillate. As the titles roll, the sounds of a violent sexual encounter are heard in medias res. A cat looks on impassively as the audience is witness to the final stages of a woman having just been raped by a masked intruder. The woman is Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert), and her reaction will set the tone for the rest of the film — rather than cry out for help or call the police, she calmly disposes of her clothes, cleans the room in which she was violated, and goes on with the rest of her day. Her incomprehensibly blasé attitude persists throughout the ensuing two hours of screen time, but

not without a few cracks showing in the facade.

It’s in these cracks that the film gets interesting, as the narrative environs surrounding our protagonist seems just as strange as she is herself.

Screenwriter David Birke, working from a novel by Philippe Djian, gradually reveals a world populated almost exclusively by unlikable characters with hidden agendas. This all sounds like the setup for a pretty conventional psychological thriller, and there are certainly elements of Hitchcock or Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom on display here — but that would be far too simple for a late-period Verhoeven film. Elle is distinguished from its genre brethren by a pitch-black sense of humor that evokes Bunuel at his most nihilistic, and I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions in spite of my reservations.

Those reservations stem largely from the film’s treatment of women, an aspect of Verhoeven’s oeuvre which has long drawn critical ire. But somehow the film manages to be even harder on its male characters — all of which are uniformly ineffectual — and despite the protagonist’s sexual objectification and victimization at the hands of these men, she is constantly the most effectively active character on the screen, never seeming to lose control of any situation. It is, to say the least, a perplexing ontological position, and is the most likely indication of what Verhoeven is trying to say with this film. Huppert plays this role to the hilt, and there can be no doubt that the film would have failed utterly without her masterful ministrations.

Her performance alone is worth the price of admission.

If Silence edged out Elle as my pick of the week, it’s strictly due to the fact that I can unequivocally recommend Scorsese’s film to a wide audience, while I’m not quite sure to whom Verhoeven’s is intended to appeal. I can say with absolute certainty that it ranks among the damnedest films I’ve seen, which also places it among my favorites almost by default. The easily offended need not apply, and interested moviegoers should be forewarned that Elle will leave viewers with more questions than answers. As soon as I figure out what I really think about this film, I’ll be sure to let you all know. Rated R for violence involving sexual assault, disturbing sexual content, some grisly images, brief graphic nudity and language.

Now Playing at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Live by Night

HHHS DIRECTOR: Ben Affleck PLAYERS: Ben Affleck, Zoë Saldana, Chris Messina, Elle Fanning, Matthew Maher, Brendan Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Chris Cooper, Anthony Michael Hall CRIME DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: A holdup man leaves Boston for greener pastures and a shot at revenge in prohibitionera Florida, but things don’t go according to plan.

THE LOWDOWN: Ben Affleck’s latest efforts as writer-director-producerstar yield interesting results that don’t quite live up to their potential but also don’t justify the critical derision they’ve thus far received.

I think we can all agree Ben Affleck’s career has been one of fits and starts, a spotty collection of motley diversity that has ranged from critical castigation to hard-earned acclaim. Generally speaking, I like Affleck more than I don’t. But I’m apparently in the minority when it comes to my appraisal of Live by Night, because I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as its negative reception would suggest. However, that’s not to say the film doesn’t have some definite drawbacks.

The film is a modern take on the classic gangster pics of the Warner Brothers golden era, and Affleck states his intentions unequivocally when a throwback WB logo — complete with artificial film schmutz — presages the introductory scenes of this adaptation from Dennis Lehane’s titular novel. Affiliating the movie with such an august lineage is a bold assertion, and one that doesn’t necessarily do the picture any favors. Affleck is a poor substitute for Cagney or Bogart.

And, even in the context of modern takes on period crime-dramas, this is a secondtier film. Is it as good as Chinatown or The Godfather? Of course not. Is it as bad as Public Enemies or Gangster Squad?

Thankfully, no. As things stand, Live By Night will probably go down as a largely forgettable footnote of the genre — distinguished by solid performances and immaculate work by the art department — but little else.

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Comparisons aside, Affleck’s film does have some peculiar charms that merit my recommendation. As with his previous directorial efforts (The Town, Argo and Gone, Baby Gone, another Lehane adaptation), Affleck’s greatest strength is as a director of actors. Here he coaxes nuanced performances out of Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana as his love interests and gives Brendan Gleeson and Chris Cooper room to class up the proceedings as heavily conflicted father figures. If anyone’s performance fails to meet expectations, it’s Affleck’s own, coming across as a little too stiff — and more than a touch smug — in his turn as small-time-hood-turned-rumrunning-kingpin Joe Coughlin.

But perhaps the strangest and most engaging aspect of the piece is its narrative structure, spending the first act on a Boston-based backstory before transitioning to Tampa and a drastically different visual aesthetic. Contingent upon this geographical relocation is an equally drastic shift in thematic context which carries a thoroughly unexpected racial component, as Joe confronts not only rival gangsters but also the KKK. I was initially somewhat shocked by this development, but surprisingly it seems to work, lending an additional layer of interest to an otherwise conventional gangland-power fantasy.

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

49

M OVIES

by Scott Douglas

Even if Live by Night lacks the novelty of its early antecedents’ moral ambiguity and the nostalgic appeal of its more recent predecessors, Affleck captures his period setting admirably and tells a story that is nothing if not unique within the genre. It’s too drawn out, and things fall apart in the last 15 minutes with a series of cursory climaxes capping off each and every plot thread with beats that are at once predictable and excessive. But there’s an appeal underlying all of its contrivances that I have a hard time putting my finger on.

For those harboring a predisposition for the genre, or those looking for the egalitarian wish-fulfillment of watching a Boston Irish Catholic murder a significant number of racist gangsters and Klansmen, Live by Night is a safe bet. For everyone else, there’s a better performance from another Affleck still hanging in around theaters. Rated R for strong violence, language throughout and some sexuality/nudity.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Monster Trucks HHHS

DIRECTOR: Chris Wedge PLAYERS: Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Barry Pepper, Thomas Lennon, Rob Lowe KIDS ADVENTURE RATED PG THE STORY: A teenager comes across a new species of animal — one that drinks oil and can hide inside the body of a truck and power it — and the duo sets off to stop an evil oil company.

THE LOWDOWN: A fun, likable little movie in spite of (or maybe because of) its ridiculous premise.

