Mountain Xpress 04.12.17 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 38 APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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C O N T E NT S OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 38 APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

DID YOU KNOW?

SHRINKING THE STREAM While the city of Asheville considers offering composting service, two local companies are already making a dent in the waste stream turning garbage into compost. Pictured: Danny Keaton of Danny’s Dumpster COVER PHOTO Jack Sorokin COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

FEATURES

WELLNESS

30 PARTNERS IN HEALTH There’s more to the good life at the LiveWell Expo

FOOD

40 DOLLARS AND SENSE Double Up Food Bucks program benefits both Asheville SNAP users and local farmers

FOOD

42 SOUTHERN MIGRATION White Duck comes to Skyland

A&E

14 BUNCOMBE BEAT P&Z OKs another hotel, Lee Walker tweaks

50 FAMILY REUNION Music Video Asheville’s 10th year boasts its biggest selection yet

A&E

NEWS

C ONTAC T US

PAGE 10

52 SONIC BANQUET Midnight Snack plays an album release show at Isis Music Hall

THE SUSTAIN ABILITY SERIES WEEK 2

8 REINING IT IN Conservatives and progressives unite to fight climate change 10 WHITTLING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN Local companies lead the way as Asheville considers composting service 14 AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ARTISTS Artspace may bring affordable housing to Asheville’s creative sector 34 FULL SPEED AHEAD Smart meters coming to WNC 38 GET GROWING WNC’s grape guru shares his wisdom

5 LETTERS 5 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 COMMENTARY 18 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 20 CONSCIOUS PARTY 30 WELLNESS 34 GREEN SCENE 40 FOOD 44 SMALL BITES 46 CAROLINA BEER GUY 48 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 54 SMART BETS 58 CLUBLAND 64 MOVIES 67 SCREEN SCENE 69 CLASSIFIEDS 70 ASHEVILLE DISCLAIMER 70 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 71 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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O PINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com. STA F F PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, Dan Hesse, Max Hunt CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin

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The uproar over Spicer Greene [Jewelers]’ latest billboard [“Sometimes, it’s OK to throw rocks at girls ...” taken down last week] is being observed in a vacuum, but

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Jewelry advertising was ill-advised

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The Haywood Street Advisory Task Force “vision” presented to [Asheville City] Council is a personal vision of its members, not the majority of Asheville citizens. That is why I voted against it. The task force was charged by Council to gather input from Asheville citizens to create a representative vision. Public-input results overwhelmingly favored open, public green space. When this data was presented, members balked, as the makeup of this group is not average citizens, but mostly downtown developers/ businesspeople currently serving on other city boards and commissions, heavily weighted toward private development. In fact, the actual use of the word park was banned by vote from the vision. Members asked facilitator Chris Joyell, “Do we have to use the public input, or can we create our own vision?” Astonishingly, Chris replied that the task force could create its own vision. The task force felt that they knew better than Asheville citizens, and their vision included private development. Some residents wanted private development; some residents also wanted a carousel on that site, but not the majority.

While I continually pointed to the data and our responsibility to Asheville citizens, members argued that the public input was “only meant to inform.” “We make the decision.” “It is not up to the majority.” “If it were just a matter of numbers, City Council would not need us.” The “citizen” task force process was a farce. Council did not need this task force. There are 12 years of documented public support for green space, not more commercial development. The city’s downtown master plan even designates this spot for a park. I refused to allow bullying and peer pressure to force me to vote for something that the majority of the citizens of Asheville clearly don’t want. Park is not a four-letter word! — Julie Nelson Haywood Street Advisory Team Task Force member Asheville

