Mountain Xpress 02.05.20

OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 28 FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 28 FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

C O NT E NT S

PAGE 18 LOVE & SEX In Part Two of our annual wellnessthemed issues, we explore the saucy state of love and sex in the mountains with articles spanning LGBTQ weddings, advice from local sex therapists, burlesque in the age of the #MeToo movement and more.

COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

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32 ASHEVILLE DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY Plus, Duke switches Arden plant to natural gas; solar rebates snapped up; more

34 BARS WITHOUT BOOZE Kava and kratom culture takes root in Asheville

38 FULL REVEAL Burlesque in the age of #MeToo

41 PRACTICAL MAGIC Author Sara Lyons brings ‘Revolutionary Witchcraft’ to Asheville

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6 SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED? Buncombe residents seek Second Amendment ‘sanctuary’

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OPINION

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

STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR: Gina Smith GREEN SCENE EDITOR: Daniel Walton OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Laura Hackett, Brooke Randle, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR EDITOR: Deborah Robertson

CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O L T O N

Progressives, conservatives should look in mirror and dictionary Interestingly, as a regular reader of your Opinion pages, almost every time, by about the second sentence in, I know I am reading a letter by Carl Mumpower.

He’s nothing if not consistent [“Asheville’s Progressive Addiction Is Growing Old,” Jan 22, Xpress].

As I choke on these words, I have to say I almost agree with him, at least up to a very fine point.

This town does have an opinion of itself as progressive, while not actually seeing how it’s “being.” I won’t reiterate Mr. Mumpower’s points other than to say that I think a huge mirror would do a lot for this town.

My greater point is this: If Webster’s definition of conservatism was in reality what Mr. Mumpower and his farright-leaning friends were adhering to, we would all be living in a much more peaceful town and world.

I struggle to see how ripping children from their parents and locking them in cages, building walls, denying medical care, extreme suppression and cheating to win elections, mercenary wars, etc., etc., fit into Webster’s description of conservatism. I suggest he revisit Mr. Webster and consider this definition: “Fascism: often capitalized: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the indi-

vidual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

I am not a fan of overzealous, narrowminded progressives any more than I am of the far right. However, I do have a strong distaste for extreme hypocrisy.

Hey, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.

— Ron Greenberg Asheville

Wells offers farming work ethic, vision Terry Wells, candidate for county commissioner, District 1: Terry comes from farmers’ genes (or jeans!). Nine generations of farming in Buncombe County are in her family! From a farmer’s lifestyle, a successful work ethic usually results from doing what it takes to get things done.

A farmer will work as long as it takes to complete a task. A farmer will use all available tools to make the job simpler and more efficient. A farmer will learn new skills to make the farm run smoothly and better.

As a sustainable farmer, she has a natural love of the land. She has worked to prevent damage to the environment, overdevelopment and issues with water quality, to name just a few.

Beyond Terry promoting land preservation and conservation stewardship, she has helped in securing broadband internet access, community programs

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OPINION

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

and rural economic development. In the city of Asheville, Terry has been director of scholarship and academic coaching programs for the Asheville City Schools Foundation. Earlier, she had been a high school teacher.

Her qualities of teamwork and vision are possessed in a charismatic and contagious fashion.

I come from a family of farmers.

The work can be “blood, sweat and tears.” Terry has deep roots. Broad vision. We need someone like Terry as

county commissioner! She is ready for all tasks.

— Victoria Williamson Asheville

The ground-pounding din disturbing Sleepy Gap When you are prepared for the impact of loud sounds, single or repetitive, the power involved can be thrilling and much like

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the rush of big fireworks. When the violence is sudden, random, earthshaking, sometimes constant, lasting for months, starting 8 a.m. sharp, and where the only respite is in your basement, well, that’s just your neighbor moving a granite cliffside for personal use.

I have now endured over five months of invasive ground-pounding excavators hammering away at blue granite to rearrange a cliffside for a house. When the banging and explosive crunching of rock is not occurring, I still hear it in my head; much like when the image of a light bulb remains when you close your eyes.

Then, when the sound of five-roundsper-second of automatic-pneumaticgranite gunfire ends, it will be replaced with the sounds of heavy equipment, their incessant “backup” beepers and a grand finale of pneumatic nail gunfire.

The sounds of this “uphill battle” will last for almost a year. And it will start again when someone else can afford to bang and grind for months on end for their personal cliffside dwelling.

Sleepy Gap can be renamed “Wake & Quake” Gap because we have new neighbors. and they can afford to violently rearrange the cliffs of Walnut Cove for a house with a view.

— Marc Clayton Arden

Wells values agricultural heritage, new paths As a farmer out in Big Sandy Mush community, I am excited to be able to vote for my neighbor and fellow farmer Terri Wells for District 1 county commissioner.

She has worked tirelessly for our Sandy Mush community, helping to bring sorely needed access to highspeed internet to our rural valley and to honor and promote our agricultural heritage. It is a rare individual who can both value the old ways and find the new paths necessary to bring those ways with us into the future.

Terri is a first-time candidate, and I am delighted that she has decided to bring her passion and skills as both a listener and a leader to benefit a wider community.

I invite you to learn more about Terri at terriwellsforcommissioner. com and hope you will join me in voting for Terri Wells for commissioner in the March 3 Democratic primary.

— Vanessa Campbell

Big Sandy Mush

Russian 5G disinformation campaign taking hold in Asheville Russian disinformation may well be taking hold here in Asheville, through the Stop 5G Asheville campaign with its meetups, film screenings and rally.

I’m not a fan of microwave technology by any means. Still, The New York Times reports that the whipping-up of concerns about 5G is the product of a targeted Russian disinformation campaign.

Who wants to be used as a tool for Russia’s effort to spread dissension and division among us? Who wants to waste their time, energy and focus on distractions the Russians create?

I call on the people organizing the meetups, film screenings and rally to check their sources.

For The New York Times report [“Your 5G Phone Won’t Hurt You. But Russia Wants You to Think Otherwise”], see [avl.mx/6wd].

— Lisa Sarasohn Asheville Editor’s note: For a letter about an Asheville event protesting the 5G rollout, see “Local Rally Joins 5G Global Day of Protest” at mountainx.com.

Stop littering and save our planet!

Editor’s note: The following letters by two local students were submitted jointly.

Littering has corrupted our planet for many, many years. We have been killing animals and their habitats. One hundred million animals have died yearly by littering (theaseanpost.com/article/ death-plastic-waste).

We are throwing trash out our windows; the trash is going in streams, which goes in a river and then the ocean. It kills turtles, dolphins, fish, seals and seabirds.

When I see pictures of animals, and inside of them they have trash in their stomachs, it makes me think: Why are we not thinking about all the animals that are dying?

They are thinking that the trash that we throw out our windows is food for them to eat, and this just makes me mad.

We need to help our planet with less littering, and that might make a little bit of an impact on our society.

— Lucille W.

Fifth grade Franklin School of Innovation Asheville If you litter, stop now and listen. You’re not only affecting everybody else, you’re affecting yourself. The earth’s diversity is dying because if you litter, when it rains,

C A R T O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N it washes in the sewers, and all the sewers lead to the oceans.

Animals eat the litter thinking it’s food and die. When I was trying to tell you all the sea animals that are corrupted by this, me and my research partner were sad and disappointed about what we saw. She has already told you about the trash in the animals’ stomachs. We should be very embarrassed of what we caused.

Did you know that global warming is also impacted by litter? Fourteen billion pounds of trash get dumped in the ocean a year (seastewards.org)!! If you stop littering, the world will be a better place.

— Phoebe W.

Fifth grade Franklin School of Innovation Asheville

Lessons from a local patriot I’m so tired. Are you?

I’m tired of these highly charged times of intense disagreement over things that so divide the people of this community and the United States as a whole. Still, everyone has an opinion, and everyone’s opinion is the right one. Just ask them.

There was a time when mixed marriages referred mostly to religion and people of different color. Today, mixed marriage means one partner leans left and the other partner leans right.

This learned antagonism spreads within families as well. Perhaps you are leaning left or right. Your family member leans in the same political direction; they lean in the same direction, however, their lean or yours is either too far or not far enough.

We’ve become the Hatfields and McCoys.

Bernie or Pete? Joe or Elizabeth? You better be on my train, or we’ll run you over on the way to the polls. Let’s not even try to describe the intense discord if one is for a conservative candidate or position and the other is for a progressive one.

Enough is enough!! Politics today breeds hate.

Once upon a time, we were encouraged to listen to others whose opinions differ from our own. Then, it was possible to parse from the other learning points and serious questions that led to an exchange of ideas. It’s called expanding your thinking, or if I can be so blunt — learning.

Not in these times. Today, we write off the other as “an idiot,” unpatriotic or simply the “enemy.” What a horrible loss to friends, family and American society. We can measure the relationship losses this causes by the amount of time it takes before an idea exchange becomes a shouting match.

I’m not a pure sentimentalist, but I hearken for a time when we could disagree without being angry or disagreeable. I must add potentially becoming violent to the current mix. Today, our politicians have led us astray, and we the

people are blindly following their incitements into a national abyss.

I lost a dear friend, Smoky Williams [of Asheville], in July. This amazing patriot died at 98. He left a secure job after graduating from Princeton to join the Marine Corps in 1943. He was on the first wave of Marines to come ashore at Iwo Jima for the bloodiest battle in the Pacific theater of operations. He said he did so to honor the gift the founders bestowed upon all of us. He said it was his duty to protect our democracy when Nazis and Japanese threatened to destroy this precious gift.

Once, I asked him to define patriotism.

He said, “It’s not about joining the military or flag-waving.” He added, “Patriotism is doing right by your neighbors. Join the PTA, volunteer to help others, support your community, your place of worship.”

Then he smiled and added with a wink, “And by all means, avoid partisan politics.” George Washington said the same in his farewell letter to the young nation he helped forge into the USA. Maybe we all should shut up and listen. If we can’t listen to each other, then at least let’s heed the words of Smoky and our first president. Let’s reclaim the part of the American dream that calls for civility, respect for differences and a belief in “E Pluribus Unum,” “Out of Many, One.” After all, that’s the motto Congress enacted to grace the

great seal of The United States in 1782.

If only they could see us now.

— Chuck Fink Weaverville

Don’t let public utility spending go unchecked This winter, Duke Energy Carolinas is asking state utility regulators to approve a rate increase that could cost us much more starting this summer. In addition to an overall rate increase of no less than 6.7%, the company is asking to earn a return on grid spending not immediately recovered in rates. This could further raise the cost of grid spending and what’s passed on to consumers.

Unchecked grid spending, and billing back to customers with interest, circumvents the review and scrutiny of state regulators. To keep our rates fair and reasonable, only necessary spending should be allowed — and it should go through the normal rate case review.

— Margie Sigman

Black Mountain Editor’s note: For more information on the rate increase proposal, see The Charlotte Observer’s coverage: avl.mx/6vv.

To comment, see the N.C. Utilities Commission’s website: avl.mx/6vu. X

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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NEWS

SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED? Buncombe residents seek Second Amendment ‘sanctuary’

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com For a growing contingent of Buncombe County residents, the supreme law of the land isn’t enough. While the U.S. Constitution guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment, local gun rights activists are asking the county Board of Commissioners to add what they see as another layer of protection: status as a Second Amendment “sanctuary.”

Under language proposed by the N.C. Federation of Republican Men, Buncombe County would commit to using “all legal means necessary” to protect its citizens’ access to firearms. Additionally, county officials would agree to refrain from enforcing any “acts, laws, orders, mandates, rules or regulations that infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.”

One Facebook group supporting the move, Buncombe County 2nd Amendment Sanctuary, had nearly 5,200 members as of press time, and an online petition had garnered over 1,300 signatures. “I want to protect and secure what rights we have left and be assured they cannot be taken from us,” says Candler resident Sandra Ingle, who is helping to organize both efforts.

If Buncombe commissioners approve the resolution, they would join the boards of neighboring McDowell and Rutherford

DEFENSIVE POSITION: Local advocates for gun rights hope the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will pass a resolution opposing laws that restrict access to firearms. Photo by Joe Pellegrino counties, which both passed Second Amendment sanctuary language in January. Several other Western North Carolina counties, including Cherokee, Clay, Macon and Haywood, have either enacted sanctuary resolutions or will hold a vote on the matter in the coming months.

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The county’s top law enforcement official, however, says passage of the resolution would bring no discernible benefit for Buncombe gun owners. “With all due respect to our county commissioners, our gun laws are regulated by state law in North Carolina,” said Buncombe

County Sheriff Quentin Miller, a Democrat. “Therefore, a resolution passed by the Buncombe County Commissioners would not have an impact one way or the other.”

TRIGGER WORDS In contrast, Ingle and other local Second Amendment activists claim that Miller’s interpretation of gun laws is driving the need for sanctuary designation in Buncombe.

Comments made during Miller’s campaign for sheriff, they argue, hint at an agenda that would weaken Second Amendment protections.

“If Van Duncan was still sheriff or if he had his choice, I don’t think there’d be an issue at all. But with Quentin … well, I’ve got a pretty good idea who the people that are pulling his strings are,” says Phil Flack, owner of P.F. Custom Guns in Asheville and a supporter of the sanctuary resolution. “They’d act to eliminate all firearms everywhere and our right to defend ourselves.”

And Ingle specifically points to a statement Miller sent to WLOS in March 2018. At the time, the thencandidate said “we’re long overdue for common-sense gun control” and that “I will not waffle” in advocating for policies such as renewing a federal assault weapons ban, removing firearms from violent criminals and raising the age for gun purchases to 21.

Miller reaffirmed that stance in a Jan. 28 email to Xpress, saying that he would abide by all state-level firearms regulations but continue to advocate for stronger measures. He called the sanctuary resolution “a political football that gets rolled out every election season.”

“We’ve heard for a long time that Democrats are going to take your guns, going all the way back

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to President [Bill] Clinton and, of course, with President [Barack] Obama,” Miller continued. “We live in a time of cheap political attacks that are not grounded in fact, but it is possible to support the Second Amendment as I do and also support common-sense regulations like background checks, which are not in violation of our U.S. Constitution.”

SHOT IN THE DARK The Buncombe County gun rights movement gained momentum quickly — Ingle’s Facebook group was established on Jan. 12, less than a month ago — but it is unclear who exactly sparked the recent push. According to Chad Nesbitt of SKYline News, the first sign of local Second Amendment sanctuary advocacy was an unattributed flyer asking residents to speak for gun rights at the Tuesday, Feb. 4, regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.

No individual or organization Xpress contacted for this article claimed responsibility for distributing the flyer. Fremont Brown, mountain region vice president for the N.C. Federation of Republican Men, said his group does not use the term “sanctuary” and prefers “constitutional rights protection county.”

In response to reports that the flyer had been handed out at the Asheville Gun & Knife Show at the WNC Ag Center on Jan. 4-5, organizer Mike Kent said he wasn’t aware of its origin. “I require anyone distributing material to check in with me and get approval, but obviously this person bypassed our rules,” he said.

And the Black Mountain John Brown Gun Club, a local community defense group opposing “racist, homophobic, classist and patriarchal systems,” objects to the sanctuary city language because it co-opts advocacy for vulnerable migrants.

“In many cases, these efforts appear to be fake solutions looking for problems,” read a Jan. 24 statement from the organization.

The Buncombe movement does come at a time of increased state and national attention on the Second Amendment. In opposition to new gun control laws proposed by Virginia’s Democratic-controlled legislature, approximately 22,000 people from across the country protested on Jan. 20 in Richmond.

During that rally, North Carolina Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, delivered a letter signed by at least 50 of his Republican colleagues to Virginia’s Republican caucus in sup-

port of Second Amendment sanctuaries. Signers from WNC included Jake Johnson, R-Henderson; Michele Presnell, R-Yancey; and Kevin Corbin, R-Macon.

OFF TARGET Prior to the Feb. 4 meeting, Xpress reached out to all seven Buncombe commissioners regarding their stance on the proposed resolution. The board’s three Republicans — Joe Belcher, Mike Fryar and Robert Pressley — did not respond to multiple requests for comment, nor did Democrat Al Whitesides.

Of the remaining three Democrats, only Jasmine Beach-Ferrara directly confirmed that she was opposed to the Second Amendment sanctuary designation. “Due to the current failure to regulate access to guns, children and teachers in our community have to do active shooter drills regularly. As an elected official and as a mom, I cannot express strenuously enough how much I support gun control legislation,” she added.

Although board Chair Brownie Newman did not explicitly confirm his opposition, he shared support for “additional gun safety policies, such as universal background checks and a ban on military-style assault weapons.” He noted that county commissions cannot adopt or enforce firearm regulations independently and that enforcement of state laws at the county level is the responsibility of the sheriff.

Commissioner Amanda Edwards took a different tack in her response.

“I don’t want Buncombe County to become a pawn in a divisive national issue, be it this issue or the next one that comes around. Instead, we need to be coming together to find common ground and work together on solutions to the challenges we face as a community,” she said.

As of press time, advocates were gearing up for what gun shop owner Flack calls a “peaceful demonstration” for gun rights at the commission meeting. However, he shares a message for those who might oppose their goal.

“There might be a couple of people from antifa and some of these groups that might show up and try to disrupt it,” Flack says. “I wouldn’t want to be one of them, if you know what I mean. I think they’ll be sorely outnumbered.” X MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

TDA increases ad budget by $1M

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As presidential hopefuls blitz the airwaves over the coming months to hook undecided voters, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority will be stepping up its own campaign. The authority’s board voted to increase its spring and summer advertising budget by $1 million, for a total of $12.65 million, during a Jan. 29 meeting.

“We considered carefully what level of investment, and my comfort level is at a million dollars for anticipating other demands that would be coming,” Stephanie Brown, president and CEO of the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, told board members during the meeting. “I would not feel comfortable at $2 million; I think it would be outsized and too much of a reduction in our budget.”

According to a presentation by Cindy Stein and Nick Smart, representatives with Atlanta-based marketing agency 360i, additional ad spending is needed in part to break through the noise of the

upcoming presidential election, which not only raises rates for commercial advertising but also increases competition for audience attention.

The marketing reps also pointed to increased room supply as a reason to boost advertising spending to avoid a market slowdown. More than 800 hotel rooms are expected to come online in 2020 — a 10% increase over those available in 2019. And while room sales have continued to grow every year from 20162019, the annual rate of that growth has slowed over the same period from nearly 13% to just under 9%.

“We’re kind of hitting the bubble in terms of supply,” Brown said.

In addition to the just over $1 million budget amendment for general advertising, the agency also voted to include an additional $150,000 to promote new nonstop flight routes at the Asheville Regional Airport. The airport announced that eight new or expanded nonstop flights will be offered this year

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to and from destinations including Boston, Chicago and New York City. “[Advertising] support for nonstop air service, which certainly was not a known possibility last spring when the budget was created, is important because generating bookings on flights into Asheville can ensure the sustainability of those flights,” Explore Asheville spokesperson Kathi Peterson wrote to Xpress in a Jan. 30 email. “This is a positive for not just bringing visitors here, but

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CASHING IN: The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority voted to increase its advertising budget to a total of $12.65 million for its spring and summer campaign.

Graphic courtesy of the BCTDA

also for those of us who live here and want to be able to fly out of our own hometown airport versus having to drive elsewhere.”

A Jan. 29 press release from the agency said that both budget amendments would be funded from a pool of unassigned occupancy tax revenue already designated for tourism advertising, which has accumulated to roughly $6 million over several years of underspending. Brown also emphasized that the allocations were one-time supplements to the agency’s budget.

“After the presidential election, I could anticipate that we could return to the level that was budgeted for this year,” Brown said. “If we do not proceed and we experience declines, then it’s kind of hard to get your momentum back.”

BCTDA board member Andrew Celwyn, who is currently gathering signatures to appear as an unaffiliated candidate on the ballot for Buncombe County Commission chair, cast the sole dissenting vote in both budget increase decisions. “The fundamentals across the board are generally strong, and we’re talking about taking over 15% of our rainy day fund to spend right now,” he said.

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

9

N EWS

Council pumps the brakes on transit discussion

ALL ABOARD: Mayor Esther Manheimer made the decision to formally include the issue of extending bus service hours on the next Asheville City Council agenda.

Photo by Daniel Walton Buses were on the minds of at least some Asheville City Council members during their Jan. 28 meeting when Mayor Esther Manheimer, along with Council members Brian Haynes and Julie Mayfield, prepared to ask City Manager Debra Campbell to look into funding sources for increased bus service hours.

But like a broken-down bus, the talks stalled before any progress was made. Council member Vijay Kapoor called the move “totally blindsiding” because the topic was raised during informal discussion and did not appear on the agenda.

“Clearly, you all have — someone’s been having conversations about doing this tonight. Not all members of Council were informed on this,” Kapoor said. “I don’t have an issue with us looking at things, but I don’t even know the content of what we’re talking about.”

Manhiemer explained that the action would only have directed Campbell to inform Council members of their options to finish funding phase one of the Transit Master Plan and would not actually amend the city’s budget. Nevertheless, she agreed to table the discussion and formally include the issue on the next Council agenda.

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

The city has seen bus improvements this year through the partial implementation of phase one of the 2018 plan, including new routes and more frequent service. But Council hasn’t yet fully funded the plan, which would extend the hours of all bus routes until 10 p.m. MondaySaturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

At their Jan. 14 meeting, Council members learned that transit funding for the 2019-20 fiscal year is projected to fall $500,000 short even without implementing the extended hours. Jessica Morriss, Asheville’s assistant director of transportation, explained that the deficit was primarily driven by increases in federally mandated door-to-door paratransit service for residents with disabilities and higher-than-expected prices for fuel and electricity.