Chris Wedge’s Monster Trucks has maybe the stupidest premise imaginable: So-called “monsters” who eat and drink fossil fuels are found deep below the surface of the earth, and one of them is quickly taught to inhabit the shell of a truck (imagine a hermit crab, perhaps) and run around while inside it, occasionally causing havoc. It’s the

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

silliest, most inane concept for a movie I’ve encountered in a long time — and bless it for this. In an era where movies are getting more and more focusgrouped all to hell, I feel downright elated to find something as out-and-out goofy as a movie like Monster Trucks.

This isn’t the only reason I find myself taking a shine to Wedge’s film.

An insane premise alone isn’t enough, but luckily the film has enough charm, along with a sense of whimsy, to work.

Keep in mind, Monster Trucks is not the pinnacle of cinematic art, but it never wants to be. It’s simply a strange, fun adventure-fantasy that preteens will adore and adults might enjoy. There’s zero pretension, zero seriousness. It’s the type of movie that harkens back to ’80s junk and more modern approximations like Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids and Shawn Levy’s Real Steel. It’s simple, fun and generally entertaining, something so many movies have trouble accomplishing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s still a movie about tentacled CGI animals wearing trucks as suits, so there’s a heavy amount of suspension of disbelief going on here. Lucas Till plays Tripp, a simple high school student with daddy issues, a strained relationship with his stepfather (Barry Pepper) and a knack for mechanics. One day, he finds a large, tentacled and somewhat mushy animal drinking up barrels of oil and roaming around the junkyard he works in at night. It turns out the local (and evil) oil company that runs the town has uncovered a hive of these animals deep underground and is trying to round the last one up so they can poison them all and get back to drilling.

Tripp, however, takes a liking to the animal and decides to get him home and stop the nefarious oil company (run

by Rob Lowe with an atrocious Texas accent), but not before discovering the creature can not only easily slide into the body of his run-down pickup truck, it can also power it with its tentacles. Yes, it’s all as dumb as it sounds, but Monster Trucks has the sense to roll with it with sufficient world-building, never questioning things and moving along quickly enough to where the audience shouldn’t be bothered mulling them over too much themselves. Helping things is a cast that is all amiable and charming enough and a script that has enough sense to keep the film light. Monster Trucks only wants to be fun, and it does just that. Rated PG for action, peril, brief scary images, and some rude humor.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Epic of Hendersonville and Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

Patriot’s Day HHH DIRECTOR: Peter Berg PLAYERS: Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Beach, Christopher O’Shea, Rachel Brosnahan, Jake Picking, Themo Melikidze, Alex Wolff, Melissa Benoist FACT-BASED DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: When improvised explosives were detonated at the 2013 Boston Marathon, the people of the city banded together in a valiant effort to apprehend those responsible and reclaim their city from the shadow of terrorism.

THE LOWDOWN: An exploitative exercise in emotional manipulation that occludes an important and uplifting story with unnecessary genre cliches.

It must be January, because we have another Mark Wahlberg-Peter Berg collaboration shuffling onto multiplex schedules amidst the leftover studio detritus and perfunctory late-season awards bait that couldn’t quite make the December holiday weekend deadline. This time the duo’s eye for overstuffed, flag-waving schmaltz has been turned to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the film that resulted is a convoluted exercise in kitchen-sink cinema that employs every cheap trick of emotional exploitation in the book, and then tries to shoehorn in a few more for good measure. The Boston bombing was a horrific event, the remarkable resiliency of the city’s people is laudable — and Berg and Wahlberg seem hellbent on riding the wave of patriotic human interest all the way to the bank, for better or worse.

Despite my cynicism about its handling of a sensitive subject, Patriot’s Day is not without virtue. It’s not, strictly speaking, an incompetent film — just a bungled attempt at creating something meaningful out of nearly incomprehensible tragedy. Where the film lost me is in its own confusion, its sense of trying to be all things to, and about, everyone involved. This story of homespun heroism should have been

compelling enough if told with a sense of documentary verisimilitude, but the filmmakers seem fixated on tarting up their tale with genre trappings that simply aren’t necessary. Patriot’s Day vacillates between identifying as a disaster movie, a police procedural, an actionpacked shoot-em-up, a spy thriller and a hospital melodrama — all while trying to insist, in defiance of everything we see on screen, that it’s really a character study. In short, it’s a film overcomplicated with cliches that shortchange the people it purports to serve.

Had it been based on a fictional premise, I could have accepted the substantial slice of cheese that Berg and Wahlberg have served up with less objection. However, Patriot’s Day strives to depict the real men and women involved in the bombing and subsequent manhunt that gripped the national imagination in the weeks that followed, and somehow manages to do them a disservice through its lack of narrative focus. The cast is up for the challenge, with John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, J.K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan and pretty much every actor involved doing their best to honor the people who endured the event. But then there’s Wahlberg, playing an artificially constructed amalgam that places him at the center of every pertinent moment of the proceedings, like Woody Allen’s Zelig if he were a terrorist-hunting cop from Southie. This sole fictional personage inserted into the docudrama proceedings allows the filmmakers to ground the audience’s point of view in a central character, but it also leaves the film feeling like it’s less interested in the valiant efforts of the people of Boston than it is in how much ass Marky Mark would have kicked if he had been there.

The blatant heartstring tugging of Patriot’s Day would’ve been far more forgivable had the filmmakers shown a little more restraint, but not unlike the terrorists’ bombs, they’ve packed a little bit of everything into the movie in the hopes of hitting as many soft targets as possible. The resultant chaos feels manipulative rather than constructive, and when the final minutes of the movie showcase interviews with the actual people depicted, far more genuine emotional affect is packed into a few frames of talking head footage than in the two hours that preceded it. It’s a passable film with a noble purpose, but I’d rather wait for a documentary. Rated R for violence, realistically graphic injury images, language throughout and some drug use.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Sleepless HHS DIRECTOR: Baran bo Odar PLAYERS: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, T.I., Dermot Mulroney, Gabrielle Union, Scoot McNairy, ACTION THRILLER RATED R THE STORY: A cop entangled in departmental corruption must rescue his teenage son from gangsters after a drug theft goes south.

THE LOWDOWN: A mindless diversion that packs every mob-movie cliche possible into 90 minutes, Sleepless isn’t great — but I doubt it was ever meant to be.