Park is not a four-letter word

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they have been peppering us with sexist ads for months. The first one I noticed was an image of a young woman “flicking off” the passer-by albeit with her left ring finger. It was accompanied with the copy, “She’s tired of waiting.” This one was cute, though highlighted that rather nasty, passiveaggressive feeling women develop toward a partner who is not moving fast enough to buy them the golden ticket to begin dress shopping. That ad was followed by a seasonal one proclaiming “Wise men bring gifts” — OK, they can have that one. I enjoyed the pun. However, around that time I realized what an implicit effect Spicer Greene’s Goebbels-like propaganda was having on a coworker. She began coming to work and complaining every day that her husband needed to buy her jewelry for Christmas. She would go so far as to update me on the status of their bank accounts and credit card bill and whether those reflected a jewelry-level purchase. Around this time, I began noticing the radio ads letting us know that men should be buying women gifts for all of the “little things they do.” Gone appear to be the days when a couple is a partnership, each working to accomplish the goals of the household, whether that be having clean laundry or getting kids to soccer practice. Now you need to bribe and pet your partner for their participation in life. Soon after I first noticed these ads, said colleague began downward spiral toward Christmas-gift-angstinduced irritability. Post-holidays, up went a sign with an engagement ring simply saying “prove it.” This goes back to my beef with the first ad — it legitimizes and encourages engagementdriven relationship terrorism. And everyone knows you shouldn’t negotiate with terrorists. With these as the antecedents to the [recently replaced] billboard, it feels as though our overall feminist leaning and progressive community might indeed be justified in our agitation with this piece of marketing. Add to that the American political zeitgeist, the fear of “felines” being grabbed and a piece of advertising that in any way hints at sexist violence is simply ill-advised. — Natalie Chotiner Mills River Editor’s note: When contacted by Xpress, Spicer Greene Jewelers’ coowner Eva-Michelle Spicer offered the following response: “I’m sorry that you find our billboards to be sexist. They are meant to adver-

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tise giving jewelry and purchasing jewelry for yourself (which is how we make a living). If you own a restaurant, you advertise buying food when you’re hungry. We advertise giving jewelry. For millennia, jewelry has been used as a symbol of affection and status. The pharaohs adorned themselves and their queens with precious stones — this isn’t something I invented. Even gentoo penguins give a pebble (that they search the entire beach for) to their intended. It’s a symbol of love. Of course, you don’t have to receive jewelry to be loved! But I don’t sell cards or shoes or anything else for that matter, I sell jewelry (and we have for 91 years right here in downtown Asheville). Our billboards are simply a way to advertise buying that jewelry for a loved one. We are honored to help people select their engagement rings, and it isn’t always a man buying for a woman. We are proud to help many same-sex couples get engaged! As a culture, we honor the tradition of wedding rings, no matter who is presenting the ring. We’re also delighted to get to help women celebrate themselves — we buy jewelry for ourselves. Women’s (and men’s for that matter) self-purchase is a big part of our industry. If you haven’t bought yourself something nice lately, come see me! Sincerely, Eva-Michelle (the woman behind the billboards)”

No mystery in bypassing City Council In a recent article on district elections [“State Legislator Moves to Force Asheville’s Hand on District Elections,” Feb. 28 online post, Xpress], [Asheville City Council member] Julie Mayfield thought it was “funny” that she hadn’t received any calls or emails on the subject after being told by [Sen.] Chuck Edwards that he was still receiving phone calls about it. People contacted [former Sen. Tom] Apodaca initially, and now Mr. Edwards, because they no longer expect those who destroy their quality of life to have any interest in restoring it. We’ve seen this before during City Council’s forced annexation crusade. And on another stage recently. Any port in a storm. — D. LaSpada Arden

Thumbs-up for ‘Practice What You Preach’ I don’t write letters to the editor; few people read them. However, admiration and compliments are in order for Tim Hartigan, whose letter (under your title “Practice What You Preach, Feb. 22) [Xpress] deserves wider recognition. I admire his courage and compliment his civic-mindedness. Please pass to him my hearty agreement. Asheville — and the rest of the country, for that matter — would be a truly ”noble and high-minded" place if more people were as reasonable and wellbalanced as Mr. Hartigan. — Terry Adler-Phelan Asheville

Vaccines need careful examination for safety

I would like to greatly thank Christiana Dillingham for her insightful response [“Vaccine Concerns Worth a Hearing,” March 1, Xpress] to the extremely one-sided article in the wellness issue “Community Immunity: Vaccinations Prevent Disease and Build Herd Immunity,” [Jan. 25, Xpress] which greatly fails to present all aspects of this very important issue. Her information just begins to scratch the surface of what has been covered up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and government for many years, starting with the toxic ingredients she mentions, such as aluminum as well as ethyl mercury (thimerosal, a preservative). The “authorities” claimed that thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in 1999. The truth is the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Public Health Service called for removal in 1999. However, by 2003, manufacturers such as Eli Lilly had begun to lower the amounts, but the increasing numbers of vaccines with thimerosal being administered to young children outweighed the amount that was decreased. So many of the immunizations still contain 25 micrograms of mercury. Also, mercury and aluminum act synergistically to actually increase the potential toxicity.