Roughly 10 people spoke during public comment in favor of longer hours, including several members of the Sunrise Movement, who were simultaneously celebrating the passage of a climate emergency resolution just moments before.

“We’re standing here today in solidarity with Just Economics and to support the extension of bus hours for those citizens who do not have access to cars and must walk home

every day in the dark,” said activist Sally Thames.

Vicki Meath, director of Just Economics and the Better Buses Together campaign, told Council members that she and other commenters planned to walk a South French Broad resident home after the meeting — a gesture emphasizing that community members who rely on buses for transportation often are left without a ride after attending City Council meetings.

“Last year in 2019, 40% of Council meetings ended after the last bus left for [the South French Broad] neighborhood. Sixty-five percent of the meetings in 2019 ended after the last bus left for the Klondike neighborhood up in north Asheville,” she said. “Again, we’re asking for a budget amendment for evening service hours.”

— Brooke Randle X

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

11

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After enacting a one-year moratorium on new hotel construction on Sept. 24, Asheville City Council hired a Charlottebased consulting team with the Urban Land Institute to create a set of recommendations to guide the city’s development of new hotel policies. On Jan. 30, ULI representatives presented findings from a three-month study of the issues.

The consultants suggested the creation of a Community Benefits Agreement, a set of criteria hotel developers would be required to meet as part of the city approval process. Those community benefits could include living wage requirements, mandatory event spaces and new aesthetic standards, among others.

ULI also recommended changes to the zoning code and suggested the city explore a local historic district designation for downtown. To generate additional revenue, they said, the city could require hotel developers to pay for the use of city rights of way during hotel construction. More effective enforcement of the city’s current short-term rental rules would ease the housing shortage that is often attributed to increased tourism and hotel growth, the consultants noted.

City officials should advocate for alterations to the state law that determines how proceeds from Buncombe County’s hotel occupancy tax can be spent, ULI suggested. The team also encouraged city officials to continue to explore implementing a food and beverage tax.

Finally, the city could add a livability and tourism department to manage tourism-related issues and policies while providing a single source for information. ULI will provide recommendations to city officials in a final report by March.

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

IN MEMORIAM: Buncombe County issued a statement on the Feb. 2 death of Commissioner Mike Fryar, calling him “a respected member of the board” who had an “undeniable” impact on the community. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County the company’s stores and corporate office.” The retailer currently operates two locations in the city and over 50 stores nationwide.

Earth Fare’s statement blamed the closings on unspecified challenges in the retail industry, which it said “impeded the company’s progress, as well as its ability to refinance its debt.” The firm gave no timeline for when its stores would close for good but noted that inventory liquidation would begin immediately.

ASHEVILLE CELEBRATES GO LOCAL WEEK Love Asheville, Go Local Week takes place Saturday, Feb. 8, to Saturday, Feb. 15, with downtown businesses offering special promotions and events.

The passion project of Asheville Grown Business Alliance, the Love Asheville, Go Local movement is entering its second decade with 540 participating businesses. Half the proceeds from sales of the $18 Go Local card go to support programming in Asheville City Schools, while cardholders receive discounts on a range of products and services.

Go Local Week kicks off with an ‘80s prom dance at the LaZoom Room at 76 Biltmore Ave. on Saturday, Feb. 8, and

the celebrations wrap up with a local social on Saturday, Feb. 15, 4-7 p.m. at the LEAF Global Arts Center, 70 S. Market St. — featuring global music and art — and at THE BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 S. Market St. The complete events calendar for the week is at loveasheville.org.

Green, party chair, said residents of District 2 would have the chance to weigh in on the selection, the process for which he estimated would begin in roughly a week.

COMMISSIONER MIKE FRYAR DIES AT 72

The Asheville Humane Society opened a thrift store at 1425 Patton Ave. on Feb. 1. Store hours are TuesdaySaturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Donated furniture, housewares, clothing, books and more are among the shop’s offerings. More information is available at avl.mx/6w2.

Mike Fryar, Buncombe County commissioner for District 2, died at 72 at Mission Hospital in Asheville on Feb. 2. The Republican official and longtime conservative activist had served on the board since 2012 and was seeking reelection for a third term.

A press release from Buncombe County announcing Fryar’s death noted that the former commissioner had lived in the county for over 55 years, serving in the U.S. Navy and working for NASCAR driver Banjo Matthews before starting the engine company Fryar Performance. “He leaves a legacy of having an unwavering dedication of making life better for everyone in Buncombe County,” read the county’s statement.

Fryar’s now-vacant seat on the Board of Commissioners will be filled by appointment by the Buncombe County Republican Party.

Jerry

HUMANE SOCIETY OPENS THRIFT STORE

HEALTH AGENCY: 2019 LEGIONNAIRES’ OUTBREAK LIKELY RELATED TO HOT TUBS The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported on Jan. 30 that a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease across Western North Carolina last fall was most likely the result of exposure to bacteria in aerosolized water from hot tubs on display at the N.C. Mountain State Fair at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. More than 130 people were impacted by the disease, including four who died. X

FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘Deep mysteries’

The great debate over sex education, 1912-17 “TheCoolest Coolest Gym Gym in in Town!”

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THE BIRDS AND THE BEES: In 1914, the National Educational Association declared its opposition to sex education being taught in schools. In a statement featured in the July 11, 1914, edition of The Asheville Citizen, the organization proclaimed: “Sex instruction placed on the same plane with spelling and arithmetic will rob it of all its sacredness; knowledge will never compel purity.” By 1917, however, courses on the subject did begin to appear in the city. The photo, circa 1938, features Buncombe County Home Economics teachers. Based on the bulletin board, marriage appears to be the topic of discussion. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville As 1912 came to an end, The Asheville Citizen warned against an upward trend.

In an editorial published on Dec. 30, the paper declared: “You cannot have failed to have noticed in the last year or two a growing sentiment, although partially a forced one, in favor of what is termed ‘sex education’ in our school and in the homes.

To be brief, we are advised to initiate our children, no matter how young, in the deep mysteries of sexual problems.

Ere they have reached their teens we should teach our sons and daughters more than our fathers and mothers knew at maturity. As to the wisdom or unwisdom of such a course, the parent must be the sole judge; he alone can determine the age at which such instruction can be given, but we have no hesitation in stating that the imparting of knowledge may be overdone, and more harm than good accomplished.”

The editorial featured excerpts from a recent book review in The Interstate Medical Journal. The title under consideration was Ira S. Wiles’ Sex Education.

Published that year, Wiles’ work chastised parents for their unwillingness to discuss sex with their children. “Parental timidity, or shall I say cowardice, has made it difficult for parents to impart the information regarding reproduction or even the difference of the sexes to their children,” Wiles wrote.

The Interstate Medical Journal lambasted Wiles’ book, claiming its unoriginal talking points simply added to a growing list of similar works. “[T]he literature on this subject is so overwhelmingly extensive that repetition has become its hall-mark,” the journal wrote.

Nevertheless, the issue of sex education remained a hot topic, both locally and nationally. “To what extent can sex instruction be given in the public schools?”

The Asheville Gazette-News wrote on Sept.

29, 1913. According to the paper, a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Education offered varying opinions on the matter, ranging from “a detailed plan of sex instruction beginning in the elementary schools to a determined opposition to any form of sex education whatsoever.”

The following year, in a July 11, 1914, editorial, The Asheville Citizen applauded the National Education Association’s formal opposition to sex education in the classroom. The association, the paper wrote, “was certainly in its proper sphere when it touched the subject of so-called sex hygiene and publicly declared that the school room is no place for its discussion.”

The editorial continued: “Few men or women have any patience with or belief in false modesty, and the attitude of the association in regard to this question cannot be looked upon as prudery; rather it is commendable in its desire to put the responsibility

of such instruction where it belongs — in the hands of parents.”

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To bring sex education into the classroom, the editorial concluded, “is to rob the discussion of its sacredness and make it the subject of flippant and demoralizing remarks.”

Interestingly, a Dec. 6, 1917, article in The Asheville Citizen suggests residents did eventually come around to the idea of sex education. According to the paper, The Citizen’s Free Home Economics School was slated to host a class later that week.

Taught by a Mrs. Vaugh, the course promised to cover a variety of topics, including food, health and morality.

Buried deep within the course description, the paper added: “The lecture will touch on sex hygiene, a question that is much discussed in scientific circles at the present time, and [Mrs. Vaugh] will tell in a plain way what should be told, when it should be told, and the proper answers to give the invariable questions that children will ask at some time or another. … ‘Because I am going to speak so very plainly,’ Mrs. Vaughn explained, ‘I am going to ask that any woman who is afraid of the truth and that does not think that honesty and modesty are the same thing, to please not attend the lecture as she will only receive displeasure from it.’”

Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

13

COMMUNITY CALENDAR FEB. 5 - 13, 2020

Registration: avl.mx/5zx.

Free.

CALENDAR GUIDELINES

CRAFT YOUR COMMERCE: MAKERS MIXER

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext.

137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.

• TH (2/13), 5:307pm - Network with makers and creative entrepreneurs and get a peek at the Craft Your Commerce workshop.

Refreshments. Free.

Held at Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS ACTIVISM

=T BENEFITS

ASHEVILLE WOMEN IN BLACK • 1st FRIDAYS, 5pm - Monthly peace vigil. Free. Held at Vance Monument, 1 Pack Square PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE OF HENDERSON CO. • FRIDAYS, 4:30-6pm - Postcard writing to government representatives. Postcards, stamps, addresses, pens and tips provided. Free to attend.

Held at Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville

ANIMALS SERVICE DOG FOSTER INFO • WE (2/5), 6:30-7:30pm - Shelter To Service: service dog foster information session, seeking foster homes for suitable shelter dogs to participate in training to become therapy, facility and service dogs. Held at Asheville Humane Society, 14 Forever Friend Lane

BOOKS & BITES • TH (2/6), 11am Proceeds from Books & Bites with Diane Chamberlain and her new book, Big Lies in a Small Town, benefits Mountains Branch Library. $25. Held at Lake Lure Inn and Spa, 2771 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • SA (2/8), 9am-noon SCORE: Marketing Your Business with Google, seminar. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

• TU (2/11), 11am-1pm - When Domestic Abuse Comes to Work: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know, seminar. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

• TH (2/13), 2-5pm YouTube Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business, seminar.

LOVE ASHEVILLE GO LOCAL BUSINESS RESOURCE FAIR • WE (2/12), 3-5pm - Go Local Week - Network with fellow local businesses and learn about free or low-cost resources. For a full list of events: loveasheville. org. Free. Held at Explore Asheville, 27 College Place MOUNTAIN BIZWORKS ORIENTATION • FR (2/7), 10-11am - Information session on available resources at Mountain BizWorks.

Registration required.

Free. Held at Mountain BizWorks, 153 S. Lexington Ave. QUICKBOOKS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS • TH (2/13), 9am-4pm - QuickBooks for Your Small Business, seminar.

Registration: avl.mx/5zx.

Free. Held at A-B Tech Madison and NCWorks Career Center, 4646 US Highway 25/70, Marshall

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS BECOME A BROKER IN 2020! (PD.) 5 or 7 Week Prelicense Classes. Weeknights or Weekends. Next sessions begin Feb 4th or 8th. Register for $445 at www.ThomasNC.online or call 828-333-7509 BUILD AND REMODEL EXPO (PD.) Looking to renovate your home or build new? Find everything from builders, landscapers, awnings, cabinets, flooring, windows, and more at the Build and Remodel Expo! February 1 & 2: Saturday 10 am – 6 pm/ Sunday 11 am – 4 pm at WNC Ag Center’s Davis Event Center. Tickets $10. BuildAndRemodelAsheville.com.

EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Aerial Flexibility on Mondays 6:15pm, Wednesdays 6:15pm, and Saturdays 1:00pm.

Self Care on Sundays 2:15pm and Mondays 7:30pm. Aerial Chill & Restore on Wednesdays 7:30pm. Intro to Handstands on Thursdays 7:45pm. Intro to Partner Acrobatics on Sundays 6:30pm. empyreanarts. org. 828.782.3321 A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TH (2/6), 9-11am Deep Dive Lab: Social Media Dominance on Instagram, seminar.

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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PEAKS AND VALLEYS: Picturesque America was a two-volume set of books published in the 1870s illustrating scenic views of America. Preserving a Picturesque America is an organization that seeks the vantage point of the early image and re-creates the art in an effort to preserve these sacred places. Scott Varn of PAPA returns to provide an update on the progress of the conservation project. Varn shares stories of discovery, art and photos from locations across the country and ways you can join the adventure. He offers a sneak peek of the upcoming exhibition and the updated version of the French Broad River serial. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, Thursday, Feb. 6, 7-9 p.m. Free. Photo courtesy of Scott Varn (p. 15) Registration: avl.mx/5zx.

Free.

• TH (2/6), 2-5pm - How Your Brand Can Benefit from YouTube Marketing, seminar. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

• FR (2/7), 10am-noon - Building Your Business - Study Hall. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

• WE (2/12), 1-5pm Marketing with a Bang, seminar. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Sets provided.

All ages and skill levels

welcome. Beginners lessons available. Free.

Held at North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Road ASHEVILLE NEWCOMER'S CLUB • 2nd MONDAYS, 9:30am - Monthly meeting for women new to Asheville interested in making friends and exploring the community.

Free to attend. Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org

• THURSDAYS, noon-1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St. • TH (2/13), noon1:30pm - Mayor Esther Manheimer presents the annual State of the City. Free. Held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St. ASHEVILLE TAROT CIRCLE • 2nd SUNDAYS, noon General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (2/5), 11am BINGO for all ages.

Prizes from the Friends of the Library. Coffee and morning snacks. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • WE (2/5), 6pm - The Rhythmic Arts Project of Asheville offers percussion and music classes for teens and adults with developmental disabilities and their caretakers, parents and

CECILIA JOHNSON family members. Registration required. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • THURSDAYS, 10:30amnoon - Modern money theory study group. Free.

Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TH (2/6), 3:30pm - Find out how to support Leicester Library. Free.

Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • THURSDAYS, 5pm - Spanish Conversation Group for adults. Free.

Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. GENEALOGY CLUB • 2nd TUESDAYS, 3pm - Genealogy Club. Free.

Held at Mountains Branch Library, 150 Bill's Creek Road, Lake Lure KOREAN WAR VETERANS CHAPTER 314 • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, noon - Korean War Veterans Association, General Frank Blazey Chapter 314, general meeting.

Lunch at noon, meeting at 1pm. Free to attend.

Held at Golden Corral, 2530 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD OF AMERICA • TH (2/6), 10am-noon - General meeting and Sharon Richmond teaches flower making with an embroidered center with hooked petals. See the required January handwork. Free. Held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe

LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD MEETING • 2nd TUESDAYS, 7pm - Public board meeting.

Free. Held at Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (2/6), noon-1:30pm - Understanding Credit.

Get it. Keep it. Improve it. Seminar. Registration required. Free.

• TH (2/6), 5:30-7:30pm - Home Energy Efficiency, seminar. Registration required. Free.

• MO (2/10), 5:30-7pm Dreaming of a Debt Free Life, seminar. Registration required. Free.

• WE (2/12), 5:30-7pm - Understanding Credit.

Get it. Keep it. Improve it. Seminar. Registration required. Free.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROJECT • WE (2/5), 1:30pm - Community Action Opportunities (CAO), an anti-poverty non-profit, hosts public hearings to discuss Self-Sufficiency project. Free. Held at A-B Tech Madison and NCWorks Career Center, 4646 US Highway 25/70, Marshall • TH (2/6), 10am - Community Action Opportunities (CAO), an anti-poverty non-profit, hosts public hearings to discuss Self-Sufficiency project. Free. Held at Henderson County Public Library, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville • TH (2/6), 11am - Community Action

Opportunities (CAO), an anti-poverty non-profit, hosts public hearings to discuss Self-Sufficiency project. Free. Held at Transylvania County Library, 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard • TH (2/6), noon - Community Action Opportunities (CAO), an anti-poverty non-profit, hosts public hearings to discuss Self-Sufficiency project. Free. Held at Community Action Opportunities, 25 Gaston St. WEEKLY SUNDAY SCRABBLE CLUB • SUNDAYS, 12:304:30pm - Scrabble club. Information: ashevillescrabble.com.

Free. Held at Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave.

ECO RIVERLINK RIVERFRONT BUS TOUR • 1st THURSDAYS, 10am-1pm - Proceeds from the Riverfront bus tour benefit RiverLink.

Registration: avl.mx/68a. $45.

SIERRA CLUB PRESENTS PRESERVING A PICTURESQUE AMERICA • TH (2/6), 7-9pm - Sierra Club presents Preserving A Picturesque America.

Scott Varn updates on the progress of the conservation project and shares stories and images. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN 27TH ANNUAL ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 6-8, 2020. at Mars Hill University, NC. Preconference workshops & Leah Penniman lecture in Buncombe County. 150+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate workshops on organic growing, homesteading, farming, permaculture.

Organicgrowersschool. org. (828) 214-7833.

ADVANCED ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (PD.) THU. FEB 6TH 3PM-7PM. Advanced Enterprise Development will dig into enterprise development and help farmers understand the factors that influence farm profitability, assess recordkeeping and farm documentation in order to enhance their farm financial picture. https:// organicgrowersschool. org/farmers/advancedenterprise-development/ FARM DREAMS WORKSHOP BY ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL (PD.) SAT. JAN. 18TH & SAT. FEB. 8TH, 10AM-4PM. A day-long workshop designed to help people who are seeking common-sense information on sustainable farming and how to move forward.

Learn more at www. organicgrowersschool. org/farmers/farm-dreams COMMUNITY GARDEN MEETING • TH (2/6), 6pm - Leicester Library Community Garden is

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PRESIDENTS' DAY POETRY Tomb of the Unknown Father A READING BY LEE STOCKDALE

Lee’s father, Grant Stockdale, was JFK’s close friend and Ambassador to Ireland.

He committed suicide 10 days after President Kennedy’s assassination.

Join Lee as he reads from his active poetry cycle. Q&A follows.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

8:00-9:30 pm, FREE The BLOCK off Biltmore 39 South Market Street, Asheville

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

15

C O MMU N I T Y CA L EN D AR

starting up. Learn how to get involved. Free.

Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST • TU (2/11), 7am - Friends of Agriculture Breakfast with speaker Whitney Meadows. Free. Held at WNC Agricultural Center, Virginia Boone Building, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road

FOOD & BEER 12TH ANNUAL CAJUN COOKOFF • SU (2/9), 1-3pm Proceeds from the 12th annual Cajun Cookoff with live music benefits Asheville Mardi Gras. $20/$10 members. Held at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive FAIRVIEW WELCOME TABLE • 2nd THURSDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Community lunch. Admission by donation. Held at Fairview Christian Fellowship, 596 Old US Highway 74, Fairview HOMEMADE INFUSED BUTTER WORKSHOP • TH (2/13), 11am - Learn how to make your own flavored butters. Bring jars (8-16 oz.) Registration required. Ages: 18+.

Free. Held at Mountains Branch Library, 150 Bill's Creek Road, Lake Lure WELCOME TABLE FREE MEAL • WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Welcome Table, community meal.

Free. Held at Leicester

CONSCIOUS PARTY

by Deborah Robertson

Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN'S CLUB MEETING • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting.

Free to attend. Held at Yao, 153 Smoky Park Highway INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUND-WNC • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - General meeting. Free. Held at St. David's Episcopal Church, 286 Forest Hills Road, Sylva PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE OF HENDERSON CO. • FRIDAYS, 4:30-6pm - Postcard writing to government representatives. Postcards, stamps, addresses, pens and tips provided. Free to attend. Held at Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville

KIDS EMPOWERING THE LEADER IN EACH YOUNG MAN (PD.) Journeymen is supporting adolescent boys on their paths to becoming men of integrity. Our cost-free program is now enrolling young men 12-17. Mentees ("J-men") participate in bi-weekly mentoring groups and a semi-annual Rites of Passage Adventure Weekend, where they develop compassion,

self-awareness, accountability, resilience and authenticity. Learn more: journeymenasheville.org Contact: journeymenasheville@ gmail.com (828) 7716344.

APPLE VALLEY MODEL RAILROAD & MUSEUM • WEDNESDAYS, 1-3pm & SATURDAYS, 10am-2pm - Open house featuring operating model trains and historic memorabilia. Free. Held at Apple Valley Model Railroad & Museum, 650 Maple St., Hendersonville BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library WE (2/5), 10:30am Preschool storytime and Valentine Tea geared towards 3-5 year-olds, includes singing, stretches and creative activities.

Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 11am-noon - Storytime + Art, project for preschool students. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • WE (2/5), 4pm - Dungeons and Dragons for ages 6-12. Registration required. Free. Held at Fairview Public Library, Fairview • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 4-5:30pm - Heroes Unlimited, role playing game for grades 6-12.

Registration required.

Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview • WE (2/5), 4pm - LEGO builders, kids 5 and up. Free. Held at Pack

T

Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • 1st FRIDAYs, 2:30pm - Read with J.R. the Therapy Dog. Free.

Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • FR (2/7), 3:30pm LEGO builders, kids 5 and up. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • SA (2/8), 11am - Read with J.R. the Therapy Dog. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa • 2nd SATURDAYS, 1-4pm & LAST WEDNESDAYS, 4-6pm - Teen Dungeons and Dragons for ages 12 and up.