No one will ever accuse Sleepless of being a deep film. Its plot mechanics function along the lines of a much stupider, and more poorly thoughtout, take on The Departed (or its predecessor, Infernal Affairs), but with 90 percent fewer twists and 100 percent less character development. Yet, somehow, it’s still not as bad as it could have been. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t fully recommend this film, but it does have some entertaining moments despite its profoundly implausible narrative and clunky pacing. And sometimes a frivolous diversion can be enough. It’s also the only movie I reviewed this week that clocks in at less than two hours, for which I am eternally grateful.

Swiss director Baran bo Odar has delivered a strange piece of pulpy fun with this remake of the 2011 Franco-Belgian thriller Sleepless Night. The problem is there’s less than nothing beneath its veneer of cop-movie cliches, so that fun doesn’t carry things very far on its own. What you see is effectively what you get. While Odar takes a valiant stab at aping Michael Mann or Antoine Fuqua with his neonoir narrative, his capacity as a visual stylist falls distinctly short of his aspirations.

The most glaring problem with Sleepless is in its scripting. It’s difficult for me to say with any certainty whether the plot or the dialogue is more egregiously offensive, but the

two function in concert to create an effect of almost breathtaking banality. As someone with a deep affinity for B movies, I fully embrace the tendency for such films to work in spite of their narrative shortcomings. But Sleepless never quite pulls off that particular balancing act. At least it’s a stripped-down film with efficient pacing (although it still manages to drag a bit in the second act), but the utter absurdity of the story should deter all but the most ardent genre completists. Straight Outta Compton screenwriter Andrea Berloff is clearly phoning it in to the great detriment of a cast that deserved better.

Remember those halcyon days of the early aughts when Jamie Foxx was nominated for two Oscars in the same year and actually took home one of them? He doesn’t, if his performance here can be taken as any indication. Foxx plays a possibly corrupt, possibly undercover, cop whose involvement in a drug theft gone awry runs him afoul of a sleazy casino owner (Dermot Mulroney), a psychotic mob-family scion (Scoot McNairy) and a hardedged internal affairs detective (Michelle Monaghan). If Monaghan and Foxx play their one-note characters a bit too straight, McNairy and Mulroney at least recognize what kind of film they’re in and ham things up with commendable aplomb. At the end of the day, there’s little that even a cast this talented could have done to elevate a script with so little in its favor.

Seldom have I encountered such a significant sense of cognitive dissonance at the movies than I found in transitioning from the somber sublimity of Martin Scorsese’s Silence to the stupefying superficiality of Sleepless. I don’t recommend seeing these films back-to-back, but I suppose that’s an occupational hazard few others will have to risk.

The limited appeal of Sleepless, such as it is, lies in its position as counterprogramming going into awards season. Those in need of a mindless thriller need look no further. After the pretension of Patriot’s Day and the seriousness of Silence, I was certainly up for a change of pace. Your mileage may vary. Rated R for strong violence and language throughout.

Now Playing at Biltmore Regal Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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SCREEN SCENE

M OVIES

The Bye Bye Man HH

DIRECTOR: Stacy Title PLAYERS: Douglas Smith, Cressida Bonas, Lucien Laviscount, Doug Jones, Michael Trucco HORROR RATED PG-13 THE STORY: A college student accidentally awakens a forgotten evil, one that wants to play tricks with its victims’ minds.

THE LOWDOWN: A boring, unoriginal horror concept that can’t overcome its amateurish cast, lack of budget or total lack of verve.

Stacy Title’s The Bye Bye Man is a horror movie that exists only because a Friday the 13th was coming up. With the doldrums of winter moviegoing ramping up, Title’s half-baked horror flick is what we’re left with. It’s a pity, too, since there are moments where I wanted to like The Bye Bye Man, even in spite of its chintzy budget and amateurish acting. The opening is somewhat interesting, with the film’s attraction toward a more cerebral, atmospheric type of horror that is always welcome. It’s just that the movie has nothing to sustain it — no interesting characters, no clever scares and definitely nothing close to an original idea to bring to the table.

The Bye Bye Man is little more than a scary-movie checklist, with a handful of unintentional laughs, and little amusing or entertaining going for it. Even if you’ve seen only a handful of horror movies, you’ll know exactly where Title’s film is headed. The only twist, really, is The Bye Bye Man has updated the old haunted house trope for renters, as the film focuses on three college students who unleash holy terror only because they’re sick of living in dorms. Elliott (Douglas Smith), his girlfriend Sasha (Cressida Bonas) and his best friend John (Lucien Laviscount) move into a run-down, creepy old house. It’s not haunted, per se, until Elliott finds the name “Bye Bye Man” scrawled into a nightstand and all types of suppos-

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

edly creepy and psychologically confusing things begin to happen.

The idea here is that Elliott has awoken some type of ancient evil in our titular Bye Bye Man, summoning him (in a notion ripped from a million urban legends and horror movies like Bernard Rose’s Candyman) simply by saying his name. One problem — among many, many problems — is that The Bye Bye Man (Doug Jones) isn’t very interesting as a movie monster.

He’s pallid and walks around with a poorly done CGI hell hound, but he never actually does anything. He’s certainly not creepy or — for a movie that leans heavily on atmosphere — an effective antagonist. And he’s certainly not memorable.

I suppose you could make the argument that Title and company simply don’t have the budget for a quality horror film, but horror is the genre most equipped to thrive with little money.

There’s a lack of cleverness on display here, one that keeps The Bye Bye Man from ever achieving ... well, anything.

It sets out to spin its wheels for 100 minutes and does that and only that.

There are no scares, there is no gore and there is definitely zero subversion at play here, making for a horror flick that’s listless, dull and braindead. Rated PG-13 for terror, horror violence, bloody images, sexual content, thematic elements, partial nudity, some language and teen drinking.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Epic of Hendersonville and Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

FILM BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • FR (1/20), 4:30 - Pixar Film Series: Cars. Free.

Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • TU (1/24), 6pm - Free Film Series: Dazed and Confused. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. DEMOCRACY NORTH CAROLINA democracy-nc.org • WE (1/25), 7-8:30pm - Democracy for Sale, film screening. Free to attend. Held at Grail MovieHouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Hwy 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • FR (1/20), 8pm - Classic World Cinema: High and Low, film screening. Free to attend.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE 1 Edwin Place, 254-6001, uuasheville.org • FR (1/20), 7pm - Environmental & Social Justice Film Screenings: Seed: The Untold Story. Free.