C ORRE C TIO N A photo in our April 12 issue of an Asheville Police Department plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt charging at Brightfield Transportation Solutions’ public charging station at the city’s public works building should have been credited to Brightfield Transportation Solutions.

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N For more information, I would strongly suggest anyone interested, check out another movie, Trace Amounts, and the 10-part documentary series that aired from Jan. 10-19, 2017, called Vaccines Revealed, narrated by Dr. Patrick Gentempo. ... Christiana is also accurate about the multibillion-dollar vaccine industry. Expanding further on that, the CDC functions as a for-profit, taking taxpayer money to buy vaccines, distribute them and then get reimbursed. So if vaccine sales go down, the CDC loses money. Even worse, embedded in the wonderful Homeland Security bill, Eli Lilly was cleared and documents destroyed of all cases/lawsuits that have been filed regarding thimerosal. It is way more than a coincidence that the rate of many neurological disorders in our children has increased dramatically since 1989, including autism, tics, sleep disorders, ADHD/ ADD, speech and language issues, and other “unspecified developmental delays.” The numbers are staggering! For example, the autism rate has increased from 1:10,000 to 1:68! If that doesn’t blow anyone’s mind, I don’t know what will. Anyone who is about to have a baby or has young children needs to research this information. I am just very grateful that I had sufficient information back in 1989 when my son was a baby and

obtained a religious exemption so he was never immunized, until recently when a tetanus vaccine was required after an injury. At the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, I would not say that all vaccines are evil, as they could be potentially lifesaving, properly researched and administered. What is seriously needed is careful examination of the safety of what we inject and focus on lifestyle changes that would minimize the need and include homeopathic remedies, for example, that are available for all the childhood diseases that we baby boomers lived through. ... I have been a nurse for 40 years and have witnessed some of the admitted adverse outcomes of vaccines from Intellectual Developmental Disorder (previously known as mental retardation) to SIDS (also denied by most mainstream “authorities.”) It’s sad that our freedom of speech is becoming more limited by a deceptive government. For reasons to protect my current employment, I regret not being able to sign my name to this letter so I must remain — An anonymous nurse Asheville area Editor’s note: In the interest of furthering discussion on the issue, Xpress agreed to withhold the writer’s name, since this person fears negative job repercussions if identified. A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

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O PINION

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

Reining it in BY MICHAEL HILL Quick: Name an event you’ve attended recently where progressives and conservatives, and everyone in between, have come together to calmly and collaboratively discuss solutions for tackling a critically important global issue. Nothing comes to mind? Well, that’s exactly what happened at The Collider in downtown Asheville March 25-26, when 80 people from Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina came together for the Mid-South Regional Conference of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. The nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots group advocates for national policies to address climate change. The focus is on passing federal legislation to create a revenue-neutral, carbon fee-anddividend program in which companies would pay a fee for extracting fossil fuels based on how many tons of carbon dioxide the use of those fuels would produce. After covering the modest administrative costs, all remaining revenues would be returned to American households in the form of checks from the Treasury Department. We’re proposing an initial fee of $15 per ton, increasing by $10 a ton annually. Studies predict that such a program would result in the creation of 2.1 million jobs and more than a 50 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions over 20 years. If the Climate Lobby can persuade Southern members of

Conservatives and progressives unite to fight climate change Addressing the assembled volunteers, Jones, a globally recognized expert on climate change modeling, said, “You all are the right people working at the right angle on the right issue.” POSITIVE TRENDS

MICHAEL HILL Congress to support the proposal, there’s reason to believe it could become federal law. “If we succeed in the South, we succeed nationally,” Don Addu, the organization’s Southeast regional director, told the conference. Asheville chapter leader Steffi Rausch and her counterparts from other chapters briefly summarized their groups’ activities. After that, participants were treated to inspirational talks by local agricultural expert and author Laura Lengnick, who runs the consulting firm Cultivating Resilience, and Drew Jones, co-director of the Ashevillebased nonprofit Climate Interactive.