Registration required: 828-250-4720. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • MONDAYS, 10:30am - Spanish story time for children of all ages. Free.

Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • MO (2/10), 4pm - LEGO builders, kids 5 and up.

Free. Held at Weaverville Library, 41 N. Main St. Weaverville FAMILY DISCOVERY DAY: FLYING IN THE COVE • SA (2/8), 10am-noon - Family Discovery Day: Flying in the Cove.

Free. Held at Asheville Farmstead School, 218 Morgan Cove Rd. Candler FAMILY STORYTIME • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am - Family storytime. Free. Held at Fletcher Library, 120 Library Road, Fletcher

TURNPIKE HIKE: The Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center offers a difficult to strenuous, 4-mile hike down the former Indian trail that became the Western Turnpike, a stagecoach route, and eventual railway line. Planned for Saturday, Feb. 8, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. the hike’s leaders will shed light on the natural, social and cultural history of this once-major artery along Swannanoa Creek. Hikers are advised to wear sturdy hiking boots, bring hiking poles, expect to climb over and under fallen logs and be prepared for stream crossings. Dress for the weather, pack a lunch and plenty of water. The hike meets at the museum in Black Mountain at 9:30 a.m.

Leaders will carpool hikers to the trailhead.

The hike, a fundraiser for the museum, costs $35, $25 for members. Registration is required: avl.mx/6w1. Photo courtesy of Bonnie Nache (p. 16)

HOMESCHOOL ART PROGRAM • 2nd TUESDAYS, 11am12:30pm - Homeschool program for grades 1-4.

Registration required: 828-253-3227 x 124. $4 per student. Held at Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square LITTLE EXPLORER'S CLUB • 1st & 3rd FRIDAYS, 9-10am - Little Explorer's Club, science topics for preschoolers. $7/Caregivers free. Held at Asheville Museum of Science, 43 Patton Ave. MISS MALAPROP'S STORYTIME • WEDNESDAYS, 10am Miss Malaprop's Storytime for ages 3-9. Free to attend. Held at Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St. STEM WITH DR. K • TU (2/11), 3:30-5:30pm - STEM with Dr. K: Making a wooden bird house.

Registration required.

Ages: 6-106. Free. Held at Mountains Branch Library, 150 Bill's Creek Road, Lake Lure ‘WARRIORS’ • TH (2/6) & FR (2/7), 10am & Noon - Warriors, civil rights history. Recommended grates 6-12. $10.

Held at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave.

OUTDOORS HEMLOCK MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP FOR LANDOWNERS • SA (2/8), 9am-4pm - A hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) management handson chemical treatment workshop. Registration: savehemlocksnc.org/ registration. $10. Held at Christmount Christian Assembly, 222 Fern Way, Black Mountain

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Contact Nicole Allen at (828)771-2207 or nallen@givensgerberpark.org to schedule an appointment.

For more information, to download applications, or to view floor plans, go to www.givensgerberpark.org

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HISTORIC SWANNANOA CREEK HIKE • SA (2/8), 9:30am2:30pm - Proceeds from the difficult/ strenuous, 4-mile hike due to the number of creek crossings and steep climbs benefit Swannanoa Valley Museum. Boots are a must and hiking poles are very helpful. Registration: avl.mx/6vp. $35/$25 members.

Held at Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W. State St., Black Mountain JACKSON PARK BIRD WALK • SA (2/8), 9am - Bird walk. Free. Held at Jackson Park, 801 Glover St., Hendersonville PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations.

Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewing, 49 Pisgah Highway, Suite 3, Pisgah Forest

PARENTING FOSTER PARENT OPEN HOUSE • TH (2/6), 5:308pm - Drop in to find out about foster care, the agency and requirements to become licensed as foster parents. Light refreshments. Held at Children's Hope

Alliance, 60 Livingston St., Suite 100 MOTHERS CONNECTION • THURSDAYS, 11:30am-1:30pm Social gathering for mothers and their babies. Registration required. Free to attend. Held at Haywood Regional Medical Center, 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde

PUBLIC LECTURES CULTURAL CRASH COURSE • WE (2/12), 5:308pm - Dr. Yiqing Yang speaks on elder abuse from a multicultural perspective. Registration required. $9. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY: LAND OF WATERFALLS AND… BOGS • TH (2/6), 6:30-7:30pm - Ed Schwatzman talks about some of the Southern Appalachia's bogs and Transylvania County as a biodiversity hotspot. Light refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. Free. Held at Transylvania County Library, 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard ‘WELL-BEING IS A SKILL’ • TH (2/13), 7pm Neuroscientist Richard

J. Davidson, PhD, gives a talk on Well-Being is a Skill. Free. Held at Lipinsky Auditorium at UNC Asheville, 300 Library Lane

SENIORS ASHEVILLE ELDER CLUB • TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Jewish Family Services of WNC, 2 Doctors Park, Suite E CARING FOR MY LOVED ONE • WE (2/5), 9-11am Caring for My Loved One with Dementia: Preparing for the Road Ahead, part 1. Registration: avl.mx/6v9. Free.

Held at UNC Asheville Reuter Center, 1 University Heights • WE (2/12), 9-11am - Caring for My Loved One with Dementia: Preparing for the Road Ahead, part 2. Registration: avl.mx/6va. Free.

Held at UNC Asheville Reuter Center, 1 University Heights CHAIR YOGA • THURSDAYS, 2pm Chair Yoga. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville CULTURAL CRASH COURSE • WE (2/12), 5:308pm - Dr. Yiqing Yang speaks on elder abuse from a multicultural perspective. Registration required. $9. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville TAI CHI FOR ARTHRITIS AND FALLS PREVENTION • Until (2/11) - Register for 20 session Tai Chi. Program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2pm starting (2/18). Register: 828-251-7438 or stephanie@landofsky. org. Free. Held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 17 Shawnee Trail

SPIRITUALITY ANATASATI MAGGA (PD.) Sujata Yasa (Nancy Spence). Zen Buddhism. Weekly meditations and services; Daily recitations w/ mala. Urban retreats.

32 Mineral Dust Drive, Asheville, NC 28806.

828-367-7718. info@ anattasatimagga.org.

ANATTASATIMAGGA. ORG

• SA (2/8), 8:30am-5:30pm - Creation Care Retreat, faith based creation care theology and practical skills for congregations and individuals. Registration: avl.mx/6vo. $25. Held at Montreat Conference Center, 401 Assembly Drive, Montreat DREAMING A NEW DREAM MEDITATION • 1st FRIDAYS, 7pm Dreaming a New Dream,

meditation to explore peace and compassion.

Free. Held at Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way OPEN SANGHA • THURSDAYS, 7:309pm - Open Sangha night. Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 77 W. Walnut St. TAIZE PRAYER MEETUP • 1st FRIDAYS, 7-8pm - Taize, interfaith medita-

tive candlelight prayer meetup with song, silence and scripture. Free. Held at St. Eugene's Catholic Church, 72 Culver St.

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS/ YOUTH IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) 43% of adults with low literacy live in poverty.

Volunteer and help our neighbors rise above the confines of poverty. Orientation 2/6 (5:30pm) or 3/2 (5:30pm) RSVP: volunteers@litcouncil. com. Learn more: www.litcouncil.com.

Free.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC • THURSDAYS, 11am - See the Hope Tour,

find out how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how you can help.

Registration required: tours@ homewardboundwnc. org or 828-785-9840.

Free. Held at Homeward Bound of WNC, 19 N. Ann St.

stitch or crochet hand-

STITCHES OF LOVE • 2nd MONDAYS, 7-9pm - Volunteer to

opportunities visit

made articles for local charities. All skill levels welcome. Held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Road For more volunteering mountainx.com/ volunteering

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

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

ECK LIGHT AND SOUND SERVICE: THE MAHANTA – CONSTANT GUIDANCE, CONSTANT LOVE (PD.) Explore your own direct connection with the Divine within this service, an engaging blend of insightful stories, uplifting creative arts, and contemplative exercises.

Experience the Light and Sound of God and the sacred sound of HU, which can open your heart to divine love, healing, and inner guidance. Fellowship follows. Sponsored

by ECKANKAR. Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020, 11am, Eckankar Center of Asheville, 797 Haywood Rd. (“Kings and Queens Salon” building, lower level), Asheville NC 28806, 828-254-6775. (free event). www. eckankar-nc.org CREATION CARE RETREAT • FR (2/7), 12:30-6pm - Clergy only Creation Care Retreat, conversations about collective hope, pastoral leadership and current climate science. Registration: avl.mx/6vo. $25. Held at Montreat Conference Center, 401 Assembly Drive, Montreat

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

17

MOUNTAIN LOVE

Series

Sex in the city, Asheville style With the annual Valentine’s Day hoopla fast approaching, the second installment of our twopart Wellness series explores the state of love and sex in the mountains in 2020. This spicy issue explores hot topics like: How is our local arts scene celebrating the sensuous? Are unattached Asheville Boomers hooking up on Tinder in their search for connection? As LGBTQ couples tie the knot in celebrations that blend new and traditional wedding rituals, do they still face barriers straight couples don’t?

And then there’s the age-old question: How can committed

couples keep the flame alive?

Local sex therapists offer advice, inspiration — and a healthy dose of reassurance. As sex coach Rebekah Beneteau emphasizes, “Normal is only the setting on a washing machine.”

Concerned about the propriety of this steamy subject?

Our coverage seeks to deliver on what’s promised in a 1917 article in The Asheville Citizen on sex education: to “tell in a plain way what should be told, when it should be told.” And to inform, embolden and even delight along the way! X

Dr. Erin Stefanacci, DC, CFMP Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner Carolina Holistic Health

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Schedule a complimentary consultation or book your first visit!

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FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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•

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MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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F E AT UR E

by Able Allen

aallen@mountainx.com

NEW-FASHIONED WEDDINGS Local LGBTQ community reconfigures traditions

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For more than a decade, Jeanne Sommer of Hidden River Events has been hosting and presiding over samesex partnership ceremonies on her farm in Swannanoa. “It doesn’t matter if it’s heterosexual or same-sex,” she says. “The ethics of good loving are what matters.”

Since 2014, when a federal court ruling overturned Amendment 1 in North Carolina and her denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), voted to allow same-sex marriage, Sommer has been able to offer LGBTQ couples both legally binding and religiously sanctioned marriage ceremonies.

Alex Fisher, who founded the wedding planning firm Lucky Penny Creative, says, “I knew it was headed in that direction and I wanted to be boots on the ground ... so that when the ruling did come down from the Supreme Court, I was ready to rock with any couple.” Since the law changed, Lucky Penny has focused on planning weddings for a diverse set of clients. The goal, continues Fisher, is to “infuse clients’ history, partnership and how they show up in the world into their actual wedding day.”

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“I know, at the end of the day, it’s just a business and it’s just a wedding,” says Fisher. “I always say hosting a wedding is a privilege, but getting married is a right. And for us, it is taking that right and then breathing life into it.” Beyond the mechanics of putting together the ceremony and reception, “We’re creating this intimate, safe, warm, inviting space for these humans to commit their lives to one another.”

Accordingly, the business was built around the idea of helping people avoid vendors and situations that aren’t affirming. “Really, what’s at the heart of Lucky Penny Creative is my desire to help our clients navigate an industry that quite literally was never set up for them to succeed in the first place,” Fisher explains, adding that there are two kinds of problem vendors. Some try to push a “cookiecutter wedding package scenario” so they can cycle through clients quickly.

And then there are “the vendors that flat out don’t serve queer couples.”

Sommer, too, aims to ensure maximum support for her clients. “Everybody

KISS THE BRIDES: Michelle (left) and Randall Skeeters were married in 2017 at Highland Brewing Company. Their wedding followed some traditions, including military ones, but they rearranged some others. People of all stripes are changing the way weddings look and feel, but LGBTQ couples are on the forefront of the trend. Photo by Joseph Dix Photography who works with us and all of our vendors are open and affirming individuals or companies,” she says. To her, that’s the first step in creating a safe space.

It’s also important, Sommer maintains, to be sensitive to the language used. “People are referred to exactly the way they want to be. Some people want to be called brides and grooms, other people want to be partners.”

Julia Albertson, one of Fisher’s go-to collaborators, has been presiding over wedding ceremonies for 15 months; during that time, she’s averaged about one per week. “My hope as an officiant is to just hold space for them to be themselves exactly as they are, and to experience their love in the way that’s most authentic for them as people.” From that starting point, Albertson weaves in narratives

and elements with deep meaning for her clients, whether it’s religious rituals or books or personal beliefs.

SHIFTING TRADITIONS A desire to move away from traditional religious themes and rituals isn’t unique to LGBTQ weddings, but Albertson says it’s been a factor for about half of the ones she’s worked with.

“There’s all these old-fashioned narratives that are still woven into ceremony,” Albertson explains. “I think a lot of people who aren’t in the LGBTQ community aren’t even aware that it’s a leftover template that just doesn’t really apply” in some situations. She cites such practices as giving the bride

“It doesn’t matter if it’s heterosexual or same-sex: The ethics of good loving are what matters.”

— Jeanne Sommer, Hidden River Events away to the groom, or vows that reflect problematic gender stereotypes.

Creative choices, though, can help address those concerns.

Asheville resident Sally Herbert walked down the aisle with her dad, but there was no formal “giving away.”

Most of her in-laws, meanwhile, declined to attend the ceremony.

“My family is overwhelmingly accepting, and it’s been a much harder thing for Sarah’s family,” says Herbert.

“She walked the aisle by herself, like a champ. … She owned it.”

Still, those parents’ absence led the couple to forgo some joyous traditions, since both brides couldn’t have them.

They didn’t have the father-daughter dance at the reception “to keep things really balanced, so that we could enjoy moments with the family who were there” without highlighting “the fact that there were loved ones who chose not to come,” Herbert explains.

Both Randall and Michelle Skeeters say they enjoyed walking

down the aisle in August 2017. Randall was escorted by both parents; Michelle walked with her mother. “I think both of us are extraordinarily fortunate to have had such support there: Everyone in our family, without hesitation, was there,” says Randall. “That’s rare within the LGBTQ community.”

Rather than emphasizing religion, the couple took most of their cues from military weddings, because Michelle’s time in the Army is a fundamental aspect of her identity. They included a sword arch, she and other participants were in uniform, and they used a sword to cut their cake. Both women opted for bridal gowns for their reception.

For Herbert, however, deciding what to wear for her May 2019 wedding was stressful. “I’m not a dress wearer, but I’m not a tux wearer either, and there’s definitely a sore lack of [clothing options] for weddings in that demo-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 22

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graphic.” In the end, Herbert chose a relatively inexpensive tailored pantsuit that she says she was happy with.

“Other than it being a same-sex wedding, I think it was a pretty typical event, and it was awesome: I wish I could do it every day,” she says. “And at the same time, I’m so glad I don’t have to do it ever again.”

For her part, Sommer thinks today’s evolving wedding practices reflect a rise in the number of people who identify as spiritual rather than religious, which leads them to question certain traditions. And sometimes, that may result in a satisfying hybrid. One of the most moving LGBTQ weddings she’s seen lately, Sommer recalls, was a Hindu celebration. The speech one of the moms made particularly impressed her. “I wish I had a copy of it. ... It was so important for her that her daughter was empowered to be herself, no matter what. And it was beautiful that they were able to find, within the tradition, a priest who would wed them.”

greenhandschiro.com (828) 298-6066

Planning any wedding is no cakewalk, but there are a couple of key factors that are more likely to affect LGBTQ couples. Often, notes Fisher, they don’t get financial support from their families, which can mean increased pressure to reduce costs.

The Wedding Report, an industry research company, found that North Carolina couples spent an average of $20,416 per wedding in 2018. The same year, a study by Community Marketing & Insights, an LGBTQ market research firm, found that the vast majority of LGBTQ couples (74%) said they paid for most, if not all, of their wedding costs.

Finding friendly vendors for the full range of wedding services can also pose difficulties. Fisher describes a common scenario: In an initial discussion with a baker or stationer, “We’re talking

through the logistics of a potential client relationship and they ask their names or their gender, and it gets real quiet after that point. It’s really disheartening as a planner, not just because I’m a queer human in the world, but also to have to relay that information back to the client.”

And though Randall Skeeters says she didn’t encounter such problems when planning her wedding, it was still stressful, because it felt like having to come out of the closet again and again to strangers. Despite having lived openly as a lesbian for decades, she says, “You get filled with this immense amount of anxiety and vulnerability when you’re reaching out to vendors and you don’t know how they’re going to respond.”

JOYOUS UNION The Skeeters chose to steer clear of convention in favor of a nonreligious wedding employing deeply personal symbolism. Neither of them had a church-going upbringing, and for Randall, there were some outright negative associations. “Religion can become weaponized,” she points out.

“Over the years, the only people that have openly discriminated against me ... have been individuals who belong to a quote-unquote ‘Christian community.’”

At the other end of the spectrum, however, both Herbert and her partner attend First Congregational United Church of Christ, and they wanted to be married by their pastor. They’d already been together for eight years, notes Herbert, “So, really, everything was more symbolic than the traditional merging of your lives. … We weren’t really afraid to break any norms: We just wanted to be recognized in front of our friends and family and church community and God in our marriage — and then just have a wicked party!” X

Mountain Xpress presents

Asheville City Council Primary Forum Wednesday, Feb. 5 Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; forum begins at 6 p.m.

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Feb. 12: U.S. House of Representatives District 11 Feb. 19: Asheville City Council Feb. 26: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners; N.C. Senate 48 and 49; N.C. House 117

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The conversations sex coach Rebekah Beneteau has with new clients often begin with the same six words.

“Most of the people who come to me want to know, ‘Is it weird that I like ... ?’” she reveals, adding, “Fill in the blank.”

Since 2012, Beneteau has worked with individuals and couples seeking to more fully embrace their sexuality and enhance their sex lives. A big focus of her work, she says, “is helping people recognize that there is no normal.”

The problem, Beneteau and others in the sexual health field maintain, is the misguided notion that there’s a standard set of sexual practices that individuals and couples should engage in.

“I think people just aren’t open about their sex and sexuality,” says local therapist Charlotte Taylor. “So the assumption is that everyone is doing the things they see in the movies, and that’s all you should want to do.”

Equally problematic, these experts say, are the mixed messages surrounding sex, as well as the historically heterosexual, cisgender, male-centric approach to sex education.

“You can arrive so far into adulthood without fully grasping the ins and outs of how your own body works,” notes sex therapist Jamie Brazell. “Or you arrive so riddled with shame that there’s a lot to work through.”

Far from simply providing instructions on Kegel exercises, sexual health professionals collaborate with patients on a broad range of topics: from the physical to the emotional, the sociocultural to the neurological. And though individual needs and treatments vary widely, many health seekers share an overarching concern: the fear that their bodies, beliefs or desires are abnormal.

“Normal,” emphasizes Beneteau, “is only the setting on a washing machine.”

MOUNTAINX.COM

In her 2015 New York Times bestseller Come As You Are, sex educator Emily Nagoski describes three common notions that are typically directed at young girls: the moral, medical and media messages.

Series

SELF-DISCOVERY: “I don’t push any kind of agenda with patients,” says sex therapist Jamie Brazell. “Therapy is the place for self-discovery. So my role is to collaborate with people around that.” Photo by Thomas Calder The first, she writes, creates shame: “If you want or like sex, you’re a slut.”

The second message fosters fear: “Sex can cause disease and pregnancy, which makes it dangerous.” The third contradicts the other two, thereby increasing anxiety: “If you’ve had too few partners, don’t watch porn and don’t have a collection of vibrators in your bedside table, you’re a prude.

Also: You’re too fat and too thin; your breasts are too big and too small. Your body is wrong.”

Local sex educator Luna Dietrich says she received the first two messages in her youth, creating a distorted view of sex as something women endured rather than enjoyed. After graduating from Warren Wilson College with a chemistry degree, Dietrich traveled across Southeast Asia, where she met and fell in love with an Australian woman “who taught me about what it was to receive pleasure.” The relationship subsequently ended, but the experience profoundly altered Dietrich’s professional trajectory.

Returning to Asheville in 2015, Dietrich initially worked for a chemistry lab. To help her deal with the boredom of data entry, she

listened to podcasts about sexuality and sex education; her evenings were spent reading books and blogs about those topics.

As her interest grew, so too did her desire to share and discuss her experiences and insights. In time, she designed a pleasure-centered course to help people love their bodies, primarily by confronting the three messages Nagoski identifies in her book.

What began as a small workshop for women in 2015 has evolved into a full-time teaching career. Working primarily through online courses, Dietrich says she’s instructed over 1,500 men, women and transgender people from around the world.

“Some people think what I do is just teach people how to have a sexier life with their partner and how to have lots of sex and lots of orgasms,” notes Dietrich. “But my mission is to support people to get more embodied — meaning I help them find their center and release some of the trauma, and I help them disrupt some of the patterns that keep them from finding what they actually want. Or, to put it a little bit more woo-woo, I help people find their truth or find their ‘Hell, yes.’”

KISS COMPLACENCY GOODBYE Of course, not everyone is pursuing such exalted goals. Some folks, particularly long-term couples, just want to put a little spice back into their love life. And for good reason, says sexual health counselor Aleece Fosnight: “We tend to get very complacent anywhere from 12 to 18 months into a relationship. We get into routines, and we don’t have that fire in our belly anymore.”