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by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST: Grail Moviehouse presents a screening of The Conquest of Canaan on Jan. 22. Unseen in its original form for nearly 90 years, the film was shot on location in Asheville in March 1921. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures • Mechanical Eye Microcinema presents an evening of experimental films by the remix masters Wreck and Salvage at Grail Moviehouse on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. Selected found footage mashups include POTUSes, Summertime Syria Sadness, Ain’t Broke Biden, Ob(s) ama and Trumped. Tickets are $5 but no one will be turned away due to a lack of funds. mechanicaleyecinema.org • Hi-Wire Brewing’s Winter of John Candy film series continues on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. with a screening of Uncle Buck. The Big Top taproom will be transformed into a movie theater, and attendees are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and other seating. Foothills Local Meats will be providing classic movie theater eats including $3 corndogs. Free and open to the public. hiwirebrewing.com • Grail Moviehouse presents a screening of The Conquest of Canaan on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. Unseen in its original form for nearly 90 years, the film was shot on location in Asheville in March 1921. This reconstruction features newly translated title cards — the only original 35mm print is in a Russian archive — and Paramount logo and titles in a font that is accurate to the period and studio. Local film historian Frank Thompson will introduce the film and be available afterward to discuss the work.

Pianist Andrew Fletcher will provide live musical accompaniment. Tickets are $15 and available online and at the Grail box office. avl.mx/3av

• The North Asheville Public Library’s America, America film series — featuring films that wrestle with the idea and reality of America — continues Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. with a screening of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/1d0 • Former National Geographic filmmaker Kevin Peer will lead a one-day workshop on activist/advocacy documentary filmmaking on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Asheville School of Film. Peer was inspired to craft the workshop after seeing a significant amount of fear, anger and uncertainty following the recent presidential election, but also by the large number of people who want to turn their frustrations into a positive and empowering form of digital expression. Footage of Standing Rock — much of it looking the same and featuring repeated phrases across multiple interviews — also helped spark the workshop. Peer considers the video from the standoff to generally be a lost opportunity and will speak to his own experience in exploring both sides of difficult issues and how it benefited his filmmaking.

In addition to teaching a cognitive approach to storytelling, the session is designed to impart practical knowledge on the essential core basics of video cinematography, lighting and sound that anyone can apply using an iPhone or DSLR and low-cost lighting and audio gear. The workshop fee is $120. Register at wiseoakproductions.com X

STARTIN G F R ID AY

SPECI AL S CREENIN GS

Conquest of Canaan DIRECTOR: R. William Neill PLAYERS: Thomas Meighan, Doris Kenyon SILENT DRAMA Rated NR For more information about Conquest of Canaan read this week’s cover story. The Grail Moviehouse will screen Conquest of Canaan on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now for $15 at the Grail’s website.

No additional bookings have been confirmed as of press time. Please contact local theaters for up-to-date information on this week's showings

Entr’acte/Man With a Movie Camera HHHHH DIRECTOR: René Clair/Dziga Vertov PLAYERS: René Clair, Francis Picabia, Erik Satie, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, Jean Borlin, Georges Auric EXPERIMENTAL Rated NR Those who enjoyed the AFS’ Surrealist triple-feature are in for a real treat this week when we show two of the greatest experimental films ever made. First up, we have René Clair’s 1924 classic celebration of Dada and dance, Entr’acte — featuring the dancers of the Ballets Suédois, music composed by Erik Satie and cameos from Satie, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. We follow up with one of the definitive works from Russian Formalist Dziga Vertov, Man With a Movie Camera. Consistently ranked among the best films of all time, Vertov’s actor-less documentary displays practically every formal innovation known to cinema at the time, and retains its impact and influence almost a hundred years later. The Asheville Film Society will screen Entr’acte and Man With a Movie Camera on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

Farewell, My Lovely HHHHS DIRECTOR: Dick Richards PLAYERS: Robert Mitchum Charlotte Rampling John Ireland Sylvia Miles Jack O’Halloran Anthony Zerbe FILM NOIR Rated R One of my favorite Robert Mitchum performances and one of the best ever portrayals of Raymond Chandler’s character Philip Marlowe, Dick Richards’ 1973 Farewell, My Lovely holds its own against the best nostalgia noir of the ’70s, Chinatown included. Marlowe is the role Mitchum was born to play, and even in his late fifties he fits the bill better than almost any actor to take on the part. Richards plays the material straight, and his affinity for the genre is clear even if it occasionally verges on over-romanticization of its tropes. Fans of Mitchum, Marlowe and movies that are good should make the trek to see this one if they haven’t already. The Hendersonville Film Society will show Farewell, My Lovely on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

Split

A new thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by Jason Blum, according to the film’s website: “Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all of the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter.” Early reviews a predominantly positive. (PG-13)

XXX: The Return of Xander Cage

High and Low HHHHS DIRECTOR: Akira Kurosawa PLAYERS: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Isao Kimura SUSPENSE THRILLER Rated NR For his 1963 suspense film High and Low, Akira Kurosawa seems to have been actually trying to draw the wrath of those who find his work too “Western” by choosing the Ed McBain novel King’s Ransom for his source material. What could possibly be more Western — indeed, more downright American — than a McBain novel? Then again, High and Low is Kurosawa taking a shot at a kind of Hitchcock suspense thriller, and he was so sufficiently good at it that the film was one of the few works singled out for detailed attention in William K. Everson’s 1972 pioneering book on the genre, The Detective in Film. It may not be one of Kurosawa’s best works, but it’s certainly a worthy one. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on Jan. 25, 2011. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present High and Low on Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 Hwy 70, Swannanoa.

The third film in the XXX franchise, once again starring Vin Diesel as an “extreme” athlete recruited by the CIA to fight a nefarious plot. Directed by D.J Caruso, also starring Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Colette and Donnie Yen. No early reviews. (PG-13)

KIDS ISSUE

Messiah of Evil HHHHS DIRECTOR: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz PLAYERS: Michael Greer, Marianna Hill, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano, Elisha Cook Jr. HORROR Rated R Have you ever wondered what would happen if the husband-and-wife screenwriting team that penned the scripts for American Graffiti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Howard the Duck decided to co-write, produce and direct a movie about cannibalistic ghoul vampires inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and George Romero? Well they did, and the THPS is showing it this week! The tragically overlooked 1973 cult classic Messiah of Evil bears the unmistakable influence of Robert Weine’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr and Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (all of which we’ve shown recently), but that’s just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to this lost masterpiece. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s one of the strangest films we’ve ever programmed — and if more people than the two regulars that tipped me off to this one have seen it, I’ll eat my hat. (Bear in mind, I don’t own a hat.) The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Messiah of Evil Thursday, Jan. 19, at 9:15 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

MOUNTAINX.COM

Coming MARCH 15 JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

53

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Are you more attracted to honing group dynamics or liberating group dynamics?