Jones illustrated several scenarios, concluding that in order to prevent catastrophic impacts, humans must start now to first cap and then reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (To get a better sense of this, check out C-ROADS, Climate Interactive’s free policy simulator.) To that end, noted Jones, 64 national and subnational jurisdictions have enacted carbon fees. He also highlighted some global trends, including a slowdown in China’s production and consumption of coal, and the plummeting costs of wind (50 percent drop since 2009) and solar energy systems (80 percent drop since 2008). But even these positive developments aren’t enough — and that’s where the carbon pricing program comes in. The conference included several sessions training volunteers in how to lobby effectively, build relationships and engage the community. Other sessions specifically addressed such topics as reaching out to conservatives, practicing active listening, and holding a lobbying meeting with members of Congress and their staffers. Participants heard about efforts by the Charleston, W.Va., chapter to bring the idea of a carbon fee-anddividend program to the very heart of coal country.

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I’ll be honest: I struggled at first with the idea of proactively engaging with members of Congress, regardless of their ideological bent and party affiliation. Sometimes I just want to scream and shout, “We have to do something about climate change now! What do you mean ‘The science is unsettled.’ Are you kidding?” Now, however, I’m all in with that approach, because this issue is too crucial for me to hold grudges or think that I alone have the solution. I’m a pragmatist. I want to see the high elevation spruce/fir forests survive in Western North Carolina, see our native brook trout thrive. Most of all, I want my children, your children and our grandchildren to grow up in a world with a stable climate. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby declares itself to be “relentlessly optimistic,” and that’s a pretty accurate description. I find these volunteers’ positive spirit and enthusiasm to be contagious. I hope you will too. To find out more about CCL or get on the mailing list, visit citizensclimatelobby.org. To keep up with the Asheville chapter’s activities, visit facebook.com/ashevilleccl. Michael Hill teaches mathematics and environmental science at the Asheville School and volunteers with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. You can find his blog at thehillbillyenvironmentalist.blogspot. com. X

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NEWS

WHITTLING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN Local companies lead the way as Asheville considers composting service BY GREG PARLIER gparlier88@gmail.com More than a quarter of all the trash Asheville throws away each year could be turned into fertilizer, according to a 2015 study jointly funded by the city and Buncombe County. Instead, that compostable material ends up mingling with discarded plastics, out-of-shape paper clips and deflated balloons to create a methane-generating mountain at the county landfill. Methane, the most potent greenhouse gas, is a major contributor to climate change. Accordingly, the city is working on waste reduction strategies, with the goal of shrinking its solid waste stream by 50 percent from the 2014 level by 2035. The ongoing study aims to determine the feasibility of collecting all those avocado skins, greasy pizza boxes and other organic waste to create a municipal compost pile. “A lot of people don’t realize that organic waste that ends up in a landfill never becomes healthy, usable soil ever again,” notes Sonia Marcus, director of sustainability at UNC Asheville. “Due to the way we line and seal our landfills, biodegradable matter can’t decompose as it would in a pile because it’s deprived of oxygen. That’s how the methane is generated,” says Marcus, who chairs the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment.

DIRTY BUSINESS: CompostNow offers weekly pickup of compostable waste for residential customers. Customers get back a delivery of finished compost equal to half the weight of the material they collected, or they can choose to donate their share to a community or school garden. The company, whose employees are pictured above, now serves about 100 area customers and hopes to triple that amount by the end of the year. Image courtesy of CompostNow Several local elected officials have voiced support for a curbside composting service. “Food and green waste constitute the largest portion, by weight, of refuse dumped into the county landfill. Meanwhile, composting is a way

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to retain the nutritional value of those items for use in farms and gardens. By reducing the weight of garbage, we reduce our tipping fees, which saves the city some money,” City Council member Cecil Bothwell explains.

Council member Gordon Smith says establishing some sort of composting program as a way to promote healthy soil is “a high priority” because it’s part of the city’s Food Policy Action Plan.