Kissing, she notes, is often the first thing to go. “There are pecks here and there, but kissing tends to get pushed to the side.” In other words, it tends to be exclusively viewed as an initiation tactic for sexual intercourse.

For couples interested in confronting their complacency, Fosnight may assign the “Come Closer Kiss” exercise as homework. Partners are instructed to lock lips, uninterrupted, for one to two minutes. Sex, she emphasizes, should not be the goal: Kissing for the sake of kissing is the objective.

The one- to two-minute rule, Fosnight explains, reflects the fact that it takes that long for the nerve endings in your lips to get stimulated and send signals to the limbic system in your

brain. Once that’s triggered, the brain releases chemicals like dopamine, epinephrine, oxytocin and testosterone.

“Those are all the good-feeling hormones that make you feel connected with somebody,” she says.

Patients who practice in the exercise often report a sense of delight, Fosnight reveals. “People get kind of giddy about it: They feel like teenagers again. They talk about how they’re trying to sneak around their kids” in order to kiss. “I tell them, ‘Go park and make out. What’s stopping you? Why can’t you still do that?’”

SAVORING SENSUAL PLEASURE Among the reasons that individuals and couples might shy away from such activities are issues such as erectile disfunction, pelvic pain and Peyronie’s disease. These physical symptoms, experts say, often create performance anxiety, which can lead to sexual avoidance.

And while physical therapy and medications can be viable treatment options, another approach Fosnight likes to employ is a practice she calls

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EDUCATING THE MASSES: In 2015, sex counselor Heather Edwards, left, launched Vino & Vulvas. She describes the monthly gatherings, held at UpCountry Brewing, as “a fun version of adult sex ed.” Also featured, from left, are Elizabeth McCorvey, Jamie Brazell, Tuesday Feral and Candace Liger. Photo by Taylor Clark Johnson “taking sex off the table.” So often, she notes, “The main focus is on penetration: Sex is the ultimate goal.”

Redirecting a patient’s attention to other avenues of pleasure, Fosnight reports, can help mitigate the psychological distress associated with performance anxiety. Activities that don’t involve intercourse include sensate exercises (touching and kissing without the expectation of sex), as well as mutual masturbation and oral sex.

“Men can still have an orgasm without having an erection,” notes Fosnight.

“Those are two different sides of the nervous system.”

Still, cultural norms and expectations can loom large in the equation — especially for men. “I have one patient right now who is struggling because he grew up understanding that if you’re a man, you have sex — that’s what you do,” says Fosnight. “I’m trying to help him understand and restructure those neural pathways in his brain to say that it’s OK to do other things.”

An in-depth conversation about cultural expectations may be enough to help a patient embrace alternative approaches to pleasure. For some, however, the cultural conditioning is just too strong. In such cases, Fosnight may recommend a penile injection, which produces an erection. Once the individual is firm, she then performs an ultrasound.

“A lot of times, it’s very positive for my patients to see that they have the potential to get an erection,” she explains. “And then for them to be able to look at the blood flow and other parts on a screen is superhelpful for them to understand why this is happening.”

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND Chocolate is nice; flowers are too. But if you really want to improve your sex life, communication is key, experts say.

The problem, these specialists point out, is that so few of us feel comfortable or knowledgeable enough to talk about sex.

“A lot of us didn’t get very good sex education in school,” notes sexuality counselor Heather Edwards. “And our parents didn’t really get good sex education, either. … And so here we are: adults in our own relationships, just figuring things out on our own.”

Inadequate education, she says, is an even bigger issue for members of the LGBTQ community. “For anyone who is queer, gay or trans, any sex education they might have received probably seemed like it didn’t apply to them because it was all super heteronormative and cisgender normative,” she explains. “So there are huge gaps that people face in understanding their bodies and how to talk about sex.”

Doctors aren’t immune to these shortcomings either.

“A lot of times, medical professionals don’t bring up sexual health concerns, because they don’t have an answer,” says Fosnight. “They weren’t trained in it, and they don’t want to look silly or stupid in front of their patients.”

To help address these gaps in training, she founded the nonprofit Fosnight Foundation, which aims to develop sexual health workshops for medical professionals. Although funding is still pending, Fosnight hopes to launch an initial offering this fall.

Such programs could greatly benefit everyone, but particularly members of

the LGBTQ community and people in nonmonogamous relationships, says Edwards. “If you are a heterosexual, cisgender male doctor and a patient comes in who is a gay, transgender person who is polyamorous, that doctor is going to have zero [understanding]: They’re just going to sit there with their jaw dropped,” she asserts.

And to avoid those outcomes, continues Edwards, patients often withhold pertinent information from their primary physicians, putting their own well-being at risk.

WE NEED TO TALK In an effort to promote a healthier, more open dialogue about sex and sexuality, Edwards founded Vino & Vulvas in 2015. She describes the monthly gathering at UpCountry Brewing as “a fun version of adult sex ed.” A rotating roster of experts — including Brazell and Fosnight — serves up a wide range of perspectives. Previous presentations have included “Let’s Talk About Masculinity,” “Felyne Fetish Fitness,” “Relationship Structures: From Monogamy to Polyamory” and “Slamming Hot Sex for All Abilities.”

Vino & Vulvas’ mission is not to glorify any particular practice or desire, stresses Edwards; rather, the goal is to normalize topics that many in the community wish to discuss but lack the knowledge or confidence to broach.

Despite the event’s name, she adds, all genders are encouraged to attend.

Along with listening to sex specialists discuss their areas of expertise, attendees can anonymously submit questions. Communication, says Edwards, is a common topic. “People want to know how to share what we’re teaching with their kids and how to communicate what we’re teaching to their partners.”

Another recurring theme is humiliation. “A lot of people want to know about overcoming shame,” Edwards reveals. “Or they want to know how to help their partner work through issues that are rooted in shame.”

At the end of these events, says Edwards, she often gets the sense that the audience is feeling relieved. “I think the biggest thing that people need is the permission to talk about things and the permission to feel things. … So just having a space that reminds people that — ‘Oh, yeah, I’m not alone in this feeling’ — is incredibly beneficial.” X

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WELLNESS

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DATING GAME

Seeking connection in midlife and beyond Davis, a licensed professional counselor who often works with members of the LGBT community. “In addition to the loss, there can be a lot of anxiety about dating again, particularly in people who are older and have not dated in many years.”

In addition to anxiety about dating experienced by every age, gender and sexual inclination, there are challenges that are unique to people who are closing in on 50 and beyond. Within the smaller pool of available older singles, frequently there is less interest in end goals of marriage, cohabitation and children, having already been there and done that.

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When Pia Arrendell’s marriage of 24 years ended two years ago, the therapist had three confused and hurting teenage children and a lot of personal grief to process. Dating was not top of mind.

“Their father and I were sweet to each other; we held hands and were affectionate,” she says. “They knew we had gone to couples counseling, but they did not believe their family would break apart, so they were blown away. As teenagers, they were in that exploration process of creating their own romantic relationships. It was a bit of a train wreck.”

Arrendell purchased the family home.

For the first year post-split, she had primary custody of her children and a full private practice. “That’s kind of a natural blocker when it comes to dating,” she remembers with a laugh.

ARE THE KIDS ALL RIGHT? That’s an assessment offered frequently by people transitioning out of a partner relationship but with children still at home. Henry Watts, 67, recently retired from a career in large construction projects, divorced over 20 years ago when his daughter was just 14; due to his ex-wife’s ongoing struggles with untreated mental illness, he had full custody. “My daughter was going through enough at that time, and I didn’t want to bring anyone else into the picture,” he explains. “My priority was creating a healthy environment for her.”

Peter, who asked Xpress to use a pseudonym so he could speak freely, shared custody of his then-14-year-old son when his marriage of 14 years broke up four years ago. “I didn’t want another person around my son,” says the 53-yearold entrepreneur. “My ex felt the same, and we kind of had an agreement that we wouldn’t work someone else in or get into anything serious. Many things changed with our divorce — professionally as well since we had been in business together — and dating was not on the front burner.

Survival was at the top of my priority list.”

With or without children, dealing with the loss of a partner to divorce or death is an emotional roller coaster of grief, anger and anxiety, a struggle to reset course and regain control after becoming unmoored.

Rather than looking for a new partner, most people take a dating sabbatical to look inward, seek therapy or both.

BREAK TIME Cathy Sherman left north Florida and a 19-year marriage four years ago and moved to Asheville. “I had to work through my divorce and how the marriage ended,” says the 64-year-old contract corporate meeting planner. “What didn’t work? I did not want to repeat the mistakes I had made or find myself anywhere close to that same situation again. I didn’t trust myself to make healthy choices.”

“A divorce or breakup often inspires people to seek counseling,” says Eric J.

And then there’s the world of online dating that did not exist when a newly single 60-year-old was 30.

“It took a few years after my divorce before I felt ready to date again,” says Sherman, whose career requires frequent travel all over the country and the world, keeping her away for blocks of time. “It can be hard for me to meet people nearby, so I got online.

It was terrifying. You don’t know these people — you don’t know anything about them. They might lie about their career, age or status. You don’t even know if the photo is theirs. I was a lurker for a long time on one site, just looking without joining. Another that I tried that sought people nearby to wherever I was for work turned out to be more of a hookup site, and I was not into that. So that didn’t work out for me.”

Linda Newman, a licensed clinical social worker who frequently sees people experiencing significant personal transitions, recommends clients interested in online dating familiarize themselves with the different sites and their focus and demographic. “There are so many to choose from. I suggest people do their homework before jumping in,” she advises. “Are you looking for a meaningful connection, a deeper relationship or something simply sexual? Do you want to be on sites with people of the same background or age groups as you? Sites with people who are looking for similar things as you? Even then you can’t be sure. I say be open but cautious.”

“Loneliness can be pretty profound for elder LGBT folks,” Davis points out. “They’re more likely to be unmar-

know by the end of the call if I want to meet in person. If not, I’m done. If so, at the least we’ll go out and have some fun.

If it doesn’t work, it’s a lesson.”

THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY The technology did not scare off Watts; he just wasn’t interested. “I have no interest in the online dating thing,” he says. “Maybe it’s my age, but it just doesn’t appeal to me.”

He tried a speed-dating type of event, but once was enough to let him know that also wasn’t his jam. Instead, Watts relies on friends and acquaintances to introduce him to women they think might interest him. That has resulted in some enjoyable dates, though he has not gotten serious with anyone since he has been single.

Nor has Peter, who looks for Facebook events that appeal to him, has a house on a lake with a community there and is active with LEAF, all

of which engage him with like-minded people. “I’m kind of picky,” he admits.

“I raised kids for a long time, so I don’t want to date anyone with young kids. I am very fit and health-conscious, so I want that in the women I date. I like to play, go to festivals, go dancing, stay up late. I have a lot of energy and I tend to date women younger than me.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 30

MATTERS OF THE HEART: Linda Newman, a licensed clinical social worker, urges clients to consider what they want from online dating before picking a platform.

Photo courtesy of Newman ried, live alone and not have children.

Asheville is fairly LGBT-friendly as far as small, Southern towns go, but it’s still a small town. There’s not a big community numbers-wise. Many older LGBT folks are not comfortable going to bars, traditionally safe social spaces for gay and queer people. With the growth of internet options, the use of that or apps has increased, but the technology can be challenging or not appealing to them. It can be intimidating for anyone.”

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MAKE ME A MATCH But 48-year-old tech-friendly Arrendell wasn’t intimidated; once the custody arrangement with her ex changed to 50-50, and she had worked through post-break trauma, she was ready to jump into the dating pool again, starting with the internet. “I told myself I was going to have some fun, enjoy life and be a queen,” she recalls.

She signed up with Match.com, one of the oldest and most popular of dating sites.

“I was not really impressed with what was coming my way through Match,” she notes. “I wanted more control as far as communicating, so I went on Bumble, which requires women to make the first move. I’ve also done the Tinder dating app, and those have been some of my favorite dates.”

She has a screening system she uses before agreeing to meet face to face. “I have a lot going on, so I don’t want to waste my time on someone not worth it.

“I’ll text first, and we’ll text a little bit, and if I want to know more, I ask him to call me. If we can hold a conversation for 30 minutes or an hour, I’ll

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So does Watts, who while not seeking it, says he is typically introduced to women 10 or more years younger.

Which contributes to one of the biggest challenges facing women of a certain age: dating age-desirable men.

“Men I know or know of who are my age are not dating women our age,” says Sherman. “If they’re 65, they’re dating 55 and if they’re 55, they’re dating 45. I have a very busy career I have no intent of leaving. I am active and healthy and frankly, I don’t want to date a man 10 years older than me.

Dating at my age is challenging. I wish I could skip the dating and have someone whose company I enjoy that I could call and say, ‘Let’s go to dinner or come over for dinner’; sex and affection are nice, too. But I am very independent, I’d rather go to dinner alone than with someone who bores me. I don’t want to marry again. I don’t know if I could even live with anyone again.”

On that point, Sherman and Watts agree. “I have lots of friends and a full life,” Watts says. “I have no interest in marrying again. The longer I stay single, the more comfortable I am with it. I think older, longtime single people value their space. If you’re in a relation-

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ASHEVILLE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION CENTER: INTRODUCTORY SESSIONS • THURSDAYS, 6:307:30pm - Introductory session for Transcendental Meditation. Registration: 828-254-4350 or MeditationAsheville.org. Free.

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BEYOND THE BAR SCENE: Licensed professional counselor Eric J. Davis, shown with Scarlet (a frequent presence in his sessions with clients), says older LGBT folks can struggle to connect with prospective partners in Asheville due to the small size of the community. Photo courtesy of Davis ship, and one of you has an apartment downtown and one has a house in West Asheville, that sounds pretty perfect to me.” X

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GREEN SCENE ROUND-UP

by Daniel Walton | dwalton@mountainx.com

Asheville declares climate emergency On Jan. 28, the city of Asheville became the first municipality in the state to formally recognize climate change as an emergency. A resolution passed by a 6-0 vote of Asheville City Council — member Sheneika Smith was absent — commits to “an equitable and just citywide mobilization effort to reverse global warming” and sets 2030 as a target date for eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions within city limits.

“The loss of life and damage caused by current global warming demonstrates that the Earth is already too hot for safety,” the document states.

“Restoring a safe and stable climate requires an emergency climate mobilization on a scale not seen since World War II.” Although the resolution allocates no new money toward achieving these goals, it does mandate multiple new city planning initiatives. Council members promise to discuss funding for climate action at their annual retreat on Friday, Feb. 14. An initial public input session will be held in May, all new capital projects must provide a sustainability impact statement starting in July, and a new Climate Justice Plan will be developed by December.

The wording of the resolution had been a point of contention for months between the city and activist groups such as the Sunrise Movement, which had argued that previous proposals lacked adequate accountability and timeline measures. In a Jan. 26 email to Xpress, Sunrise representatives said they felt “pride and hope” regarding the final version.

“This is certainly a time for celebration, after many months of hard work, but the hardest work is yet to come,” Sunrise representatives wrote on Facebook following the vote. “We look forward to next steps and bringing many voices to the table to inform this process, as that’s the only way to ensure an equitable transition.”

es of climate change, spokesperson Heather Danenhower said the company’s carbon reduction goals were in line with that target.

“As we continue toward 2050, we’ll be advocating for innovation and new technologies. By 2050, that could mean new nuclear technologies, longer-lasting storage or carbon capture for gas plants,” Danenhower added.

Some scenarios in the U.N. report, she pointed out, include natural gas as part of a 2050 energy portfolio, “assuming carbon capture and storage, or some new technology, is capturing CO2 emissions from gas.”

2020 solar rebates snapped up in record time EARTH CRIES OUT: Costumed protesters at the Dec. 6 Asheville Climate Strike called for city leaders to declare a climate emergency. City Council passed a resolution to that effect on Jan. 28. Photo by Daniel Walton

Duke switches Arden plant from coal to gas As of 4 p.m. Jan. 29, Western North Carolina is cooking with gas. According to a press release from Duke Energy, the company has officially shut down its coal-fired power plant in Arden and brought online two new natural-gaspowered units on the same site.

At its full capacity, the new facility will produce 560 megawatts of power, a more than 60% increase from the previous 344 MW coal plant, which became operational in 1964. As Xpress reported in November 2018, Duke officials also project the new units will generate 60% less carbon emissions per megawatthour compared to the coal plant.

Alongside its $893 million investment in the gas facility, Duke has allocated $120 million for renewable energy in WNC, which spokesper-

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son Randy Wheeless says will likely be spent within the next five years.

Projects include a solar plant of up to 10 MW at the Arden facility, which could be completed by 2023, and a 4 MW solar microgrid in Hot Springs.

The new gas plant is scheduled to operate for roughly 35 years, which would place its retirement in 2055.

Asked about Duke’s continued reliance on natural gas in light of a 2018 United Nations report that concluded global carbon emissions must reach net zero by 2050 to avoid the worst consequenc-

Indicating continued high demand for clean power, the entirety of Duke Energy’s over $11 million residential and commercial solar rebate program for 2020 was claimed within 20 minutes of becoming available on Jan. 2.

According to Charlotte-based radio station WFAE, rebate capacity took a couple of weeks to allocate in 2018 but just two days in 2019. The program reimburses homeowners up to $6,000 toward the cost of solar installation.

Wheeless says roughly 1,600 rebates will be awarded this year, with approximately 1,400 customers on the waiting list. The company has also guaranteed rebates for up to 200 customers whose applications were lost due to technical glitches on the morning of the program’s rollout. Those who experienced difficulties submitting their

LET IT FLOW: Warren Wilson College is returning nearly 11,500 linear feet of streams to their natural course in an effort to restore wildlife habitat and improve water quality. Photo courtesy of Warren Wilson

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Asheville WNC Ag Center June 26, 27 & 28, 2020 828-388-7400 • info@sahae.org SAHAE.ORG TOAST TO THE PLANET: Attendees raise their glasses at last year’s Brew Horizons Beer Fest, which this year will serve as a fundraiser for the Blue Horizons Project. Photo courtesy of Asheville GreenWorks applications are encouraged to email ncsolarrebate@duke-energy.com.

services to support the BRPF’s Trails & Views Forever Fund.

Hopeful happenings

Save the date

• By the end of February, Warren Wilson College plans to complete work on re-meandering nearly 11,500 linear feet of the school’s streams. The project, which also includes planting roughly 25,000 trees, aims to reduce sediment load in the Swannanoa River and improve wildlife habitat.

• Gov. Roy Cooper joined Asheville GreenWorks on Jan. 20 for the nonprofit’s MLK Service Day. The governor and nearly 140 other volunteers cleaned up roadsides in Asheville’s East End/Valley Street neighborhood.

• Nica Rabinowitz, a fiber artist formerly based in New York City, relocated her Fiberhouse Collective to Oakley in January. The project promotes ethical and sustainable fashion through public workshops and private classes, with a focus on farm-to-fabric sourcing.

• The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was named a 2020 Stand Up Partner

by Asheville-based marketing firms Darby Communications and Status Forward. Together, the two companies will donate 100 hours of pro bono

• At 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, the Sierra Club of Western North Carolina will present “Preserving a Picturesque America” at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Guest speaker Scott Varn will share how modern artists and writers are reinterpreting nature-focused art from the late 1800s.

• The Brew Horizons Beer Fest, a benefit for the Asheville-based Blue Horizons Project community clean energy campaign, returns to Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2-6 p.m. Attendees can enjoy unlimited beverage samples from regional breweries and cideries alongside live music and sustainability education. More information at brewhorizonsbeerfest.com.

• The Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC host the sixth annual Get in Gear Fest at Asheville’s Salvage Station on Saturday, March 21, 12-5 p.m. The free event features outdoor demos, equipment sales, live music and a raffle benefiting The Pisgah Conservancy. X MOUNTAINX.COM

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FOOD

BARS WITHOUT BOOZE Kava and kratom culture takes root in WNC

BY COURTNEY GARCIA cgarcia1@unca.edu Keely Flow left Florida with her partner, Andrew Procyk, in 2010 to open Vanuatu Kava Bar (now rebranded as Sovereign Kava Bar), Western North Carolina’s first kava and kratom bar, in downtown Asheville. Since then, a community has emerged around these two nonalcoholic substances in North Carolina’s beer capital.

“Between all of the tourists, the interesting locals and the overall culture in Asheville, we thought it would be a great new market and audience for our herbal refuge,” Flow says.

The bar’s two featured herbs, kratom and kava, have been used for centuries for ceremonial and recreational purposes by cultures around

the world. But in the past 20 years, the U.S. and other Western countries have adopted the two plants as natural ways to alleviate anxiety and depression, help treat opiate addiction and serve as an alternative to alcohol.

Kava is a root beverage from the South Pacific used traditionally in ceremonies to bring a state of relaxation.

It has a bitter, earthy and, overall, not-very-pleasant taste, says Flow. “It’s meant to be drunk fast with chasers like pineapple or orange juice in between servings.”

Kratom, an herb native to Southeast Asia, is often sold alongside kava in the U.S. and, like kava, has been embraced by some as a tool for overcoming opioid addiction, Flow says, noting that at low doses, it mimics a stimulant, and at high doses, it has sedative properties.

Traditionally, fresh kratom leaf was chewed to improve productivity and fight fatigue. But in the U.S., it’s often sold in gas stations or smoke shops as a powder or extract. Sovereign Kava employees brew and serve kratom as a tea, both unsweetened and sweetened.