Do you have more aptitude as a director who organizes people or as a sparkplug who inspires people? Would you rather be a Chief Executive officer or a Chief Imagination Officer? Questions like these will be fertile for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest it’s time to explore and activate more of your potential as a leader or catalyst.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An eccentric Frenchman named Laurent Aigon grew up near an airport, and always daydreamed of becoming a commercial pilot.

Sadly, he didn’t do well enough in school to fulfill his wish. Yet he was smart and ambitious enough to accomplish the next best thing: assembling a realistic version of a Boeing 737 cockpit in his home. With the help of Google, he gathered the information he needed, and ordered most of the necessary parts over the internet. The resulting masterpiece has enabled him to replicate the experiences of being a pilot. It’s such a convincing copy that he has been sought as a consultant by organizations that specialize in aircraft maintenance. I suggest you attempt a comparable feat, Taurus: creating a simulated version of what you want. I bet it will eventually lead you to the real thing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The weather may be inclement where you live, so you may be resistant to my counsel. But I must tell you the meanings of the planetary omens as I understand them, and not fret about whether you’ll act on them. Here’s my prescription, lifted from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: “We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground.” And why does Thoreau say we need such experiences?

“We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, to witness our own limits transgressed.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Welcome to the most deliciously enigmatic, sensually mysterious phase of your astrological cycle. To provide you with the proper non-rational guidance, I have stolen scraps of dusky advice from the poet Dansk Javlarna (danskjavlarna.tumblr.com). Please read between the lines: 1.

Navigate the ocean that roars within the seashell. 2.

Carry the key, even if the lock has been temporarily lost. 3. Search through the deepest shadows for the bright light that cast them. 4. Delve into the unfathomable in wordless awe of the inexplicable.

MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal penned the novel Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age. It consists of one sentence. But it’s a long, rambling sentence — 117 pages’ worth. It streams from the mouth of the narrator, who is an older man bent on telling all the big stories of his life. If there were ever to come a time when you, too, would have cosmic permission and a poetic license to deliver a one-sentence, 117-page soliloquy, Libra, it would be in the coming weeks. Reveal your truths! Break through your inhibitions! Celebrate your epic tales! (P.S.: Show this horoscope to the people you’d like as your listeners.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When Pluto was discovered in 1930, astronomers called it the ninth planet. But 76 years later, they changed their mind.

In accordance with shifting definitions, they demoted Pluto to the status of a mere “dwarf planet.” But in recent years, two renowned astronomers at Caltech have found convincing evidence for a new ninth planet. Konstantin Batygin and Michael E. Brown are tracking an object that is much larger than Earth. Its orbit is so far beyond Neptune’s that it takes 15,000 years to circle the sun. As yet it doesn’t have an official name, but Batygin and Brown informally refer to it as “Phattie.” I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because I suspect that you, too, are on the verge of locating a monumental new addition to your universe.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The tomato and potato are both nightshades, a family of flowering plants. Taking advantage of this commonality, botanists have used the technique of grafting to produce a pomato plant. Its roots yield potatoes, while its vines grow cherry tomatoes. Now would be a good time for you to experiment with a metaphorically similar creation, Sagittarius. Can you think of how you might generate two useful influences from a single source?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some guy I don’t know keeps sending me emails about great job opportunities he thinks I’d like to apply for: a technical writer for a solar energy company, for example, and a social media intern for a business that offers travel programs. His messages are not spam. The gigs are legitimate. And yet I’m not in the least interested. I already have several jobs I enjoy, like writing these horoscopes. I suspect that you, too, may receive worthy but ultimately irrelevant invitations in the coming days, Capricorn. My advice: If you remain faithful to your true needs and desires, more apropos offers will eventually flow your way.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What exactly would a bolt of lightning taste like? I mean, if you could somehow manage to roll it around in your mouth without having to endure the white-hot shock. There’s a booze manufacturer that claims to provide this sensation. The company known as Oddka has created “Electricity Vodka,” hard liquor with an extra fizzy jolt. But if any sign of the zodiac could safely approximate eating a streak of lightning without the help of Electricity Vodka, it would be you Leos. These days you have a special talent for absorbing and enjoying and integrating fiery inspiration.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The word “naysayer” describes a person who’s addicted to expressing negativity. A “yeasayer,” on the other hand, is a person who is prone to expressing optimism. According to my assessment of the astrological omens, you can and should be a creative yeasayer in the coming days — both for the sake of your own well-being and that of everyone whose life you touch. For inspiration, study Upton Sinclair’s passage about Beethoven: He was “the defier of fate, the great yea-sayer.” His music is “like the wind running over a meadow of flowers, superlative happiness infinitely multiplied.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Eighteenth-century painter Joshua Reynolds said that a “disposition to abstractions, to generalizing and classification, is the great glory of the human mind.” To that lofty sentiment, his fellow artist William Blake responded, “To generalize is to be an idiot; to particularize is the alone distinction of merit.” So I may be an idiot when I make the following generalization, but I think I’m right: In the coming weeks, it will be in your best interests to rely on crafty generalizations to guide your decisions.

Getting bogged down in details at the expense of the big picture — missing the forest for the trees — is a potential pitfall that you can and should avoid.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If I’m feeling prosaic, I might refer to a group of flamingos as a flock. But one of the more colorful and equally correct terms is a “flamboyance” of flamingos. Similarly, a bunch of pretty insects with clubbed antennae and big fluttery wings may be called a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

The collective noun for zebras can be a dazzle, for pheasants a bouquet, for larks an exaltation, and for finches a charm. In accordance with current astrological omens, I’m borrowing these nouns to describe members of your tribe. A flamboyance or kaleidoscope of Pisceans? Yes! A dazzle or bouquet or exaltation or charm of Pisceans? Yes! All of the above.