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FROM TRASH TO TREASURE: A 2015 study revealed that more than a quarter of the waste Asheville residents send to the landfill is compostable, and nearly a fifth is recyclable. Graphic by Norn Cutson WHAT WOULD IT COST? In 2015, phase one of the study by CDM Smith, a Boston-based engineering and construction consultant, estimated that collecting and composting organic waste from residences and businesses in the county would cost about $1 million a year after factoring in the revenue from biogas sales. “What I’d hope to see is that we can cut back on trash collection to every other week, like our single-stream recycling program, and then add the compost collection,” says Bothwell. Phase two of the study, now underway, will more precisely estimate how much organic waste might be generated, evaluate collection system options and project future costs and landfill capacity. CDM Smith and the Roswell, Ga.-based Environmental Infrastructure Consulting are surveying grocery stores, colleges, hospitals and restaurants to estimate how much waste would be available for a potential biogas facility. At this point, it’s not clear when this phase will be completed. Meanwhile, Waste Reduction Partners, a program of the Land of Sky Regional Council, is conducting a separate study of local industrial facilities that will provide further data. Funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, it should be completed by midMay, says Terry Albrecht, the director of Waste Reduction Partners.

City staff is exploring a multifaceted approach to reducing the waste stream, explains Amber Weaver, the city’s sustainability officer. One possibility is a pay-as-you-throw program that would give residents an incentive to produce less trash. But it would be expensive, says Bothwell, and the city is also looking into cheaper options. WHERE WOULD IT GO? While the city and county await the results of the feasibility studies, two local companies are already making a dent in the waste stream. Danny’s Dumpster, the state’s only large-scale composting operation west of Gastonia, collects 40 tons a week of organic waste from 130 restaurants, hospitals and schools, and processes the material on a 5-acre East Asheville property leased from the city. Co-owner Danny Keaton says he knows that’s a “drop in the bucket” compared with what’s trucked to the landfill each week but that any diversion from the landfill helps. And in case the city and/or county does opt for a residential composting program, Danny’s Dumpster wants to be ready. Keaton says he’s looking at land in Leicester, and he plans to install a waste grinder at his current facility to help save space.

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NEWS “There’s got to be a place for it all to go,” he notes. “I’m trying to get to a point where I can process that waste. I’ve got to increase capacity if the city does go that route.” Danny’s Dumpster doesn’t currently collect compostable residential waste, but it works with a company that does: CompostNow, which expanded to Asheville in 2013 from its home base in Raleigh. For $8 a week or $32 a month, says spokesperson Nick Morrow,

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DIGGING IN: Danny Keaton of Danny’s Dumpsters is Asheville’s composting king. His 5-acre facility in East Asheville, which processes waste from Keaton’s commercial customers, is the area’s largest composting operation. Photo by Jack Sorokin CompostNow will supply a bin with a lid and pick it up, filled with the customer’s organic waste. Customers are entitled to get back, as compost, half the weight of the compostable material they provide. They can also choose to donate their compost to one of eight community and school gardens in Asheville that the business is partnering with, says Morrow. Danny’s Dumpster picks up the waste from CompostNow’s holding facility and sells its partner business finished compost for delivery to customers. Morrow says CompostNow’s client base here has grown substantially. The company currently serves about 100 customers and hopes to triple that number by year’s end. But CompostNow is not concerned about the prospect of competition from the city, Morrow maintains. “The thought behind the name is we’re going to act now and help you compost now, while we wait for cities and municipalities to catch up. If the city launches a municipal program and it’s

part of your tax dollars, obviously there goes the residential side of the business,” he admits. “All we’re worried about is continuing to move forward and getting as many people composting as possible. And if that happens, there’s other ways we can still make money. We’re not just trying to be a compost hauler.” MAKING IT PAY Keaton, too, is looking to the future. He recently traveled to China to study a program there that uses black soldier fly larvae to process organic waste. In two to three weeks, these insects can do what it takes traditional composting methods five months to achieve. The Chinese processors then sell the larvae as livestock feed, turning enough of a profit that they actually buy organic waste, rather than getting paid to haul it off. Using insect larvae as livestock feed isn’t legal in the U.S., says Keaton. But

if that changes, as he expects, it could revolutionize U.S. waste systems. Residents and businesses wouldn’t have to pay to get organic waste hauled away — they might even get paid for it. And meanwhile, commercial composters could process more material in less space. But regardless of what happens with black soldier fly larvae, Keaton believes more cities and counties will be jumping on the composting bandwagon as space becomes ever more scarce and landfill tipping fees rise. Around here, he concedes, “There’s not a lot of economic incentive at the moment.” But the situation is different in other parts of the country: Massachusetts, for example, now has 43 composting facilities, he points out. “That came about because of the lack of landfill space, and trucking or putting your waste on a train and bringing it to another state was getting so expensive, they had to start composting,” Keaton explains. Right now, North Carolina has only a handful of such facilities. MULTIPLE BENEFITS Across the country, recycling rates have sat at about 40 percent of the waste stream for more than a decade, according to “State of Composting in the U.S.,” a 2014 report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Comprehensive composting at the municipal and state levels could have a significant impact, the report argues. In Asheville, 18 percent of what gets thrown away is recyclable; another 26 percent is compostable, the CDM Smith study found. Together, they account for 44 percent of what ends up in the landfill. A 2015 estimate put the facility’s remaining life expectancy at 20-25 years, and that estimate could shrink