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Since opening, Flow’s bar has reinvented itself a few times. In 2012, it moved from its original location on South Lexington Avenue to Eagle Street and eventually changed its name to Noble Kava. In 2015, it briefly moved to Haywood Road in West Asheville, then migrated in 2017 to its current location on Biltmore Avenue. In the past year, it has rebranded itself as Sovereign Kava.

There are about 100 kava bars in the U.S., according to kava product and information website Kalm with Kava.

Having broken ground on the concept in WNC a decade ago, Sovereign Kava is today the only kava bar in Asheville.

Vintage Kava, which opened briefly in West Asheville in 2017 and now operates in Weaverville, is its only nearby competitor, and Flow says she considers the business a friendly neighbor with an overlapping customer base.

“Even as far back as our property on South Lexington, we’ve had a really great audience,” Flow says. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”

Chris Conzone, 21, started frequenting Sovereign Kava and regularly drinking kratom when she moved to

are ex-alcoholics or people who are recovering and still want a social scene,” he says, noting that kava and kratom are less inebriating and therefore safer than alcohol. “You’re able to actually have real, interesting and even meaningful conversations with the people around you.”

Although the kava and kratom scene will never rival the beer industry, he says, Sovereign’s roster of regular events — including live music, pingpong tournaments, hiphop nights and more — holds its own against those of local brewery taprooms. “Especially on certain nights,” he adds, referring to Sovereign Kava’s long-running Wednesday open mic night, voted Western North Carolina’s favorite open mic in the Mountain Xpress Best of WNC 2019.

Flow says that regardless of why people come to the bar, many end up returning for the connections they made there. “I think initially people who come here are curiosity seekers who are looking for a deeper interest in something or have an intrepid sensibility,” she says. “It’s for people who are interested in finding a change of consciousness that is natural and trustworthy.”

BAD RAP?

Series COMMUNITY COCKTAIL: A tightknit community has formed around kava and kratom in Asheville, says Sovereign Kava Bar employee Lon Springer, pictured.

“You have a family of people that you can lean on or ask for help and support,” he says. Photo by Courtney Garcia Asheville in late 2017. She appreciates the bar’s laid-back atmosphere.

“There’s no alcohol, but that also means there’s no drunk people doing dumb stuff,” she says.

But people are drawn to kava bars for many reasons. “A lot of the people who come here are just looking for a space to fit in,” she says. “But you also get people who are addicted to a substance, who come here like they would go to a regular bar, to get their fill.”

Lon Springer, 35, a network technician and part-time bartender at Sovereign Kava, has been drinking kratom for over 10 years and kava for the past six years. “Many customers

But, while kava is not a controlled substance in the U.S., kratom often gets a bad rap due to its dependency-forming properties, and its legal status has been in limbo in recent years. In 2016, both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the North Carolina government announced their intent to temporarily classify the two main ingredients in kratom as a Schedule I drug, defined as a substance with no currently accepted medical purpose and a high likelihood of abuse.

After widespread backlash from the public, both the DEA and the state overturned their decisions, and North Carolina has now set an age restriction of 18. But as Springer points out, although an age limit was imposed for its purchase and use, no other guidelines were put in place.

“Like anything else in the supplement industry, kratom is not regulated. You don’t know what you’re getting,” he says.

In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a study claiming that 22 of the 25 most prevalent compounds in kratom share structural similarities with controlled analgesics. An FDA report from September 2019 says the agency is “actively evaluating all available sci-

entific information on this issue and continues to warn consumers not to use any products labeled as containing the botanical substance kratom or its psychoactive compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.”

“Kratom has 40-some alkaloids, and two of these alkaloids are near the same alkaloids that are in morphine, which is the mother of all opiates,” explains Jay Cannon, who works in outreach and business development at Mountainview Recovery, a full-service detox and treatment center for substance abuse in Asheville. “So some people can take it to cure their cravings, and some people get addicted to it.”

Jordan Elkins, an outreach coordinator at Mountainview Recovery, says that although kratom does help relieve withdrawal symptoms, there is no substantial clinical research determining whether kratom is a safe and effective alternative to opioid addiction.

“When someone reports heavy use of kratom to us, it’s often because they’re trying to kick opiates,” he says. “They use it to manage detox symptoms.”

Elkin says both kratom and kava can provide addicts with an option that isn’t as detrimental to their health

as other substances. “I do see people who want to quit using, but they are physically withdrawing, so they go to kratom,” says Elkins. “And it’s a lot safer alternative for sure.”

In 2019, the American Kratom Association proposed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which can be implemented by individual states to regulate kratom manufacturing, sales and usage, as well as putting forth good and ethical practices. The proposed legislation is pending in North Carolina.

Springer argues that making kratom illegal would plunge many users into withdrawal, forcing them to find more dangerous alternatives. “Sure, some may get clean from all substances,” he says. “But a larger percentage will be put at risk for overdosing.”

As kratom’s legal fate is decided, Springer asserts, kava and kratom bars that uphold high quality standards will continue to be safe havens for their tightknit communities of customers. “Once you start coming for a while, it’s like you’re automatically inducted into that [community],” he says. “You have a family of people that you can lean on or ask for help and support.” X

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In recent years, herbalist Melissa Fryar has experienced an influx of people coming to her with the same problem: low libido. “It’s a normal part of life,” says the health and body care manager at French Broad Food Co-op.

“We live in a stressful world.”

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Fryar plans to help individuals and couples alike reclaim their sexual desires with her latest apothecary skills workshop, Bow Chicka Wow Wow. The event takes place Thursday, Feb. 6, 6-8 p.m.

Tickets are a suggested $10 donation.

The course will include an in-depth conversation about foods and herbs that nourish the loins. Participants will also make a damiana- and cacao-infused love butter and a chocolate rose love syrup. The former, says Fryar, can be used as a lubricant or nipple cream; the latter is an ideal aphrodisiac.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t really have a venue to talk about healthy sexuality,” says Fryar, noting that her upcoming class is an opportunity to do so. The event is also a chance for individuals to place intentional emphasis on their sexuality as part of their overall health care.

“We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about making booby balms to rub on our partners,” Fryar points out. “My hope is that it kind of becomes the normal self-care routine — inspiring love and juiciness.”

Bow Chicka Wow Wow runs 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 6, at French Broad Food Co-op, 90 Biltmore Ave. Tickets are a suggested $10 donation. Preregistration is required. To sign up, visit avl.mx/6vn.

Asheville Truffle Experience The Asheville Truffle Experience returns Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9, featuring a number of educational sessions, tastings, a wine pairing dinner, culinary demonstrations and a visit to the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville. Speakers include Tom Michaels, Susi Gott Séguret, Brian Upchurch, Ben Jarrett and Shawn Schwartz. Participating chefs include William Dissen of The Market Place Restaurant and Peter Crockett of Isa’s Bistro. Package deals are available with prices ranging from $195-$590; individual event tickets are also available with prices in the $25-$150 range.

The Asheville Truffle Experience runs Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9, at Haywood Park Hotel, 1 Battery Park Ave., and other locations. To purchase tickets and for a detailed list of events, visit avl.mx/prty.

Oyster roasts In Hendersonville, Burntshirt Vineyards will host an oyster roast

and wine pairing on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-5 p.m. Cheese and crackers, vegetables and boiled peanuts will also be served. The event will feature live music by Ben Phantom. Tickets are $20 for club members and $25 for the public. Meanwhile, Nantahala Brewing – Sylva, NC Outpost will also host an oyster roast on Saturday, Feb. 8. The all-you-can-eat event runs 4-10 p.m.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $25 day of the event. Beer, wine and cocktails will be available for purchase during the roast.

Burntshirt Vineyards is at 2695 Sugarloaf Road, Hendersonville. For tickets, visit avl.mx/6vi. Nantahala Brewing – Sylva, NC Outpost is at 5 Grindstaff Cove, Sylva. For tickets, visit avl.mx/6vj.

Cajun Cook-off The Asheville Mardi Gras, a volunteer-based, community arts and culture group, hosts its annual Cajun Cook-off at Salvage Station on Sunday, Feb. 9. Professional and amateur chefs will compete in this year’s event, with winners to be selected by a panel of three local celebrity judges as well as attendees. Participating restaurants include Nine Mile, Bebettes Beignets & Coffee, Biscuit Head, Capella on 9, Futo Buta, Haywood Common, Oyster

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Zydeco Ya Ya will perform during the competition. The cook-off also doubles as a food drive benefiting MANNA FoodBank; attendees who bring canned goods will be eligible to win door prizes. Tickets are $10 for AMG members, $20 for nonmembers and $30 for membership/admission combo. Tickets include samples of the competing dishes.

The cook-off runs noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive. For tickets, visit avl.mx/6vl.

Cooking basics class Green Opportunities will offer a free, three-week cooking basics class, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11, to be led by chef Karla Castillo. Participants are invited to attend all six classes or select specific topics of interest from among the courses, which include knife skills (Feb. 11); searing, sauté and stir fry (Feb. 13); stocks and soups (Feb. 18); sauces and condiments (Feb. 20); pasta, starches and grains (Feb. 25) and plantbased cooking (Feb. 27).

Classes will run 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 11-27, at Green Opportunities, 133 Livingston

St. To sign up, contact Jake Flannick at jflannick@greenopportunities.org.

OF

D E E P R E L A X AT I O N

Sandy Mush Community Center Food Pantry Sandy Mush Community Center Food Pantry recently received $1,000 from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation. According to a press release, the food pantry serves an average of 50 households and 170 individuals each month. The money will go toward the organization’s healthy food initiative.

To learn more, visit avl.mx/6vm.

Oyster champions Marco Gaspar of The Lobster Trap opened 57 oysters in three minutes, taking first place at the recent Low Country Oyster Festival in Charleston, S.C. Fellow Ashevillean Kat Hundertmark of Creekside Taphouse finished in second place with 54 oysters. This is Gaspar’s seventh time winning the contest. According to a press release, this year’s competition was dedicated to Asheville resident William “Bill” Drake, who died last year. X

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amarshall@mountainx.com The most difficult part of stripping in front of an audience isn’t necessarily the disrobing. “I rarely see people who are afraid to get naked onstage,” says local burlesque performer and emcee Queen April. The anxiety, instead, is because “people are afraid of being judged on their art.”

Nudity “is my brand, and that’s how I advertise in a society that says you shouldn’t look at women’s bodies, even though [everyone] wants to,” she says.

“It’s a tricky thing to navigate nowadays. … People want to look. People want to support and encourage. But people can also still be that guy who’s shaming a sex worker.”

In the age of anti-harassment movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp, the role of the burlesque performer — one already complex due to the juxtaposition of political material and sexuality intrinsic to the art form — has become more complicated. Consent is both a buzzword and, increasingly, a modus operandi. Performers are empowered to draw clear boundaries but also need audience buy-in to the bawdy shows. This is an age of reckoning with past and present harm (not only to women but also to men, children and nonbinary people). Trauma is sometimes exacerbated by sexual topics. This is also a time for the collective navigation of how to move forward without doing more harm — while, at the same time, not losing our senses of humor or appreciation of fringe art.

“All boats are rising as the audience has become more consent-conscious,” says performer and producer Lauren “Madame Onça” O’Leary. The former Ashevillean creates the annual Americana, Burlesque & Sideshow Fest held at The Orange Peel and other local venues. Artists she’s spoken to (including belly dancers, who often work in restaurants around a clientele likely less familiar with theater conduct) say that because showgoers are being schooled culturally on what consent is, performers feel more respected.

At the same time, viewers are afraid of crossing lines, says April. “Now you really have to hammer it home with people: ‘You have my consent to catcall me.’” Her role as an emcee affords her a platform to inform the audience that it’s OK to “do whatever needs to be done at a burlesque show,” but crossing certain

Series

Burlesque in the age of #MeToo

lines — such as touching an artist — always requires permission from that performer.

The idea of consent goes both ways, Onça explains. “Many years ago, when ABSFest was probably in its third year, vaudeville and old-timey circuit performance was very handsy. To go into the audience and sit in someone’s lap while you sing a song was considered great showmanship.

Now … you can imagine the cultural co nv er sation — the audience assuming they also have the right to decide.”

By years four or five of ABSFest (the May 22-24 shows will mark the festival’s 14th iteration), Onça says there was a palpable shift in the audience “where you don’t ever make anybody do anything just because it would make the show better. To get them to do the thing they didn’t want to do would be worse for the message of the show.”

Onça’s longtime focus as a producer has been “putting work that’s fringe onstage … work with a story to tell.” And, while the current social and political climate may affect the telling, it’s also opened up the dialogue. Along with people’s individual stories of victimization, overcoming adversity and the reestablishment of self-

esteem, “We’re seeing artists onstage working out issues of the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation … a painful conversation we need to have on every level of society.

[And also] issues of gender identity — something you would not have seen in the same way 15 years ago.”

L o c a l performer Seraphina Syren adds, “The form grows more and more toward open-mindedness because you do have all the forms of portraying yourself.” Along with increased visibility for nonbinary entertainers, she mentions genres such as boylesque ( b u r lesque p e r formed by maleidentifying artists), nerdlesque and horror burlesque. But, despite the array of possibilities for selfexpression, “There are people, even in the feminist movement, who will judge you because you’re showing your body and owning your sexuality. They will always see that as something we’re doing for male gratification or anybody’s gratification rather than our own.”

Seraphina, who considers herself a nontraditional performer (she grew up dancing but didn’t take burlesque classes), formed her troupe, Black Garter Revue, a little more than a

HOT TOPIC: Thanks to former troupes such as The Rebelles and current artists such as Queen April, pictured, Asheville’s burlesque culture of the past 15 years has been boundary-pushing and politically charged. “I’ve always felt like it’s important to use this platform for good,” says Madame Onça, producer of the Americana, Burlesque & Sideshow Fest. “This is social justice wrapped up as a party.” Photo by Hannah Combs

year ago. She says the craft is inherently body-positive. “It’s not just a form of art for the male gaze,” she explains. “Here, in [Asheville], we have positive reception. … We’ve done a little bit of traveling, and as long as you stay to metro areas, it’s fine.” Seraphina adds that the bar scene brings its own set of potential hassles, but the often all-womenidentified troupes are able to create safety in numbers for each other.

Some venues, too, are rethinking their approach to entertainment in the wake of #MeToo. Some performers report challenges with booking burlesque shows that spotlight issues of boundaries, sexuality and what insurance policies are willing to cover.

But most of the challenge still lies in the space where the personal meets both the public and the political. In Seraphina’s experience, there’s a process of compartmentalizing emotional issues and self-doubts in order to get into performer mode. “You’re telling a story with almost every performance,” she says. But, “you don’t always feel sexy just because you’re onstage. Sometimes you’re balancing the reclaiming of ‘Yes, my body is sexy,’ with [using] your body as a

canvas for the story. [A performer] isn’t necessarily up there to be sexual, even if they are naked.”

She adds, “A lot of us are using this as therapy.”

Onça — who underscores the point that #MeToo and #TimesUp also address abuses suffered by maleidentifying people — says that in this new paradigm, “we’re having to embrace the discomfort of figuring out how we can be better humans, given the systems we’ve inherited.”

Addressing that shift, in all its awkwardness, sadness, rage and potential transformation, is important to Onça as a producer. “I’ve always felt like it’s important to use this platform for good,” she says.

“This is social justice wrapped up as a party. … Asheville is ready to hear that. No ever complains and says, ‘There was too much message.’”

She adds that in the wake of #MeToo, “We’re all uncertain what the new rules are and will be because they’ll continue to shift. [But] more is gained than is lost.”

Learn more about the performers in this story at queen-april.com, facebook.com/blackgarterrevue and absfest.com. X

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A&E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

POWER HOUR In the music business, there’s something known as the “difficult second album.” Some call it a sophomore slump, arising from the idea that the artist has his or her entire life to write songs for the first record, and then mere months to craft material for a follow-up. It’s the rare artist who sidesteps this curse. Guitarist, singer and songwriter AJ Haynes of Seratones believes she has done so with Power, the latest release from her soul-rock group. Seratones play The Mothlight on Sunday, Feb. 9.

“I honestly feel like this is my first album,” she says. According to the musician, 2016’s Get Gone was “very much an experimental kind of thing: ‘How can I be a ribbon of sound around all this really, really heavy stuff?’”

For the new album, Haynes also placed a much greater emphasis on lyrics, exploring her own narrative.

“The first album is just me infatuated with the occult history of rock ’n’ roll, playing around with archetypes,” she says. “Power is more introspective, more from my story.”

The music business expects a new release from an artist every 18-24 months or so. But fans of Seratones’ debut had to wait more than three years for a follow-up album. Haynes doesn’t see a problem. “The ‘industry standard’ is such an unstable, arbitrary concept,” she believes. “Everyone agrees to it, but no one knows quite why. And it’s done at the expense of the musician’s mental health and welfare.”

Haynes emphasizes that she and her bandmates took just the right amount of time needed to make Power: “I don’t feel like the time was too long; it felt just right.” She thinks that the push to do things on a strict timetable is point-

40

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

Seratones combine introspection and soul-rock

GOTTA GET TO KNOW YA: On its second album, soul-rock group Seratones explores lyrical themes of importance to guitarist, singer and songwriter AJ Haynes, center. The band plays The Mothlight on Feb. 9. Photo by Dylan Glasgow Guice

MOUNTAINX.COM

less “not only in the music industry but in this very Western/American mindset [where] we’re racing toward something,” she says. “But what is it?”

With Power, Haynes has taken the time to dig into themes that intrigue her. While it’s not a concept album, the record’s lyrics do center on some core ideas. “It’s about questioning power dynamics,” she explains. “Oftentimes, we associate power with force or aggression, but I don’t feel like I’ve experienced that kind of power in my life.”

She says that the power she has felt can be described as “both soft and loud, both

inviting and a threat. And we can have all of this together. We live in a world constructed by these binaries and power struggles that seem wildly unnecessary.

They’re detrimental to our welfare.”

And although Seratones’ latest album is hopeful and forward-looking in that regard, for inspiration, the group continues to consider the past. “For the first album, I was thinking of what can be done,” Haynes says. “With Power, I was looking at what has been done.” She cites the collaborative nature — both in terms of songwriting and musicianship — that characterizes the best music

from the Motown scene of the 1960s and ’70s. Haynes drew from that approach by working with people outside her group.

“Really digging into the collaborative process, I learned how a song touched by different hands becomes this really cool thing,” Haynes says.

“It doesn’t detract from its uniqueness.” For Power, that meant collaborating with producer Brad Shultz and songwriters Austin Jenkins, Lewis Pesacov and Daniel Tashian. She says that she learned from their different perspectives but still held true to her personal lyrical narrative.

Haynes believes that spending time in Los Angeles fired her up creatively, as well. “I hate to [connect] inspiration to geography,” she says, but she is convinced that the city has something special. Though Pablo Neruda was referring to San Francisco Beat poets when he used the phrase, Haynes says that LA has what the writer described as “wide-open poetry.”

But Haynes still has strong roots in her native Shreveport, La.; Seratones came up in that city’s fertile music scene. She believes that being out of the national spotlight while developing was key to the group honing its craft. “There’s an openness where no one is looking at us,” she explains. “What are we doing here?

Who cares? Let’s just see, instead of being places to be seen.” X

WHO Seratones WHERE The Mothlight 701 Haywood Road themothlight.com WHEN Sunday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. $12 advance/$15 day of show

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

PRACTICAL MAGIC Despite the hopes pinned upon it, this year got off to a bumpy start.

U.S. tensions with Iran, raging wildfires in Australia and earthquakes in Puerto Rico dominated the news. In times like these, “I have to believe we’re going to win because we have no other option but to win and radically change everything that’s going on right now,” says Sarah Lyons, author of Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide to Magical Activism. “If being backed up against the wall makes you fight harder, then that’s my mood going into 2020.”

The author will present her book and give a lecture at Asheville Raven & Crone on Friday, Feb. 7.

While Lyons points out that witchcraft is, indeed, having a moment (#altarsofinstagram is a thing; witchrelated T-shirts are all over Etsy and Cafe Press and any number of similar sites). But instead of penning a book on the history of the practice or its spells and rituals, Lyons decided to focus on political action. “I think there are a lot of people right now who want to get involved politically and don’t really know how, and there are also a lot of people who want to be more involved in witchcraft and magic and don’t really know how, either,” she says. Books about witchcraft and feminism “tend to stop at a surface, pop-culture level. … I don’t think that encompasses the entirety of the power of the witch or the power of magic.”

So Lyons set out to write a guidebook that would allow readers to examine how politics and magic are more closely aligned than many realize “because both are about how we reckon with and imagine power in our world,” she says.

The book, a slim and personable volume, includes sections on contemporary revolutionary history (including the 2016-17 Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock and the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle) and magic in action (connecting with ancestors, making sigils), as well some introductory spellwork and practices, such as meditation and using the wheel of the year.

There are also practical techniques, such as power mapping, which Lyons learned as an organizer in New York City. “The second I heard of it, I thought it was a deeply magical thing because politics manifests itself in the physical but it, itself, is not physical,” she says. The technique helps activists

Author Sara Lyons brings ‘Revolutionary Witchcraft’ to Asheville

TOOLS OF THE RESISTANCE: Activists can use magic to engage with any struggle, says author Sarah Lyons. Historically, witchcraft “has been tied to environmental issues and to issues of gender and sexuality that it makes strong bedfellows with those issues.” Author photo courtesy of Lyons “figure out the ways [a] problem is manifesting, who has the power to fix it, and what power we have to use to accomplish our goals,” Lyons explains in her book.