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JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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ROOMMATES ALL AREAS ROOMMATES. COM Lonely? Bored? Broke?

Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at Roommates.com!

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EMPLOYMENT MUST SEE! 2015 EWING & MCCONNAUGHY CUSTOM BUILT HOME IN BLACK MOUNTAIN! 4/2; 2068 sq ft.

Like New! Ranch; level lot; .34 ac. Cathedral ceiling; open floorplan. Granite counters; stone fireplace. 15 steps to 1200 ac of walking trails.

828-335-6712 Realtor: Joanne.TopProducer@gmail. com

RENTALS HOMES FOR RENT BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN W. ASHEVILLE! Beautiful three story house W. Asheville/Candler area. Fenced yard, back deck, 3 BR, 3b. $1500.00/ month. 423-348-7297.

GENERAL TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great TOUR GUIDE! Seasonal FULL & PART-TIME positions available.

Training provided for upcoming season. Contact us today! www.GrayLineAsheville.com; Info@GrayLineAsheville.com; 828-251-8687.

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES SANITATION TEAM MEMBER Annie’s Bakery is looking for a full-time sanitation work in a food manufacturing plant (bread baking). Housekeeping and deep cleaning of equipment and facility is required daily. Sanitation certifications a plus, but not required.

Please send resumes to: Mark@anniesbread.com

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE EXCEPTIONAL HOUSE FOR RENT ON 3½ ACRES (WEAVERVILLE, NC) Upscale, unique, 4br 3ba, master on main, large bonus room and loft. Gardener's paradise for homesteading, permaculture, etc! Secluded, yet convenient to everything. Check it out 109hamburgmountain.com or call 781-354-5465.

PRIVATE ARTIST'S FURNISHED COTTAGE FOR RENT, SURROUNDED BY NATURE, CLOSE TO WEAVERVILLE! 2 BR, 2 BA, furnished, prefer 6 month minimum lease. $1500 plus utilities. . Close to Weaverville. Many windows , deck, hot tub. Dishwasher, washer/dryer.

Dogs allowed 828-712-3222 lplaxico@charter.net RIVER ARTS DISTRICT Great house for rent, 3BR, 2BA split level on a knoll overlooking RAD. Available January 15, 2017. $1400/month, includes lawn care. Call Caty (Broker) 828-974-2841. blueridgemr@gmail.com

WANTED TO RENT SMALL APARTMENT NEEDED In exchange for work and cash. (404) 740-6903.

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ROOMMATES

RECEPTIONIST The Receptionist is responsible for providing greeting and direction to guests and callers at First Baptist Church of Asheville, overseeing the facility use process, and supporting the overall focus of daily communication in the church. The receptionist is responsible for providing support to the Coordinating Pastor in ministry and administrative routines. Please email resumes to dblackmon@fbca.net. www.fbca.net

RESTAURANT/ FOOD DEMO TASTER Annie’s Bakery is looking for an experienced demo taster to work 2-3 days/ week (Thursday-Saturday) to perform tastings at local grocers.

Employee will be responsible for scheduling demos and coordinating with sales team. Applicants should be presentable and professional. Please send resumes to Mark@anniesbread.com

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE CAREPARTNERS JOB FAIR Now hiring RN, OT, PT CNA, companions & aides. CarePartners Job Fair January 28th, 68 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, 1-4pm. On site interviews, all shifts, competitive pay, excellent benefits.

HOUSE MGR/RECOVERY COACH Asheville North Star Recovery is a healing sanctuary for mature women recovering from substance abuse, trauma and co-occurring mental health disorders. House managers provide daily support for residents. Contact lg@ashevillenorthstar.com.

HUMAN SERVICES AGING SERVICES OUTREACH SPECIALIST Provide case assistance and resource coordination for individuals 60+ and/or caregivers to assist them with economic, emotional, social and environmental needs. Email resume, three professional references, and cover letter info@coabc.org CYBERPALS COORDINATOR Pathways for the future, inc. dba DisAbility Partners Asheville Office. Part-Time Non-Exempt.

Pathways For The Future, Inc. dba DisAbility Partners is dedicated to partnering with individuals and the community to enhance, advocate for and support personal choices, independent living and community inclusion. • DisAbility Partners Asheville office has an immediate opening for a CyberPals Coordinator. This is a part-time exempt position approximately 25 hours per week. The CyberPals Program places affordable donated, refurbished computers in homes of people with disabilities. Email krowe@disabilitypartners.org for application packet or come in person to 108 New Leicester Hwy, Asheville, NC, 28806. No Phone Calls Please.

GO JOB OPPORTUNITY: COMMUNITY RESOURCE SPECIALIST Green Opportunities is currently accepting resumes for a full-time Community Resource Specialist.

Compensation for this position is $16.00 per hour, please visit www.greenopportunities.org for more information.

GO JOB OPPORTUNITY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Green Opportunities is currently accepting resumes for a full-time Executive Director.

Compensation for this position is $70,000 per year, please visit www.greenopportunities.org for more information.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION CANOPY GUIDE-NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES Now hiring for spring/summer 2017.

If you are looking for a thrilling, educational and inspiring seasonal opportunity check us out at www.navitat.com.

INFANT AND YOUNG TODDLER TEACHERS Full-time, Non-exempt. Resume deadline: Ongoing until filled. Verner Center for Early Learning is a state of the art learning environment providing the highest quality early care and education and so much more! Free nutritious lunches prepared on site, plenty of

outside play on our natural learning environments, and continuing educational opportunities provided through staff development trainings and to qualifying teachers based on availability of funds are some of the many qualities that our teachers enjoy!

• Verner currently seeks teaching professionals for children ages 0-2 who are nurturing, skilled in supporting the development of very young children, and can be an asset to our model, progressive program. Teachers work in classroom teams of two to three, therefore, all candidates applying should be energized by and work well in a team environment.

• Current open positions are in the Early Head Start program at West. • Qualified candidates for Early Head Stat Classrooms must have a minimum of an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a CDA, or an Infant/ Toddler Certificate, in addition to current SIDS certification and experience working with children ages 0-2. Individuals with a related degree and at least 18 semester hours in infant/ toddler coursework will be considered.