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NEXT GENERATION: Danny Keaton is especially proud to pick up organic waste from city schools’ cafeterias. He donates the finished compost to school gardens. Photo by Jack Sorokin as the population continues to grow. Still, it isn’t clear at this point whether siting a composting facility at the landfill would be feasible. The current studies should help answer that question, but whatever they conclude, “We create an enormous amount of food waste as a society,” says Council member Smith. “Reusing that food waste is smart.”

What’s more, argues Marcus, it creates a big payoff without a lot of effort. “Composting is a relatively easy way for us to reduce climate change impacts, extend the life of our landfill, recycle our precious organic matter into usable healthy soil, and support local businesses that are creating markets around these services. It’s a winwin-win-win.” X

• Local family farms and nurseries • Vegetable starts, flowers, herbs, perennials, ornamental and fruit trees, berries & more!

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S T R AT E G I C P R O P E RT Y S P E C I A L I S T S

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EWS B U N C O M B E NB E AT

NEWS

Artspace may bring affordable housing to Asheville’s creative sector Paying the monthly rent is probably a pain for everyone but landlords. Asheville’s growing shortage of rental properties — especially affordable ones — only adds to the agony. But hope may be on the horizon: Recently, members of Artspace, a Minnesota-based property development and consulting organization, visited Asheville to explore the possibility of an affordable housing project geared toward local artists. Why artists? At a community conversation on housing solutions held March 22, Wendy Holmes of Artspace pointed out that artists are a subset of the population, working in hospitality, food service, education and other fields. Plus, Asheville’s vibrant creative scene has long attracted both residents and tourists to the city. Across the nation — and the world — less desirable areas (think:

LIVE HERE, WORK HERE: El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 transformed an abandoned public school in East Harlem into 89 live/work units for artists and their families, including the residents pictured. Photo by James Shank Asheville’s River Arts District) are often colonized by artists who, through their work, make the areas attractive, only to find themselves priced out by developers and wealthy buyers. Asheville’s goal, said Holmes, should be to sustain both its artists and its creative culture. Although it’s the new kid on the block among Asheville arts institutions, The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design (which relocated from Hendersonville in 2013) is leading the charge. About two years ago, the 21-year-old center started looking into a development plan for its building at 67 Broadway, including its parking deck, which the organization was considering turning into housing. “That led us to reaching out to Artspace,” says Mike Marcus, assistant director of the CCCD. “Initially, we just knew about them by reputation. … We learned that, rather than come in

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and look at any one parcel, they really come in and look at a full community.” The CCCD’s parking deck turned out to be unsuited for conversion to housing, but the nonprofit realized collaborating with Artspace might open other possibilities. The organization “produces a market study in a given place that can inform all kinds of developments that are in service to the creative sector. That data becomes, to us, one of the most valuable outcomes in the due diligence study,” says Marcus. Sustainable rent ranks high on the list. At the end of 2016, Ohio-based real estate market consulting firm Bowen National Research found Buncombe County’s rental vacancy rate to be 2.7 percent — an increase from the zero percent vacancy reported in a 2015 study by the same firm, but still well below the 5 percent vacancy rate considered healthy. Xpress