The writer developed a skill for explaining this and other complex ideas because “until recently it was still a very weird thing to tell people you were a witch or believed in magic,” she says.

“For most of my life I had to have a catalog of reasonable explanations for why I believe what I believe — a history lesson and a physics lesson waiting to go.”

Lyons was called to magic and witchcraft as a young person but didn’t realize until she was a teen that it could be a practice. As for championing causes, her mother was a politician, and Lyons was active in high school and college.

The 2016 election followed soon after she graduated “and was a wake-up call for a lot of people that we were entering a different paradigm,” she says. “There was a crazy confluence of events where I was fired from a job I hated and an hour later got a call to go to Standing

Rock to help out.” She’s also been an organizer with the Democratic Socialists of America in New York for the past several years.

In Revolutionary Witchcraft, Lyons encourages the confluence of magic and political activism on many levels but also takes a decidedly nonconsumerist stand, reminding readers that “capitalism gets its power from alienation while witchcraft gets its power from relationships.” She tells Xpress, “It’s important to remember that witchcraft is a DIY practice.”

At the same time, the writer does note that, unlike many other spiritual or civic groups, witches don’t have community centers and tend to gather around stores selling magical products and hosting witch- and pagan-related events — such as Asheville Raven & Crone. Lyons says she discovered the local shop on a previous trip to Asheville. “I really loved it and I wanted to come back,” she says. “When I was putting together this book tour, I wanted to go to places that felt like home-awayfrom-home, and Asheville felt like the perfect place.” X

WHO Sarah Lyons presents Revolutionary Witchcraft WHERE Asheville Raven & Crone 555 Merrimon Ave. ashevilleravenandcrone.com WHEN Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Let us make your evening special with our 2 course, sumptuous meal options Call to reserve your table! ====== 47 Biltmore Ave. Downtown Asheville ====== 828.254.2502 | THEBLACKBIRDRESTURANT.COM MOUNTAINX.COM

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by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Shane Mauss One of a few people in the world who can claim the title of “comedian, science podcaster and psychedelic advocate,” Shane Mauss heads to Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium on Thursday, Feb. 6, for a pair of shows. At 6:30 p.m., “Stand Up Science” includes some of Mauss’ “brainiest stand-up,” plus insights with UNC Asheville assistant professor of biology Dr. Graham Reynolds. Then, at 9 p.m., “Head Talks” finds Mauss riffing on the history of psychedelics, followed by a presentation from anthropologist Sophia Rokhlin, who’ll discuss the global spread of ayahuasca and her book When Plants Dream. Both sessions conclude with informative and humorous Q&A sessions. $15 general admission/$20 reserved seating for “Stand Up Science”; $20 general admission/$25 reserved seating for “Head Talks”; $30 general admission/$35 reserved seating for both shows. avl.mx/6vk.

Photo by Bruce Smith

Peace I Am An African Caribbean from London who now calls Asheville home, Omileye “Omi” Achikeobi-Lewis is an author, trauma-focused counselor and national SEED Diversity trainer. In her years of teaching mindfulness to children and getting them interested in yoga, she struggled to find a variety of pictures featuring African American youngsters being peaceful and meditating — so she decided to create her own. Though not a trained painter, Achikeobi-Lewis used her then 8-year-old daughter, Omo, as her inspiration and went on to make 18 works to bridge that gap.

The result is the exhibition Peace I Am, which opens Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at THE BLOCK off Biltmore. Omi and Omo will serve as hosts, and Kid’sYoga teacher/counselor Katie Hadden will lead a Yography adventure for children and adults, involving “mythical stories, mindful games, art and lessons for life.” $5 for the event. theblockoffbiltmore.com. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Asheville Opry Back by popular demand, after successful editions last June and October, The Asheville Opry continues to honor classic country tunes, spanning the years from World War II to Watergate.

Developed by Red Rover Booking founder (and Xpress movie critic) Melissa Myers and inspired by WNCW’s “Country Gold” radio program, the latest iteration takes place Sunday, Feb. 9, at Isis Music Hall and features performances by local groups Devils in Dust, Rebecca and the Reckoning and Tim McWilliams of Redleg Husky.

They’ll pay tribute to such legends as Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton and Hank Williams. Returning for hosting duties is Asheville-based musician Lo Wolf, whose sense of humor has come to define these events as much as the musical acts. The showcase begins at 7:30 p.m. $18 advance/$20 day of show. isisasheville.com. Photo of Rebecca O’Quinn (Rebecca and the Reckoning)

by Steve Tweed

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Dustbowl Revival Not into the Academy Awards? The Grey Eagle is here to serve the film-averse with an assist from Dustbowl Revival on Sunday, Feb. 9. Described as a “California roots orchestra,” the L.A.-based sextet came together 12 years ago, thanks to a Craigslist ad, and is hitting the road in support of the group’s latest album, Is It You, Is It Me. Released on Jan. 31, the 13 tracks were recorded over the course of two weeks with producer Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive; Josh Ritter), during which each band member performed on multiple instruments, resulting in the group’s most polished collection to date. North Carolina native Seth Walker gets the night started at 8 with a set of original electric blues tunes. $15 advance/$18 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo by Shervin Lainez

A & E CALENDAR VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS ART A TRUE LIKENESS • TU (2/11), 7pm - A True Likeness: The Black South of Photographer Richard Samuel Roberts, exhibit sponsored by the Friends of the Weaverville Library. Free.

Held at Weaverville Library, 41 N. Main St. Weaverville ORIGAMI BOX VALENTINE SA (2/8), 1-4pm - Origami Box, create and decorate four origami paper boxes. $33/$28 members. Held at Haywood County Arts Council, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville

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SECOND SATURDAY FOLKMOOT MARKET • 2nd SATURDAYS, 6-9pm - Second Saturday Market featuring vendors, live music, dance lessons, food and beverages.

Free to attend/$10-$15 for dinner/$5 per dance lesson. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville VALENTINE MAKING CRAFT NIGHT TU (2/11), 6:309:30pm - Make Valentines, some supplies available. Free. Held at Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St.

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ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS 7TH ANNUAL SECONDS SALE • Through FR (2/28) - Local artists, seconds sale in a variety of media. Free to attend.

Held at Woolworth Walk, 25 Haywood St. FIRST FRIDAY ART WALKS • 1st FRIDAYS, 5-8pm - Downtown Asheville First Friday Art Walks with more than 25 galleries within a half mile radius of historic downtown Asheville.

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Free to attend. Held at Downtown Asheville RIVER ARTS DISTRICT SECOND SATURDAY • 2nd SATURDAYS, 11am-4:30pm - River Arts District gallery walks and open studios featuring more than 200 artists. Information: riverartsdistrict.com.

Free to attend/Free trolley. Held at River Arts District SECOND SATURDAY CELEBRATIONS • 2nd SATURDAYS, 11am-5pm - Second Saturday Celebration, event with food, music and artist demonstrations. Free to attend.

Held at Odyssey Cooperative Art Gallery, 238 Clingman Ave. VALENTINE’S FLEA MARKET SU (2/9), 5-8pm - Local artists selling Valentine gifts. Free to attend. Held at Ole Shakey's, 790 Riverside Drive

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FAMILY DANCE PARTY • SU (2/9), 3-5pm Proceeds from the Family Dance Party benefit Garden Education at Asheville Primary School.

Admission by donation.

Held at The Mothlight, 701 Haywood Road FLAMENCO CLASSES • MONDAYS, 7pm Flamenco for adults at all levels. Information: 786-327-9548. $15/class or $45/month. Held at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State St., Black Mountain HARVEST HOUSE 205 Kenilworth Road, 828-350-2051 • TUESDAYS, 7:30-9:30pm - International folk dancing, dances from around the world. No partner needed.

Info: 828-645-1543. Free.

• WEDNESDAYS, noon-2pm - Intermediate/ advanced contemporary line dancing. $10.

MONDAY NIGHT CONTRA DANCE • MONDAYS, 7:3010:30pm - Community

contra dance. $7. Held at The Center for Art and Spirit at St. George's Episcopal Church, 1 School Road WESTERN STYLE SQUARE DANCE LESSONS • TU (2/11), 7-9pm Southern Lights Square and Round Dance Club offers Western Style Square dance lessons.

Free. Held at Salvation Army Gym, 239 3rd Ave. E., Hendersonville

MUSIC ACAPELLA - SINGING VALENTINE (PD.) Help out Cupid this Valentines Day! Quartet brings singing Valentines to your home, business, or restaurant. Order at www.ashevillebarbershop. com/singing-valentines 866.290.7269 AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS SOUND SHOP (PD.) Wednesdays 6pm. Billy Zanski teaches a fun

approach to connecting with your inner rhythm.

Drop-ins welcome. • Drums provided. $15/class.

(828) 768-2826. www. skinnybeatsdrums.com

CAROLINA KID

AARON PRICE AND GEORGE BAZLEY

CHOPIN PROJECT • MO (2/10), 7:30pm - An Evening of Chopin: Rarities & Favorites Pianist Renana Gutman. $35. Held at First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St.

• SA (2/8), 7-9pm - A night of original musical by local artists Aaron Price and George Bazley. Free. Held at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain ASHEVILLE DRUM CIRCLE • FRIDAYS, 6-9:50pm Asheville outdoor drum circle. Free. Held at Pritchard Park, 4 College St. BANA HAFFAR AND THIRD COAST PERCUSSION • TH (2/13), 7pm - Bana Haffar and Third Coast Percussion present Shed. $15/$10 members. Held at Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St.

• SA (2/8), 7pm - Carolina Kid Bridging The Gap Tour. $37.50-$202.50. Held at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville, 87 Haywood St.

FIRST THURSDAY OLD-TIME AND BLUEGRASS JAM • TH (2/6), 7pm - First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam presents Frogtown. Free. Held at Homebase College Ministry, 82 Central Drive, Cullowhee FISK JUBILEE SINGERS • MO (2/13), 7pm - Fisk Jubilee Singers are an a cappella ensemble

performing AfricanAmerican spirituals. Free.

Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee JANICE BALLARD & FRIENDS • FR (2/7), 7pm - Janice Ballard & Friends, concert on organ and piano.

Admission by donation.

Held at First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N. Main St., Weaverville

CHORAL FESTIVAL • FR (2/7) & SA (2/8) - The 72nd J. Elwood Roberts/ Mars Hill University Choral Festival features choirs from 100+ NC schools. The concluding concert is at 3pm in Moore Auditorium.

Free. Held at Mars Hill University, 265 Cascade St., Mars Hill CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY • 2nd SUNDAYS, 1pm - Classical Guitar Society meeting followed by a potluck and musician's jam.

Free to attend. Held at Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Drive

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART • Until MO (3/9), 5:30pm - 2D artists interested in joining the gallery complete documents and deliver original works. ashevillegallery-of-art. com Held at Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave.

DANCE LEARN HOW TO DANCE! BALLROOM, SWING, TWO-STEP & MORE (PD.) Enjoy learning with a Certified Instructor.

Contact Richard: 828-333-0715, naturalrichard@ mac.com, www.Danceforlife. dance.

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A& E CA LEN DA R LOVE GONE WRONG • TU (2/11), 7pm - Irene Moser, Appalachian scholar and old-time musician tells stories and sings songs of murder and unfaithful loves based on mountain folk tales. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa LUDWIGVANIVERSARY PIANO RECITAL #1 • FR (2/7), 8pm - Piano Recital: Nikolai Lugansky.

by Deborah Robertson

$40/$15 children. Held at Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St.

tions: 828-254-1114. Free to attend. Held at Cork & Keg, 86 Patton Ave.

PIMPS OF POMPE • SU (2/9), 3-6pm - Pimps of Pompe provide a fresh take on familiar favorites.

Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101

SAMBAS & SERENADES • SU (2/9), 3pm - Pan Harmonia's Sambas & Serenades with Kate Steinbeck flute and Amy Brucksch guitar. $25 at the door/$20/$5 students 26 and under. Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood St., Waynesville

PUBSING • SU (12/8), 3-5pm - Gospel jam & sing-along. Ques-

SUN STUDIES • WE (2/5), 8pm - Sun Studies includes Reid Johnson, Andy Herod and Joshua Carpenter, acoustic folkrock. Free. Held at Historic Cotton Mill Studios, 122 Riverside Drive .

Fri. & Sat.: 8pm, Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $35. Held at Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock

THE MUSIC OF QUEEN • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS, (2/13) until (2/23) - The Music of Queen, legendary rock tribute. Thurs.: 7:30pm,

PRESIDENTS’ DAY POETRY: TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN FATHERPRESIDENTS’ DAY POETRY: TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN FATHER (PD.) Reading by Lee Stockdale, whose father, Grant, was JFK’s close friend, Ambassador to Ireland, and committed suicide 10 days after the assassination. 17 February, 8:00 pm, The BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 S. Market St., Asheville FREE

Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • SA (2/8), 3pm - West Asheville Book Club: The Island of Sea Women

by Lisa See. Free. Held at West Asheville Public Library, 942 Haywood Road • TU (1/11), 1pm - Leicester Book Club: The End of Your Life Book Club

by Will Schwalbe. Free.

Held at Big Sandy Mush Community Center, 19 School Rd, Leicester • TU (2/11), 7pm - Librarian Led Book Club discusses We Were Eight Years in Power by TaNehisi Coates. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

BOOKS & BITES • TH (2/6), 11am - Proceeds from Books & Bites with Diane Chamberlain and her new book, Big Lies in a Small Town, benefits Mountains Branch Library. $25. Held at Lake Lure Inn and Spa, 2771 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club.

Free.

• 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers' Guild.

Free.

BRIAN LEE KNOPP PRESENTS 'MAYHEM IN MAYBERRY' • SA (2/8), 3pm - Brian Lee Knopp presents his book, Mayhem in Mayberry: Misadventures of a P.I. in Southern Appalachia.

Free to attend. Held at City Lights Bookstore, 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva

JASMINE BROWN PRESENTS 'THE MONEY CLUB' • SA (2/8), 1-3pm Jasmine Brown presents her book, The Money Club: A Teenage Guide to Financial Literacy. Free to attend. Held at Barnes and Noble Booksellers Biltmore Park, Biltmore Park Town Square, 33 Town Square Blvd., #100

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD

BROTHERS LIKE THESE • SU (2/9), 2pm - Brothers Like These: Short story readings by Vietnam veterans sharing their stories and healing journeys. Refreshments. $20. Held at Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (2/5), 3pm - Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TU (2/6), 1pm - Creative writing group for adults who want to write children's books, with writing exercises and group discussions. Welcome to bring 500 words of original writing to share.

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MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • WE (2/5), 6pm - Phoebe Kilby and Betty Kilby-Baldwin discuss the collection, Slavery's Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation. Free to attend.

• WE (2/5), 7pm - A discussion of The Leavers

by Lisa Ko. Free to attend.

• TH (2/6), 6pm - Monette Chilson presents Original Resistance: Reclaiming Lilith, Reclaiming Ourselves.

Free to attend.

• TH (2/6), 7pm - Crime and Politics Book Club is reading Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas by Jane Mayer.

Free to attend.

• MO (2/10), 6pm - Aleah Wicks presents Fat Dog

Farm: Tails of Farm Failures. Free to attend.

• MO (2/10), 7pm - Mystery Book Club discusses Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. Free to attend.

• TU (2/11), noon - Discussion Bound Book Club is reading the anthology African American Arts: Activism, Aesthetics, and Futurity. Free to attend.

• TU (2/11), 6pm - David Zucchino presents Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy. Free to attend.

• WE (2/12), 6pm - Wendi Gratz presents How to Embroider Almost Everything: A Sourcebook of 500+ Modern Motifs & Easy Stitch Tutorials. Free to attend.

• TH (2/13), 6pm - Jenn Shapland presents My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir, in conversation with Erica Abrams Locklear. Free to attend.

NC STATE POETRY CONTEST • Until MO (2/24) - The annual NC State Poetry Contest is a literary competition open to all NC residents. Registration: avl.mx/6vw. Free.

NC WRITERS’ NETWORK OPEN MIC • TH (2/6), 6-7:30pm - NC Writers’ Network Open Mic: Poetry, Prose, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction. Free.

Held at The BLOCK off biltmore, 39 S. Market St. NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS • THURSDAYS, noon1pm - General meeting.

Information: 828-3294190. Free to attend. Held at Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road THOMAS WOLFE SHORT STORY • TH (2/13), 5:30-7pm - A local educator leads the club in discussion of a pre-selected short story

by Thomas Wolfe. Free.

Held at Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 N. Market St. TRUE HOME OPEN MIC NIGHT • THURSDAYS, 6:30-8:30pm - Singers, speakers or readers, signups start at 6pm. Free to attend. Held at Flood

Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain

THEATER 'GOODNIGHT, TROUBLEMAKER' • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS, (2/13) until (2/22), 7:30pm - Goodnight, Troublemaker, Voltaire as time traveller. $15. Held at BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St. ‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’ • FRIDAY through SUNDAY, (2/7) until (2/9) - Gruesome Playground Injuries, darkly humorous drama. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm, Sun.: 2pm. $13. Held at Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville ‘THE FANTASTICKS’ • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS, (2/7) until (3/1) - The Fantasticks, romcom musical. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm, Sun.: 2:30pm. $26-$30. Held at Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St. THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-2399250 • FR (2/7), 8pm - Deb au Nare presents Funny & Bare, burlesque and comedy. Tickets: avl.mx/6vt. $30.

• SA (2/8), 7:30pm - Standup comic and storyteller Cameron Davis presents his one-person show, Lying to Strangers. $15.

‘VIRTUALLY IN LOVE’ • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (2/9) - Virtually in Love, drama. Fri. & Sat.: 7pm, Sun.: 3pm. $18/$12 student/$6 under 12. Held at Brevard Little Theatre, 55 E. Jordan St., Brevard ‘WARRIORS’ • TH (2/6) & FR (2/7), 10am & Noon - Warriors, civil rights history. Recommended grates 6-12. $10.

Held at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave.

CLUBLAND

GUIDING LIGHT: Contemporary Christian performer and Grammy award-winning artist Le’Andria Johnson joins R&B singer and former New York Mets baseball player Todd Dulaney for a gospel showcase in Asheville. Johnson was the Season 3 winner of the BET reality competition show “Sunday’s Best.” The duo aims to connect young worshippers and older generations through praise music. Their Bridging the Gap show starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville. $37.50-$202.50. harrahscherokeecenterasheville.com.

Photo courtesy of Johnson

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM 185 KING STREET NC Songsmiths, John Trufant, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis, (African folk music), 8:00PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Karaoke w/ Kari - Okay, 9:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesday, 6:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING CO. FBVMA Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Lauren Anderson & Meg Williams, 7:00PM

THE GOLDEN FLEECE Scots-Baroque ChamberFolk w/ the Tune Shepherds, 7:00PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Monthly Monster Maker, Exquisite Corpse, 6:30PM Weird Wednesday Jam, 9:00PM

THE GREY EAGLE Tinsley Ellis (Album Release Show), 8:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM

ARTSPACE CHARTER SCHOOL A Vampire in Asheville, 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Latin Dance Night w/ DJ Oscar (Bachatta, Merengue, Salsa), 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Open Mic Showcase, 6:30PM

ORANGE PEEL ZOSO : The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, 9:00PM

FUNKATORIUM Grass at the Funk feat. the Saylor Brothers, 6:30PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Acoustic Wednesdays, 6:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE HempYEAH! Hempy Valentine’s Day Meetup: Hemp & Your Heart, (speakers, music, treats), 6:00PM( THE CASUAL PINT ‘The Office’ themed Trivia Night 7:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Live Music Wednesdays, 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Black Mountain Jazz Collective (trio edition), 7:30PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ryan Perry Acoustic Set, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest, (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM

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CLU B LA N D AMBROSE WEST 49 Winchester w/ Brothers Gillespie, 8:00PM ARTSPACE CHARTER SCHOOL A Vampire in Asheville, 6:00PM

WED 2 / 5 7PM– AN EVENING WITH LAUREN ANDERSON & MEG WILLIAMS

T HU 2 /6 7PM– JOSH CHRISTINA BAND

8:30PM– THE BAREFOOT MOVEMENT RISE & FLY TOUR

F RI 2 / 7 7PM– AN EVENING WITH GOLDENOAK

SAT 2 / 8

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Josh Christina Band, 7:00PM The Barefoot Movement Rise & Fly Tour, 8:30PM LAZOOM ROOM Comedy Clubhouse at LaZoom, 7:30PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray and the Space Cooties, 7:00PM

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Vinyl Night Free Tastings, 7:00PM

BROWN MOUNTAIN BOTTLEWORKS NC Songsmiths: John Trufant, 7:30PM

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE Original Resistance: Workshop & BookSigning, 6:00PM

CAROLINA MUSIC MUSEUM Bella Nova Strings, 7:30PM

ODDITORIUM Party Foul Drag Circus, 8:00PM

CROW & QUILL Big Dawg Slingshots (western swing), 10:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10:00PM

FLEETWOOD'S Colfax Speed Queen, Harriers of Discord, 9:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL 1st Thursday's feat.