All permanent full-time Verner positions offer a competitive benefits package including voluntary medical/ dental/ matching 403b, life ins, PTO, Holiday Pay, CEU’s, and more! Verner is an EEO employer. Apply online atvernerearlylearning.org/jobs

INTERESTED IN WORKING AT A-B TECH? Full-Time, Part-Time and Adjunct Positions available.

Come help people achieve their dreams! Apply for open positions at abtcc.peopleadmin.com MALE VOICE TEACHER WANTED Asheville Music School is looking for an experienced male voice teacher. Familiarity with multiple styles a plus. Music degree required. Contact Ryan Reardon ryan@ashevillemusicschool.org, (828) 252-6244 YMCA HORIZON PROGRAM Site Director: support student success, lead staff team, coordinate activities, and manage paperwork at Enka Intermediate School. 25 hours: 1:306:30pm, Monday-Thursday plus intermittent meetings/ events. $12.50 -$13.50/hour. www.ymcawnc.org/careers

ARTS/MEDIA

GRAPHIC DESIGNER NEEDED Highly skilled designer needed for page layout and creating compelling advertising, The ideal candidate has excellent graphic design and layout skills for print publication, has experience working with style guides and adhering to brand structures,

T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE understands project management, can thrive in a fast-paced environment, is exceptionally organized and deadline-driven, and has excellent communication skills, strong attention to detail, an exceptional creative eye and a desire to ensure high quality output. You must have the proven ability to create original, effective advertising and marketing materials, and to assist in the layout of our weekly print publication and guides. Candidates must: • Be able to simultaneously handle multiple projects • Be proficient in Adobe CSC programs (inducing, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat) • Be able to prepress and troubleshoot a variety of file types and to work interdepartmentally to organize, schedule and maintain workflows. • Be fluent in the Mac OSX platform • Be able to interface with other departments in the company. • Have a minimum of 2-3 years graphic design experience Newspaper, and web-ad design experience a plus. This is a part time time position with opportunity to become full-time.

Other skills such as admin or writing ability are a plus. Email cover letter explaining why you believe you are a good fit, your resume, and either a URL or PDF of your design portfolio to: design@ mountainx.com No applications or portfolios by mail, and no phone calls or walk-ins, please.

SERVICES ART/WRITING EDITING/LAYOUT SERVICES TO WRITERS Author of novels & how-to books will edit your manuscript, design covers, prep for CreateSpace.

Contact to discuss project & for quote. Google me. michael@michaelhavelin.com (828)712-5570 michaelhavelin.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT CLEANING ADRIAN'S CLEANING SERVICE! :) Hate Cleaning ? Hire me! +10 years experience +Free estimates +Affordable rates +Local CALL NOW! 828782-0602

HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993.

Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. $1 million liability insurance. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS CASH FOR CARS Any Car/ Truck 2000-2015, Running or Not! Top Dollar For Used/Damaged. Free Nationwide Towing!

Call Now: 1-888-420-3808 (AAN CAN) MAKE THE CALL TO START GETTING CLEAN TODAY Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & drug addiction treatment. Get help! It is time to take your life back! Call Now: 855-732-4139.

(AAN CAN) PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 877362-2401. (AAN CAN)

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF SOLICITATION NOTICE OF SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS TO OPERATE WORKFORCE INNOVATION & OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA) PROGRAMS AND TO COMPETITIVELY PROCURE ONE STOP OPERATOR(S) The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board (MAWDB), an agency of Land-ofSky Regional Council (LOSRC), will be accepting Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for the operation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P. L. 113-128) programs and for One Stop Operator in the Mountain Local Area (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania Counties). Proposals will be sought for the NCWorks Career Centers (one in each county) and for the operation of the Youth Programs to serve eligible Youth (ages 14 through 24 at the time of program enrollment) in the Mountain Area region. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Final Rules have been released and Interested Bidders may refer to http://www.doleta.gov/wioa/ for guidance. North Carolina policy information is available at the Division of Workforce Solutions website nccommerce.com/workforce/ workforce-professionals.

The MAWDB will develop cost reimbursement contracts with successful bidders for the WIOA programs to be operated July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. There is no funding provided for the One Stop Operator portion of the procurement, specifically there will be zero cost reimbursement. Annual contract extensions, for up to two additional years, are possible if the selected service providers demonstrate and document successful performance, and if the adequate WIOA funding is available to the Local Area. The Request for Proposals for WIOA NCWorks Career Centers and One Stop Operator and Request for Proposals for Youth Programs will be available at the MAWDB Offices, 339 New Leicester Hwy., Suite 140, Asheville, NC 28806-2088 between the hours of 8:30am and 3:00pm M-F or by e-mail request to zia@ landofsky.org. All Requests for Proposals will be released for competitive procurement on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 and proposals will be due by 4:00pm on Friday, March 3, 2017. For additional information contact Nathan Ramsey, Director Mountain Area Workforce Development Board at nathan@landofsky. org. The Bidders’ Conference to discuss the procedures related to applying for funds and operating a WIOA Youth Program is scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 3:00pm and the Bidders’ Conference for the operation of a WIOA NCWorks Career Center and One Stop Operator is scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 9:30am. Both conferences will be held at the LOSRC Offices 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140, Asheville, NC. For agencies intending to submit proposals, RSVPs will be required to zia@landofsky.org to attend the Bidders’ Conference(s).

Organizations intending to bid must submit a Letter of Intent electronically to Nathan Ramsey (nathan@landofsky.org) by 5:00pm on Thursday, February 16, 2017.

The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board is an Equal Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities Act Compliant Employer and Program Administrator.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS LEARN RADICAL SUSTAINABILITY AT SCHOOL OF INTEGRATED LIVING Gain wholelife skills for radical sustainability through SOIL’s Permaculture and Ecovillage Immersion at

ACROSS

1 Company whose business is picking up 5 Torah expert 10 Email folder 14 A, B or C 15 Mexican civilization known for its colossal head sculptures 16 Teensy bit 17 Something to follow 19 Espy 20 Tense 21 Apprehend 23 Last: Abbr.

24 Something to follow 28 “Game of Thrones” and others 32 Circus safety feature 33 Q neighbor 34 Low pair 35 Black History Month: Abbr.

36 Fashion designer Miller 39 Something to follow 42 Patriarch of House Stark on “Game of Thrones” 43 “___ believe …”

44 Gumbo vegetable 45 Helical stuff Earthaven Ecovillage, June 10– August 11. Program includes Permaculture Design Certification. Learn more and register at schoolofintegratedliving.org.