Jointkiller Brass Band, 5:00PM Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:00PM Bob Marley Birthday Bash w/ Chalwa & Rockstone Radio, 9:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic at the Flood, 12:00AM FUNKATORIUM Shane Mauss and Sophia Rokhlin: Head Talks, 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Lenny Pettinelli, 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: One World Family Band Jam, 9:00PM PULP Slice Comedy Open Mic feat Julio Ortiz, 9:00AM PACK'S TAVERN Jessie Barry & Jeff Anders w/ guest Steve Moseley, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Ben Phantom at Pillar Rooftop Bar, 7:00PM POLANCO RESTAURANT Pop Up DJ Dinners w/ DJ Phantome Pantone Collective, 10:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Noah Proudfoot, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Human Ladder, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Please "Come Again?" at the Speak Easy Story Slam!, 7:00PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Grateful Dead Night w/ members of Ton of Hay & Phuncle Sam, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Open Mic, 6:00PM

THE CASUAL PINT Xtreme Music Bingo, 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Gracie Lane (Album Release Show) at The Grey Eagle, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Andre Cholmondeley & Friends 55th Birthday Show, 7:30PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Live Music Thursdays, 9:00PM Pimps of Pompe (Gypsy jazz hip-hop), 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Tim McWilliams, 9:00PM TRISKELION BREWERY Open Irish Jam hosted

by Cornell Sanderson, 6:30PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Acoustic Karaoke, 10:00PM WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TheatreWorksUSA: Warriors, 10:00AM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 185 KING STREET Cary Morin, 8:00PM

7PM– AN INTIMATE EVENING OF BLUES WITH ELI COOK 8:30PM– UNSPOKEN TRADITION & WEST KING STRING BAND

SUN 2 / 9 6PM– JAZZVILLE “THE LOOK OF LOVE”

7:30PM– THE ASHEVILLE OPRY: DEVILS IN DUST, REBECCA & THE RECKONING, TIM MCWILLIAMS

T UE 2 /11 TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS: KRISTY COX

WED 2 /12 7PM– MY NEW FAVORITES: APPALACHIAN INFUSED HONKY-TONK

T HU 2 /13 7PM– DANA AND SUSAN ROBINSON

F RI 2 /14 7PM– O’CONNER LEE 8:30PM– KAT WILLIAMS “A SPELL ON YOU”

BUBBLE & OYSTER THURSDAYS

ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM BRUNCH 10-2 SUNDAY ONLY

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WED

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5 WALNUT WINE BAR UniHorn, (brass funk), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Vaden Landers, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Vince Junior Band: Soulful Blues, 8:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays feat. members of Phuncle Sam (acoustic), 5:00PM Blockhead, Arms and Sleepers & il:lo, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Ryan Roots, 9:00PM

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Armadilla & Stereo League, 9:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Record Prophets, 6:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Perpetual Groove featuring The Grunge Years (set), 9:00PM

BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE Virtually in Love, 7:30PM

PACK'S TAVERN DJ RexxStep (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM

CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH LudwigVaniversary Piano Recital #1, 8:00PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Fwuit!, 7:00PM

CORK & KEG Dennis Stroughmatt & The Creole Stomp, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Posey Royale (swing jazz & hot jazz), 9:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Tears for the Dying, Cold Choir, Nomadic War Machine, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY First Friday Dance Party, 8:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 GoldenOak, 7:00PM LAZOOM ROOM LaZoom Comedy: Andrew George, 8:00PM MAD CO BREWING Banjo Mitch, 6:00PM NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Szlachetka, 5:30PM

SALVAGE STATION Ethan Heller and The Gremlinz, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Progressive Alliance Postcard Parties, 4:30PM Blue Ridge Pistols, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE KirbyBright: Cloud That I'm On Release Party, 8:00PM SOVEREIGN KAVA The Zealots, 9:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS 2 Slices, Hug, Computerscience, 9:00PM THE BARRELHOUSE Clair Brockway, 7:00PM THE CASUAL PINT Vinyl Night, 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE AJJ w/ TacoCat & Emperor X, 8:00PM THE MAGNETIC THEATRE Love is in the Air! Comedy and Burlesque, 8:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Friday After Work Concert Series, 5:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Casey's Movie Trivia, 8:00PM

THIS WEEK AT AVL MUSIC HALL & THE ONE STOP!!!

ODDITORIUM Blue Mountain Mischief presents: Hip-Hop at The Odditorium, 8:00PM

Bob Marly Birthday Bash

TOWN PUMP Father is Lost, 9:00PM URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE De' Rumba, 9:30PM WILD WING CAFE New South Rising, 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH A Social Function, 9:00PM WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TheatreWorksUSA: Warriors, 12:00PM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 185 KING STREET Vince Herman & Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon, 9:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Jesse Barry & The Jam, (blues, funk), 9:00PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Moniker, Fantømex, Shutterings, Invasion Boys, 8:00PM AMBROSE WEST Treehouse & Audic Empire w/ Bubba Love, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Dance Party w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Virginia and the Slims, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Brown Eyed Women w/ Sparkling Clover, 9:00PM BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS BILTMORE PARK The Money Club: A Teenage Guide to Financial Literacy, Book Signing, 1:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Tim McWilliams Trio, 6:00PM BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY The Maggie Valley Band, 9:00PM BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE Virtually in Love, 7:30PM CONUNDRUM SPEAKEASY & INTRIQUE LOUNGE Lucas Dauphinais, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Soul Blue: Keepin' It Classic, 8:30PM

THU

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8

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9

WILLIAM CLARK GREEN + FLATLAND CAVALRY

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DANIEL DONATO

FRI

14

W/ KENNY FREEMAN

DUSTBOWL REVIVAL

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14

W/ SETH WALKER

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ASHEVILLE SKATE FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER, 6PM

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W/ TACOCAT, EMPEROR X

DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS

WED

12

W/ JON CHARLES DWYER

FRI

7

TUE

11

W/ TAYLOR MCCALL

TONY MACALPINE, 7PM W/ CHRIS SCHIERMANN

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

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CROW & QUILL Joseph Herbst Quartet (swing jazz), 9:00PM FLEETWOOD'S A Night of Epic Distortions (punk/pysch showcase), 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Aaron 'Woody' Wood & the Lovedrugs, 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Eli Cook (blues), 7:00PM Unspoken Tradition & West King String Band, 8:30PM LAZOOM ROOM 80's Prom Dance Party, 8:00PM

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ODDITORIUM Krosis (metal), 8:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Barrio LatinX, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Paul I Tosh Reggae Rebels, 9:00PM

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PURPLE ONION CAFE Lonesome Road Band, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Davy Knowles, 8:00PM

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MARK O’CONNOR BAND

ORANGE PEEL Calexico and Iron & Wine, 8:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Groove Shakers, (rock & party tunes), 9:30PM

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LOCAL THURSDAY SHUFFLE - 10pm

Free Dead Friday - 5pm

SUN

Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia - 6:30pm

FRI

disclaimer comedy - 9:30pm

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Tuesday Early Jam - 8PM Tuesday Night Funk Jam - 10PM Electrosoul Session - 11:30PM

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TUE

2/13 - Moon Hooch w/ paris_monster • 2/14 - Official Umphrey’s Afterparty w/ Umphrey’s Strikes Brass • 2/15 - lespecial • 2/20 - Wednesday Night Titans • 2/21 - Dr. Bacon w/ The Freeway Jubilee • 2/22 - The Digs & Friends (80s, 90s, 00s) World Famous Bluegrass Brunch - 10:30am-3pm Shakedown Sundays - 4pm-7pm MOUNTAINX.COM

@AVLMusicHall @OneStopAVL FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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Local

CUPID IS STUPID: The Kiss My Axe Bus tour is a comedic ride through downtown Asheville, with special character pop-ups followed by a trip to Axeville Throwing Club. Musical serenades by The Lousy Lovers (Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats) will wrap up the evening. Champagne and light hors d’oeuvres are included in the ticket price. The Anti-Valentine’s Day rolling show has seatings at 6 and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13. $69. lazoomtours.com. Photo courtesy of LaZoom Tours

TAVERN Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 15 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

LIVE M R A COV USIC , E V NE ER CHARGE!

THU. 2/6 Jesse Barry & Jeff Anders

SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Modern Strangers, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Winter Luau 2020, 9:00PM

THE CASUAL PINT Iggy Radio, 7:00PM THE GREY EAGLE William Clark Green & Flatland Cavalry w/ Kenny Freeman, 9:00PM

SOVEREIGN KAVA Jason DeCristafario, 9:00PM

THE MAGNETIC THEATRE Love is in the Air! Comedy and Burlesque, 7:30PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE CommUNITY Salsa at THE BLOCK off biltmore, 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Modelface Comedy Presents: Bobcat Goldthwait & Dana Gould, 7:00PM

THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Bridging the Gap Tour w/ Le'Andria Johnson & Todd Dulaney, 7:00PM TOWN PUMP Lunchbox Junkies, 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE Karaoke, 9:30PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Free Flow Band, 9:00PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Underhill Rose, (country soul), 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues, 4:00PM BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Pimps of Pompe Sundays (Gypsy jazz hip-hop), 3:00PM

(acoustic rock)

FRI. 2/7 DJ RexxStep

(dance hits, pop)

SAT. 2/8 Groove Shakers (rock & party tunes)

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com 48

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

celebrating 25 Years!

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Bluegrass & Brunch, 11:00AM BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE Virtually in Love, 3:00PM CORK & KEG Cajun Dance Party w/ Blake Miller, Amelia Biere & David Greely, 5:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Kinky Komedy Night at Fleetwood's, 8:00PM FUNKATORIUM Gary "Macfiddle" Mackey (bluegrass), 1:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 2:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Jazzville “The Look of Love”, 6:00PM The Asheville Opry, 7:30PM LITTLE JUMBO Pimps of Pompe Sundays (Gypsy jazz hip-hop), 7:00PM ODDITORIUM DIY XXX Valentine’s Day cards!, 4:20PM Handsome Devils Puppets w/ Toybox Theatre, 8:00PM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

27 CLUB Monday Mayhem Karaoke, 9:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR CaroMia, Mary Ellen Davis, Amanda Platt (folk), 7:00PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Monday Movie Night, 8:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam, 12:00AM ASHEVILLE CLUB Improv & Sketch Show, 7:30PM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ASHEVILLE The Chopin Project Concert Series: “Chasing Chopin” featuring pianist Renana Gutman, 7:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Nerdy Talk Trivia, 6:00PM ODDITORIUM Risqué Monday Burlesque Hosted by Deb Au Nare, 8:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Valentines Flea Market & Valentine Making, 5:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Open Mic, 8:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL World Famous Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Jazz Jam, 12:00AM

ORANGE PEEL To Puerto Rico w/ Love, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Cajun Cook-off Presented By Asheville Mardi Gras w/ music

by Zydeco Ya Ya, 12:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Open Mic w/ Mike Andersen, 6:30PM THE CASUAL PINT Valentine's Cookie Decorating Class, 5:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Family Dance Party, 3:00PM Seratones w/ Downtown Abby & The Echoes, 8:30PM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE Bob Sinclair & the Big Deals, 7:00PM

UPCOMING SHOWS:

185 KING STREET Karaoke Night, 7:30PM

SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Open Mic Night w/ It Takes All Kinds, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Ambiguous Roots, 9:00PM THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Walter Parks w/ special guests Nave & Jagoda 7:30PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys, 8-10 (hot jazz), 8:00PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Open Mic & Live Podcast, 8:00PM

49 WINCHESTER

SHOW 8PM

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH @ SOUTH SLOPE

FEB 8

FEB TREEHOUSE! W/ AUDIC EMPIRE AND BUBBA LOVE 8

FEB 14

90’S

VALENTINE’S DANCE PARTY

GEORGE AND TAMMY’S FOREVER VALENTINE

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W/ TALL TALL TREES

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2/9

BLUE RIDGE BICYCLE CLUB MEET-UP LIVE MUSIC w/ Iggy Radio VALENTINE COOKIE DECORATING CLASS w/ 3Eggs Cakery

$4 select drafts, BOGO 1/2 all food

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2/11

GENERAL TRIVIA

1/2 off food for service industry workers

THE SCIENCE OF MALTS presented by Brent Manning of Riverbend Malts

$2 off 16oz pours and wine

35 rotating taps

@CasualPintAsheville 1863 Hendersonville Rd MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

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Dance Hall / Live Music COMMUNITY BAR Green / Vegan Event Space

ARCHETYPE BREWING Tango Class & Milonga Dance w/ Mary Morgan, Eric Knoche & Stanley Dankoski, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE CLUB BluesDay Tuesday w/ Mr. Jimmy, 6:00PM

FREE Parking on Eagle/Charlotte Streets 39 S. Market St. • 254-9277

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Tacos & Trivia, 4:00PM HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Turntable Tuesdays hosted by VTT, 10:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions: Kristy Cox, 7:30PM LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Asheville Synth Club, 7:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Django Reinhardt Gypsy Jazz Jam, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY

MAD CO BREWING NC Songsmiths: Spalding McIntosh, 6:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 11:00PM

US Cornhole League at Highland Brewing, 6:00PM

ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy, 8:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Early Jam, 8:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Jack Pearson's Comedy Cosmos (stand-up), 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: FLOW, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Rhoda & The Risers, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Team Trivia Tuesdays at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Valentine Making Craft Night w/ Wifey, 6:30PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Open Jam w/ Chris Cooper & Friends (sign up at 6:30PM), 8:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE The Trivia Factory, 7:30PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Robert's Twin Leaf Trivia, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 6:45PM Open Mic, 8:45PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM

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BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY Karaoke w/ Sarge's, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Running of the Winos Cajun Dance Party, 7:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Jeremy & The Clones, 9:00PM FUNKATORIUM Grass at the Funk feat. the Saylor Brothers, 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesday, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 My New Favorites (Appalachian infused honky-tonk), 7:00PM ODDITORIUM Community Pool (rock), 8:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Latin Dance Night w/ DJ Oscar (Bachatta, Merengue, Salsa), 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. FBVMA Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Weird Wednesday Jam, 9:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert, 8:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Timelost, Via, Secret Shame, Crooked Ghost, 9:00PM THE CASUAL PINT Paint for a Cure, 6:30PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis, (African folk music), 8:00PM

THE GOLDEN FLEECE Scots-Baroque Chamber-Folk w/ the Tune Shepherds, 7:00PM

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Karaoke w/ Kari - Okay, 9:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Live Music Wednesdays, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Open Mic Showcase, 6:30PM

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH David Matters Acoustic, 8:30PM

MOVIE REVIEWS

Hosted by the Asheville Movie Guys HHHHH

= MAX RATING

EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com

BRUCE STEELE bcsteele@gmail.com

H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Weathering with You HHHHS

DIRECTOR: Makoto Shinkai PLAYERS: The voices of Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Shun Oguri ANIMATED/JAPANESE RATED PG-13 Weathering with You adds to writer/ director Makoto Shinkai’s impressive resume. The animation is so visually striking that it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether the images are hand-drawn or computerized. In particular, the way the rain falls and interacts with the environment is creative and original — important details in a film about extreme, persistent precipitation and one young woman’s supernatural ability to carve out hours of sunlight.

But even with these visual delights, Weathering with You isn’t primarily an aesthetic piece such as Mamoru Oshii’s gorgeous Angel’s Egg (1985) or Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989).

Instead, the film’s well-written characters, along with a story that’s easy to understand and invest in, make it a more powerful experience overall, and a more universal one.

The film’s central conceit of a kid running away from home to start a new life seems a bit tired, but Weathering with You makes it work, thanks to the sympathetic travails 16-year-old Hodaka goes through to attain something resembling stability.

His story is further strengthened once

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

he crosses paths with Hina. Given the nickname “The Child of Weather,” she attempts to use her power to stop Tokyo’s continuous rain while also working odd jobs and caring for her younger brother Nagi. Side characters in the film are similarly captivating, and add to the story’s emotional richness.

The bulk of Weathering with You involves Hodaka, Hina and Nagi coming up with creative schemes to make money from Hina’s ability to control the weather, meanwhile confronting how she got her power and the gift’s effect on her.

Trying to ascertain her power’s source becomes harder once law enforcement

Cameron Allison

gets involved, resulting in a series of tense situations and harrowing images rarely seen in animation.

The film’s deep contemplations on the value of human lives likewise make it distinct, as does Shinkai’s emphasis on the weather itself — a commentary on climate crisis as well as a reflection of the characters’ emotions. Making the weather a character (arguably the film’s most complex one) is a challenge that pays off in the end.

The film’s original score by Japanese rock band RADWIMPS is among the best from 2019, potentially even topping Hiroyuki Sawano’s work on Promare.

The compositions, both instrumental and lyrical, run the gamut of the characters’ emotions, from love and excitement to despair and turmoil. While rockers aren’t typically known for diverse anime scores, there have been a few artists to break that rule — particularly in the series “Demon Slayer” (LiSA) and Fooly Cooly (The Pillows). The contributions by RADWIMPS, who also scored Shinkai’s last film, Your Name (2016), solidifies Weathering with You’s greatness.

Starts Feb. 7 at the Fine Arts Theatre

Josh Kristina McCormack Guckenberger

The term “style over substance” is overused in critical circles, especially when it comes to arthouse genre films. But for works such as Mandy or even last year’s Midsommar, the style is the substance and elevates a simple narrative into something nightmarishly transcendent.

The same can’t quite be said for Gretel & Hansel. With its strange narrative turns that vary from interesting to baffling, all leading to an ending that’s disappointingly generic, this dark retelling of the classic fairy tale is most certainly style over substance — but wow, that style!

Starring Sophia Lillis (It) as Gretel and newcomer Samuel Leakey as her younger brother, Hansel, the film dives deeper into the events that led the titular children into the woods in the original tale. It’s this element of the film that’s the weakest, painting a world around

REVIEWED BY CAMERON ALLISON CAMERONRTALLISON@GMAIL.COM

Gretel & Hansel HHH DIRECTOR: Osgood Perkins PLAYERS: Sophia Lillis, Alice Krige, Jessica De Gouw HORROR RATED PG-13

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51

M OVIE RE V I EW S our two leads so cruel and frightening that it lessens the impact of the terror that they face at the hands of the evil witch (wonderfully played by Alice Krige). A psychotic mother, a killer in the woods and a loathsome brothel owner all play into the opening 20 or so minutes, and this barrage of over-the-top threats is out of step with the rest of the film’s refreshingly slow pace.

Writer Rob Hayes (whose credits include a few obscure short films and contributing “additional material” to some British TV comedies) also attempts to give this version of the tale a more feminist edge by focusing on Gretel’s transition to womanhood and the anxieties inherent with that milestone. It’s an interesting thematic concept to play with, and one that works well in the film’s second and third acts. Unfortunately, the film relies on narration to spell out some of the more obvious elements of the story.

The saving grace of Gretel & Hansel is director Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter) — son of Psycho’s Anthony Perkins — who proves to be one of the most stylistically adept filmmakers working in the horror genre. The film succeeds best when it diverts from the rather messy narrative and instead luxuriates in eerie atmosphere. Some hardcore horror fans might hate how the film opts for this more relaxed form of filmmaking as opposed to jump scares or endless amounts of gore, but I found it truly engrossing and genuinely frightening. Perkins makes the most of his claustrophobic 1.55:1 aspect ratio and fills the frame with disconcerting close-ups and gorgeous wide shots of malevolent silhouettes in a woods awash in a red, Argento-esque hue.

As strong as Perkins’ visuals are, the score by the great Robin Coudert (Maniac; Revenge) might be my favorite aspect of this film. As a sucker for horror soundtracks that are wall-to-wall elec-

tronic, I’ve already listened to Coudert’s latest musical creation — and it holds up strongly on its own.

Legendary Texas-based film critic, Joe Bob Briggs, often pans lesser horror films that allow plot to get in the way of the story — and that’s really the major problem with Gretel & Hansel. The movie is frontloaded with way too much exposition in the first act, and every time the film seems to find its meditative, stylish groove, it stops dead in its tracks for a pointless plot development. However, Perkins has still crafted one of the most visually stunning horror films this side of Midsommar and one that features sequences that certainly got under my skin.

REVIEWED BY JOSH MCCORMACK JMCCORMA@UNCA.EDU

Les Misérables HHH DIRECTOR: Ladj Ly PLAYERS: Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djebril Zonga CRIME/DRAMA RATED R In a year when François Ozon crafted the emotionally rich, fact-based By the Grace of God and Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire landed on numerous critics’ Best of 2019 lists, it’s baffling that France selected Les Misérables as the country’s contender — and eventual nominee — for the Best International Film at the Academy Awards.

Little more than a middling cover band version of Training Day, yet bereft of that film’s dramatic and cinematic richness, writer/director Ladj Ly’s film tracks freshly transferred Parisian police officer Stéphane (Damien Bonnard) throughout his first day on the job with shady colleagues Chris (Alexis Manenti) and Gwada (Djebril Zonga).

Clichéd power-abusing mistreatment of innocent bystanders and hazing of the new guy ensue, and the plot finally kicks into gear when the accidental shooting of a child is captured by a video camera drone, prompting more shady activity by the po-pos on the way to finding the drone’s pilot before the compromising footage leaks and/or gets into “the wrong hands.”

Though generally well-made in a handheld, docudrama sort of way and featuring bursts of excitement, Les Misérables clumsily weaves in spats between warring gangs on the cops’ beat and incomprehensibly rotten behavior by street urchin Issa (Issa Perica) that makes his character’s arc nearly impossible to care about.

The film also squanders the opportunity to end on an ambiguous note that intelligently humanizes its subjects, dragging on with one big action-packed finale that’s more endurance test than merited conclusion and undoes the character-based gains it has worked hard to establish.

Starts Feb. 7 at Grail Moviehouse REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

The Rhythm Section

Edwin Arnaudin

52

FEB. 5 - 11, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

filled activism (“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” and “Hurricane” have rarely sounded better) and clever trickery. (Be sure to fact-check the interviews.) It’s lingered in my mind more than any other film from 2019. Available on Netflix.

2. Under the Silver Lake — Criminally under-seen and wildly misunderstood, David Robert Mitchell’s Chinatown/ Big Lebowski-riffing ode to conspiracy theories is the year’s best looking, zaniest and most fun film — and features career-best work from Andrew Garfield.

Available on Amazon Prime Video.

3. The Two Popes — What seems like a stuffy papal biopic winds up being surprisingly fun and funny. Jonathan

STARTING FRIDAY Les Misérables (R) HHH Weathering with You (PG-13) HHHHS (Pick of the Week) JUST ANNOUNCED Birds of Prey (R) After ditching the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) joins Gotham superheroes Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save young Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from evil crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

HHH

CURRENTLY IN THEATERS

DIRECTOR: Reed Morano PLAYERS: Blake Lively, Jude Law, Sterling K. Brown ACTION/DRAMA RATED R

1917 (R) HHHHS 2020 Oscar-nominated Short Films: Animation (PG-13) HHHH 2020 Oscar-nominated Short Films: Documentary (R) HHHH 2020 Oscar-nominated Short Films: Live-action (R) HHH Bad Boys for Life (R) HH Dolittle (PG) HHHS Fantastic Fungi (NR) HHHH Ford v Ferrari (PG-13) HHHHS Frozen II (PG) HHS The Gentlemen (R) HHHH

In a make-or-break moment in The Rhythm Section, we watch a battered Blake Lively strip down to her underwear, with her bruised body and splintered spirit on full display, as she shakily wades into ice-cold Scottish waters. A

XPRESS REVIEWERS’ TOP 5 FILMS OF 2019: PART FIVE Other than the #1 pick below (also my overall favorite), my Top-5 list (2. The Irishman; 3. Jojo Rabbit; 4. Marriage Story; 5. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood) lacks surprising choices — plus the films are nicely championed on my colleagues’ lists.

So, to hopefully put some new titles on your radar, here are my Top 5 movies from 2019 not reviewed in Xpress and where you can find them: 1. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese — A magnificent illusion, this experimental music documentary/con-job combines some of the most enthralling Dylan concert footage committed to film with emotion-

stunning overhead shot looms as she painstakingly swims across the nearfreezing lake in order to appease the hellish demands of her mentor (played with fiercely good intensity by Jude Law) and prove to herself that she’s got what it takes to be an assassin. It’s a feat that feels a little bit contrived and far too merciless given her newly sober circumstances, but it is nonetheless transformative and resolute. This, my friends, is the ethos of the film — or, at least, that’s what it aims to be.

Lively stars as Stephanie Patrick, a mourning, fully self-destructing British

Pryce’s Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins’ Pope Benedict might be the year’s best duo, and the actors are welldeserving of their Oscar nominations.

Available on Netflix.

4. Love, Antosha — A charming bio-doc on the talented, kind and charismatic actor Anton Yelchin (Star Trek; Like Crazy), who tragically died in a freak 2016 accident at the age of 27. Available on VOD. 5. Her Smell — Elisabeth Moss is magnetic as a self-destructive, Courtney Lovelike rock star, while writer/director Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip) walks a remarkable tonal line between fascinating and annoying in his best film yet.

Available on Hulu and HBO NOW.

Gretel & Hansel (PG-13) HHH A Hidden Life (PG-13) HHHHS Jojo Rabbit (PG-13) HHHHH Joker (R) HHHS Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13) HHHS Just Mercy (PG-13) HHHHS Knives Out (PG-13) HHHHH The Last Full Measure (PG-13) HHHH Little Women (PG) HHHHH Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (R) HHHHS Parasite (R) HHHHH The Rhythm Section (R) HHH The Song of Names (PG-13) HHHS Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PG-13) HHHHS The Turning (PG-13) HH

woman who’s on the brink of total collapse. Drowning in the aftermath of her family’s tragic plane-crash death (a flight she was supposed to be on but failed to make), the guilt has all but consumed her. Hazy flashbacks of her once cozy, jovial family life flicker on screen in a sharp juxtaposition with her current dire situation. She has taken on a new persona — that of a heroin-addicted prostitute named Lisa — resigning to live a life as devastating and ruinous as her grief. When she learns from a rogue journalist that

her family’s demise was not accidental and was indeed part of a larger terrorist plot, she transforms from broken to badass — kind of.

Lively’s Stephanie is smeared in every possible way, shattered through and through, with no discernible trace of makeup, grooming or vanity in sight.

She sports a myriad of so-bad-they’regood wigs and disheveled, asexual clothing throughout the film in such a noticeable way that it paints the typically polished, glowing Lively in an entirely new (deeply dark) light. The willingness not

only to commit to Stephanie’s “ugliness,” but to focus on its jarring unfamiliarity is commendable given that Lively and cinematographer-turned-director Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) could have easily gone for a “dejected but still pretty” cop-out.

Instead, Stephanie’s every flaw (and Lively’s, by extension) is exposed and lingered upon in a way that grounds her character in a harsh reality that we’ve rarely, if ever, seen in female-driven films — and certainly not from this actress. Lively is

giving everything in this performance, both emotionally and physically, and it’s perhaps her best dramatic work (besides her deliciously wicked portrayal of Emily in A Simple Favor). Unfortunately, it isn’t quite enough to fully rescue this somewhat clumsy and confusing plot.

Read the full review at mountainx.com/movies/reviews REVIEWED BY KRISTINA GUCKENBERGER KRISTINA.GUCKENBERGER@GMAIL.COM

SCREEN SCENE

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com on April 7 and also features a brand new 4K master of the film. Reflecting on the opportunity, Thompson says, “The term ‘dream come true’ comes to mind.” menwithwingspress.com

KING’S SPEECH: David Oyelowo stars as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. There will be a screening of the film, followed by a community discussion with panelists, on Feb. 7 at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Asheville Parks & Recreation presents a screening of Selma on Friday, Feb. 7, 6-9 p.m., at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St. There will be a post-film community discussion hosted by Alexis “Leckie” Wardlaw and Elizabeth Lashay “Li*La” Garland of Asheville FM’s “Slay the Mic” radio show, with panelists including Dwight Mullen, Nicole Townsend, Stormey Harper and Maria Young. Light refreshments will be provided. Free. avl.mx/6vq

• Local film historian Frank Thompson reports on his Facebook page that on Thursday, Feb. 6, he and William Wellman Jr. will be recording the audio commentary for Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ forthcoming Blu-ray release of Beau Geste. The 1939 action/adventure stars Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston and is directed

by William Wellman Sr. (Wings; The Public Enemy; The Ox-Bow Incident), the subject of Thompson’s 2018 book, Nothing Sacred: The Cinema of William Wellman. The Blu-ray will be released

• Designed to allow viewers to use film as their window into the minds and culture of Israel, the monthly Israeli Film Series — a collaboration between Grail Moviehouse and the Asheville Jewish Community Center — continues Sunday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. with A Mirror for the Sun. The 2018 documentary profiles Tamar Ariel, the first Jewish Orthodox combat navigator for the Israeli Air Force. A discussion will follow the film. Tickets are $8 and available online or at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com X

FILM HIGHSMITH STUDENT UNION 1 University Heights, highsmithunion.unca.edu • WE (2/5), 7pm - One Child Nation, documentary. Free.

• TH (2/6), 7pm - A Suitable Girl, documentary.

Free.

• FR (2/7), 7pm - Beasts of No Nation, based on the

novel by Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala. Free.

‘KAREN KARNES: DON’T KNOW WE’LL SEE’ • TH (2/6), 7pm - Don’t Know, We’ll See: The Work of Karen Karnes, documentary. $8/free for members. Held at Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St.

'KINKY BOOTS' • SU (2/9), 3pm - Kinky Boots from London’s Theatre Royal. $15/$10 faculty, staff and seniors/$5 students. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee ‘PAN’S LABYRINTH’ • FR (2/7), 8pm - Pan’s Labyrinth, fantasy-drama directed by Guillermo del

Toro, 2006. Free. Held at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain ‘SUPPRESSED: THE FIGHT TO VOTE’ • FR (2/7), 7pm - Suppressed: The Fight to Vote, documentary.

Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): You now have the power to make connections that have not previously been possible. You can tap into an enhanced capacity to forge new alliances and strengthen your support system. I urge you to be on the lookout for a dynamic group effort you could join or a higher purpose you might align yourself with. If you’re sufficiently alert, you may even find an opportunity to weave your fortunes together with a dynamic group effort that’s in service to a higher purpose.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Victory won’t come to me unless I go to it,” wrote the poet Marianne Moore.

In other words, you must track down each victory you’re interested in. You must study its unique nature.

And then you must adjust yourself to its specifications. You can’t remain just the way you are, but must transform yourself so as to be in alignment with the responsibilities it demands of you. Can you pass these tests, Taurus? I believe you can. It’s time to prove it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): While at the peak of his powers as an author, Gemini-born Nobel Prize-winner Jean Paul Sartre consumed an array of mood-shifters every day. He quaffed at least a quart of alcohol, smoked two packs of cigarettes and drank copious amounts of coffee and tea. His intake of pills included 200 milligrams of amphetamines, 15 grams of aspirin and a handful of barbiturates. I propose that we make Sartre your anti-role model during the next four weeks, dear Gemini. According to my analysis of your astrological indicators, your ability to discover, attract and benefit from wonders and marvels will thrive to the degree that you forswear drugs and alcohol and artificial enhancements. And I’m pleased to inform you that there could be a flood of wonders and marvels.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I don’t think I’m boring.

How could I be? I have an abundant curiosity and I love to learn new things. I’ve worked at many different jobs, have read widely and enjoy interacting with a broad range of humans. Yet now and then I’ve had temporary relationships with people who regarded me as uninteresting. They didn’t see much of value in me. I tend to believe it was mostly their fault — they couldn’t see me for who I really am — but it may have also been the case that I lived down to their expectations. Their inclination to see me as unimportant influenced me to be dull. I bring this up, my fellow Cancerian, because now is an excellent time to remove yourself from situations where you have trouble being and feeling your true self.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Soprano Helen Traubel and tenor Lauritz Melchior performed together in many productions of Wagnerian operas, often at the Metropolitan in New York City. Friends and colleagues but not lovers, they had a playful relationship with each other. A favorite pastime was figuring out tricks they could try that would cause the other to break into inappropriate laughter while performing. According to my quirky reading of the astrological omens, Leo, the coming weeks will be a propitious time for you to engage in similar high jinks with your allies. You have a poetic license and a spiritual mandate to enjoy amusing collaborative experiments, playful intimate escapades and adventures in buoyant togetherness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Eighteenth-century author Samuel Johnson singlehandedly compiled the influential A Dictionary of the English Language, which remained the definitive British dictionary for 170 years.

We shouldn’t be surprised that it was a Virgo who accomplished such an intricate and exhaustive feat.

As a high-minded Virgo, Johnson also had a talent for exposing hypocrisy. In commenting on the Americans’ War of Independence against his country, he noted that some of the “loudest yelps for liberty” came from slave-owners. I propose that we make him one of your role models in 2020. May he inspire you to produce rigorous work that’s useful to many. May he also empower you to be a candid purveyor of freedom.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Is there a project or situation you’d love to create but have lacked the confidence to try? Now is a time when you can finally summon the necessary courage. Is there a long-running dilemma that has always seemed too confusing and overwhelming to even understand, let alone solve? Now is a favorable time to ask your higher self for the clear vision that will instigate an unforeseen healing. Is there a labor of love that seems to have stalled or a dream that got sidetracked? Now is a time when you could revive its luminosity and get it back in a sweet groove.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Was there a more influential 20th-century artist than Scorpio-born Pablo Picasso? He was a revolutionary innovator who got rich from his creations. Once, while visiting a gallery showing of art made by children, he said, “When I was their age I could draw like Raphael [the great Renaissance artist].

But it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like they do.”

In accordance with your current astrological omens, Scorpio, I suggest you seek inspiration from Picasso’s aspiration. Set an intention to develop expertise in seeing your world and your work through a child’s eyes.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I know a Sagittarius man who has seen the film Avengers: Endgame 17 times. Another Sagittarian acquaintance estimates she has listened all the way through to Billie Eilish’s album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 135 times. And then there’s my scholarly Sagittarian friend who has read the ancient Greek epic poem The Iliad 37 times. I have no problem with this behavior.

I admire your tribe’s ability to keep finding new inspiration in sources you already know well. But in my astrological opinion, you shouldn’t do much of this kind of thing in the coming weeks. It’s high time for you to experiment with experiences you know little about. Be fresh, innocent and curious.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Athens was one of the great cities of the ancient world. Its vigorous art, theater, philosophy, architecture and experiments in democracy are today regarded as foundational to Western culture.

And yet at its height, Athens’ population was a mere 275,000 — equal to modern Fort Wayne, Ind., or Windsor, Ontario. How could such a relatively small source breed such intensity and potency? That’s a long story. In any case, I foresee you having the potential to be like Athens yourself in the coming weeks and months, Capricorn: a highly concentrated fount of value.

For best results, focus on doing what you do best.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my analysis, the year 2020 will be a time when you can have dramatic success as you re-evaluate and re-vision and revamp your understandings of your life purpose.

Why were you born? What’s the nature of your unique genius? What are the best gifts you have to offer the world? Of the many wonderful feats you could accomplish, which are the most important?

The next few weeks will be a potent time to get this fun and energizing investigation fully underway.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Physicist Niels Bohr won a Nobel Prize for his insights about quantum mechanics. But he was humble about the complexity of the subject. “If you think you understand it, that only shows you don’t know the first thing about it,” he mused. I’m tempted to make a similar statement about the mysteries and riddles that are making your life so interesting. If you think you understand those mysteries and riddles, you probably don’t. But if you’re willing to acknowledge how perplexing they are, and you can accept the fact that your comprehension of them is partial and fuzzy, then you might enjoy a glimmer of the truth that’s worth building on.

MOUNTAINX.COM

MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

REA L ESTATE | REN TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SER VI C ES JOB S | A N N OU N CEM ENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL A SSES & WORKSH OPS | M USI C I ANS’ SER VI C ES PETS | A U TOMOTI VE | X C HANG E | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 landrews@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com RENTALS ROOMS FOR RENT ROOM FOR RENT ON THE RIVER IN NORTH ASHEVILLE Home on the river, beautiful setting, gardens, shared bath. $600 month, utilities included, drug free.

1 person. references. 828206-5811

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL JOB OPPORTUNITY Job Opportunity for Section 3, Low-Income Persons Minority Participating Commercial Contractor seeking to offer Section 3, Low-Income and Very-Low Income eligible Businesses, Vendors, Subcontractors, or individuals economic opportunities of job training, employment, and contracting work to promote local economic development and individual self-sufficiency. We will provide economical units to allow for minority participation as well as provide assistance for bonding and insurance for Section 3 businesses. Also, quick payment policies to help minority suppliers and contractors participate will be available.

We are committed to satisfy Section 3 obligations and our goal is to provide opportunities for Section 3 Businesses throughout this entire housing project. If you are a Section 3 Business or resident in the County area and seeking work, please contact us at 828548-3675, email to ad938@ bidsec3.com, or via fax at 828-548-3682 to become part of our HUD-assisted project and help promote quality housing and community development in this area. Plans are available at: https://parker.box.com/v/ Amaranth-Section-3.

NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES- HIRING ADVENTURE & SALES GUIDE One of the nation's leading outdoor adventure companies is seeking hard-working, customer service-oriented team members. Spend 2020 working with a group of talented and passionate outdoor enthusiasts! Visit www.navitat.com/asheville-nc/jobs 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.

Full-time and seasonal parttime positions available.

Training provided. Contact us today! 828 251-8687.

Info@GrayLineAsheville.com www.GrayLineAsheville.com

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO - BUSINESS MANAGER Be part of an exciting and growing public media organization. Manage business and financial operations. Nonprofit experience is preferred.

Full job description: www. bpr.org/careers. Send your resume and cover letter to: careers@bpr.org.

SALES/ MARKETING

SALES PROFESSIONAL Mountain Xpress is looking to add a new member to our sales team. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present confidently, while working within a structure. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and working well in a team environment. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful.

The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies, and working to meet or exceed sales goals. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@ mountainx.com

RESTAURANT/ FOOD DISHWASHERS - FT AND PT DISHWASHERS at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. play an important role in the

success of our Taproom & Restaurant. This entry-level position allows you the opportunity to learn how our kitchen works, gain and improve your culinary skills, and show your dedication toward a long-term kitchen career. Dishwashers thoroughly clean and inspect dishes, silverware, glasses and kitchen equipment. To apply please visit our website https:// sierranevada.com/careers/

TEACHING/ EDUCATION ADJUNCT POSITION A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an Adjunct Instructor, Skill Trades position.

For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/5318

sometimes needed or an option.

E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please.

Available route is for the counties West of Asheville.

HOME IMPROVEMENT GENERAL SERVICES BOOKKEEPING SERVICES Bookkeeping Small Business Solutions. Organizing income/expenses, payroll, banking, tax preparation.

Quickbooks/MS Office. Customized services. Only pay for the time you need. Flexible/reasonable, your office or remote. FortuneNetBooks@gmail.com.

HANDY MAN

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS Hanger Hall, a girls school for 6-8 grade, is hiring substitute teachers. Substitutes cover teachers' classes who are sick or are taking personal days off. Subsmust be creative, flexible and able to follow lesson plans.

Pay is $12 per hour. Email resumes to employment@ hangerhall.org

HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. Insured. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.

SALON/ SPA

SPIRITUAL

FRONT DESK POSITION Sensibilities Day Spa is now hiring for a full-time front desk position. Sensibilities is a living wage certified employer. The position does require the ability to work both locations. Weekends and evenings are required.

Please bring resume to either location to apply.

MESSAGES FROM BEYOND BY JAMES ANTHONY James Anthony is a gifted psychic and medium, with over 30 years experience. Local In Person and phone appointments. 30,45, and 60 minute readings. 727-457-7768 or Revjamesanthony3@ yahoo.com.

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY

MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

AUTOMOTIVE TRUCKS/ VANS/ SUVS FOR SALE 1986 FORD RANGER Restoration project. White with white camper on six foot bed Two door, four cylinder engine, manual transmission. Many new parts installed, new bench seat.

Need to be towed. $700.

Text 828 450 3616

ADULT ADULT FEELING WHACKED? Let Kaye's revive you back!

Incall/Outcall 280-8182

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16 Super-duper 17 Employer of nurse sharks?

19 Name spelled out in a Kinks hit

25 “It’s green and slimy” and “It tastes like the ocean”?

27 Climate agreement city 29 Site of the fall of man 30 Late Saudi journalist Khashoggi 31 “With this ring, I ___ wed” 33 Crushing setback 37 Seal the deal 38 Big scare of a couple of decades ago … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s theme 39 Sign away 40 Own (up) 41 “___ mío!”

(Spanish cry) 42 Storied toymakers 43 Deadlocked 45 Less colorful

puzzle by Christina Iverson and Jeff Chen 46 Nerd’s goal on a dating app?

51 Yodeler’s peak 53 Ciaos at luaus 54 Brouhaha 55 Fruit in some gin 56 Animal relative of a hinny 57 Pointy bill or tail feathers?

60 Dr. ___, film enemy of Austin Powers 61 Bring up … or something that might be brought up 62 Unidentified person, in slang 63 Climax in “Hamilton” 64 Dunderhead 65 Having a body mass index over 30, medically

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1 Actor Edward James ___ 2 State of mind 3 Jokey parts of prank calls, often

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4 Sci-fi travelers, for 31 Knot-___ (scout’s 47 Message on a skill) candy heart short 32 Necessity for 5 Presidential 48 “Cross my life, chemically heart!” advisory grp. speaking 6 Times New Roman 49 Pops, to tots 34 Be a hermit, say alternative 50 Things that might 7 Accumulated, as 35 Supreme leaders make one cry “Foul!”? expenses 36 Five-time Pro Bowl receiver 8 “Jeez, I did NOT 52 Black tea variety Welker need to know that!”

55 Knife 39 Diluted 9 Fictional sport 58 Promoter 41 Not as bright whose rules are of Teacher invented during 44 Itinerary word Appreciation play Week: Abbr.

45 T.A.’s overseer 10 Sarge’s superior 46 Having renown 59 Sellout show inits.

11 Something a bride ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE or groom might acquire P S S T B A S K P I N A 12 Fruit from an A C A I I S L A M O N E S orchard L A N D H O H O H O O T I S 15 Give in (to) T L C L O L A 18 Levi’s alternatives O L D I E 23 One of 17 P L E A S E H O H O H O L D Monopoly S L A P A T A D properties: Abbr.

D E I S C A R O L E I C 25 Traditional I T S H O H O H O P E L E S S wedding wear, for S C O O T T H O R P H I some T T O P M I S O 26 Really needs a bath, say H O H O H O L Y S M O K E S 28 Complained A V E R P E A S T R E P angrily and loudly T U R N I M H O H O H O M E 30 What “choosy E L M O N O O S E E D I T moms choose,” in R E S T N O U N N E S S ads

Women’s Issue 2020

Promote your gender-related message and products!

Publishes 02.19.20 Contact us today! advertise@mountainx.com MOUNTAINX.COM

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