PARENTS OF ESTRANGED ADULT CHILDREN MEET UP How to cope and communicate with estranged adult children.

First meeting from 6-8 on 1/11 and 1/25 at Atlanta Bread Company on Hendersonville Rd. 2nd and 4th Wednesday's afterwards. 774-535-6890

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK

LOCAL INDEPENDENT MASSAGE CENTER OFFERING EXCELLENT BODYWORK Best bodywork in Asheville for very affordable rates. All massage therapists are skilled and dedicated. Deep Tissue, Integrative, Prenatal, Couples, Reflexology, Aromatherapy.

Complimentary tea room.

Beautifully renovated space.

Convenient West AVL location.

Free parking in lot. (828) 5523003 ebbandflowavl@charter.net ebbandflowavl.com SEASONED THERAPIST LOOKING FOR NEW CLIENTS Beth Huntzinger, LMBT #10819 Massage $60/hr, Hot Stones $70/hr and DNA Blueprint Healing $125/session for

edited by Will Shortz

46 Still frame of Mickey, maybe 47 Indian tea region 48 Something to follow 52 With 69-Across, V.I.P. 53 Genre for Fall Out Boy 54 Feudal lords 59 Bacchanal 61 Something to follow 64 Basis of a scholarship 65 Region of ancient Palestine 66 Arm of the Dept. of Labor 67 Goofs 68 Devices for many runners 69 See 52-Across

9 Mountaineering tool 10 “___ boom bah!”

11 Their characters jump off the page 12 Ring in the ocean 13 Finishing option 18 Parts of an ovolacto vegetarian’s diet 22 Dyeing technique 25 Ruiner of a perfect report card 26 Get information from, in a way 27 Computer shortcuts 28 Eye sore 29 Wowed 30 One who wants a ring for bling?

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DOWN 37 ___ Spencer, 1 Reverse co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning 2 Godsend America” 3 Suffix with bachelor 38 Cheese coated in 4 On Medicare, say: red wax Abbr.

5 “It’s not my first ___” 40 One might do it from a soapbox 6 Word between 41 Pointless “mine” and “mine” 7 Health meas. used 46 Arise to diagnose obesity 47 Deuce follower 48 Steakhouse 8 Colorado senator selection Michael

hereditary/ chronic issues. Practicing since 2011. Visit comforting downtown office for great results. Call 828-279-7042

COUNSELING SERVICES

HEALTH & FITNESS THAI STRETCHING, BODYRUB & AROMATHERAPY!! Stressed out? Not sleeping well? Neck & shoulder tension from too much time on the computer? Low back pain or just want to pamper yourself? I can help! 828-674-7562 Katie

RETREATS

DEEP FEELING EMOTIONAL RELEASE THERAPY - GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Nell Corry, LCSW, NCGCll, Certified Primal Therapist. Emotional Release Therapy uncovers the source, allows healing of depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, PTSD. Call for free halfhour chat: 828-747-1813. ncc.therapy@gmail.com www.nellcorrytherapy.com

HYPNOSIS | EFT | NLP Michelle Payton, M.A., D.C.H., Author | 828-681-1728 | www.MichellePayton.com | Dr. Payton’s mind over matter solutions include: Hypnosis, Self-Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Acupressure Hypnosis, Past Life Regression, Mindful Writing Coaching. Find Michelle’s books, audio and video, sessions and workshops on her website.

SHOJI SPA & LODGE * 7 DAYS A WEEK Day & Night passes, cold plunge, sauna, hot tubs, lodging, 8 minutes from town, bring a friend or two, stay the day or all evening, escape & renew!

Best massages in Asheville 828299-0999.

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MUSICAL SERVICES NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments).

35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 9179161363. michaeljefrystevens.com WHITEWATER RECORDING Mixing • Mastering • Recording.

(828) 684-8284 whitewaterrecording.com

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PUZZLE BY MICHAEL DEWEY

49 Electrician, at times 50 Nontext part of a text 51 ___ Sports Bureau (official 58-Down provider for Major League Baseball) 55 Stars may have big ones 56 Deep cut

PROFESSIONAL AND RELIABLE PET CARE IN YOUR HOME! Mountain Pet Valet is an experienced pet sitting service with commitment to your pet's needs! Daily dog walks, pet visits and overnight stays. Mention ad for 10% off! (828)-490-6374 www.mountainpetvalet.com

AUTOMOTIVE AUTOS FOR SALE JAGUAR XJ8 2000 L Sedan 4-Door, $2630, 4-WD, Cassette Player, CD Player, Leather Seats, Sunroof. Call me: 704-269-8103

2007 WILDCAT 5TH WHEEL CAMPER 30LSBS. 3 slides.

Under metal roof. On seasonal site, Lake Hartwell RV park. Deck.

10x12 shed. Too many extras to list! $19,500 or best offer. 802892-6658. hydel27@gmail.com

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES WE'LL FIX IT AUTOMOTIVE • Honda and Acura repair. Half price repair and service. ASE and factory trained. Located in the Weaverville area, off exit 15. Please call (828) 275-6063 for appointment. www.wellfixitautomotive.com

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PETS

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RECREATIONAL VEHICLES FOR SALE

FOR MUSICIANS

No. 1214

PET SERVICES

ADULT

ASHEVILLE PET SITTERS Dependable, loving care while you're away. Reasonable rates.

Call Sandy (828) 215-7232.

LIVELINKS CHAT LINES Flirt, chat and date! Talk to sexy real singles in your area. Call now!

(877) 609-2935. (AAN CAN)

MOUNTAINX.COM

57 Voice-controlled product from Amazon 58 See 51-Down 60 The ten in “first and ten”: Abbr.

62 Old name for Tokyo 63 Homer’s neighbor

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A W F U L

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T R A F E X E D C C O R K O N L S H E S O S T R O S O U T P S M S T G R P L U T L E S A R T Y S O

U M P N C E O S T I E F T L L E L O E S F E C L A O U N O P A S T O P S L A

J A B S B H A Y P H O A R R E D A E T T I C T

U R B A N A R T

D E A D D R O P S

G E A S L L E N N U I

D E E T S

N O K R A N E I D E N S E Y E P A N T

Paul Caron

Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing • Furniture Repair • Seat Caning • Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

• Black Mountain

JANUARY 18 - JANUARY 24, 2017

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