reported in the Feb. 8 story “Space race,” that, “the median ‘asking rent’ in Buncombe, Haywood and Henderson counties rose to $1,044 in the third quarter, from $1,016 in the previous quarter.” Few housing options, combined with climbing prices, spell trouble across Asheville’s income brackets and employment sectors but, says Artspace’s Teri Deaver, artists “are doubly burdened with housing because they also have to rent workspace.” The company has constructed about 2,000 live/work units in more than 30 states since 1979. Existing projects include El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 in Harlem in New York City, an abandoned public school building transformed into 89 live/work units for artists and their families, plus 10,000 square feet of space for artist organizations. Many Artspace buildings include not only home-based studios but also spaces for gallery shows, workshops and short-term living space for visiting artists. All these spaces are necessary for artists and add to their costs; the Artspace buildings help to reduce those auxiliary expenses while increasing arts programming for the surrounding community. Those success stories aside, why should Asheville engage Artspace rather than tackle its housing issue with local resources? “It’s their track record,” Marcus says. Plus, most of the CCCD’s programs are countrywide, and “we see a lot of value in bringing national best practices to the region.” One of the main concerns voiced in the public forum was that any affordable housing project must address racial equity. Though few people of color were in attendance on March 22, Marcus says that was just one meeting out of about 10 that occurred while Holmes and Deaver were in town. A cross section of the community was represented in all the focus groups as part of a conscious effort to have an inclusive conversation. The first part of the due diligence study includes the recent Artspace visit, which served as an “audit of the area’s existing policies and really understanding the philanthropic community, the development community and the arts community here,” says Marcus. The second phase — where diverse voices are especially important — is an arts market survey to be launched in the fall. “It looks at those who self-identify as artists

Sacred Cacao Ceremony B U N COM B E B EAT HQ within the community, who they are, what their income is, what their medium or discipline is and if they’re in need of affordable space,” says Marcus. The recommended number of subsidized units designated for artists proposed in the final report will equal one-third the number of qualifying artists to ensure demand. Income guidelines are the same as those used by an affordable housing developer such as Mountain Housing Opportunities. The two parts of the study will cost just under $100,000. The project has received support from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, city of Asheville, Duke Energy Foundation, and Ted and Terry Van Duyn. “Our goal, as long as funding stays on track, is at this time next year to have the due diligence complete,” says Marcus. “In many communities that have moved forward with an Artspace project, all that data has led to other projects as well by nonprofit affordable housing developers and for-profit developers.” That’s the future vision. “Right now, there is no market data on who our creative sector is,” says Marcus. “To us, that’s one of the biggest outputs of this.

LEE WALKER REDEVELOPMENT Plans to redevelop the city’s oldest public housing neighborhood hit a snag last year when the project failed to receive Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing from the state agency responsible for awarding those funds. Since submitting a new proposal to the same agency in January, developers from the Asheville Housing Authority

To read all of Mountain Xpress’ coverage of city and county news, visit Buncombe Beat online at avl.mx/3b5. There you’ll find detailed recaps of government meetings the day after they happen, along with previews, indepth stories and key information to help you stay on top of the latest city and county news. X

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Cacao, Mantra, Mystic Music

Saturday, Apr. 15th 1:30-5:30pm, $25-$45

West Asheville Yoga.com 602 Haywood Rd. 28806 • 828.350.1167

— Alli Marshall

P&Z decisions for April SWEETEN CREEK HOTEL Plans for a LaQuinta Inn & Suites squeaked through the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission on April 5. Because the project’s developers handed in their forms before a Feb. 14 change in the approval process for hotels, the project was reviewed under the previous rules. All but the smallest hotel projects filed after the Feb. 14 decision must make their case to City Council rather than to P&Z. The 76-room hotel will be on Sweeten Creek Road, across the street from Fun Depot. No member of the public commented on the project, and the commission voted unanimously to approve it. Another Biltmore Village-area hotel, the 117-room Baymont Hotel at 2 Hendersonville Road, got the nod at the commission’s previous meeting on March 1.

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N EWS and Mountain Housing Opportunities have asked Buncombe County to throw $4.2 million into the deal (which would match the city’s promised $4.2 million contribution) and tweaked the project plans to make the redevelopment more attractive to the state decision-makers. The project team asked the zoning commission to approve an increase in the number of units from 199 to 212. Developers also added a new main entrance from Biltmore Avenue to the neighborhood, which would cut through the former Matthews Ford dealership property. The existing access road on Wilbar Avenue would become a secondary point of entry to the area. Other additions include a future bus shelter at the corner of Walker Plaza and Biltmore Avenue, as well as additional sidewalks. No member of the public spoke on the proposed changes, and the commission unanimously approved the plans. Vice Chair Kristy Carter commented, “I’m excited about this project, and I think this increased density is a better use of the property.” ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGES A package of zoning ordinance changes that aim to increase density in residential neighborhoods appeared on the commission’s April 5 agenda but wasn’t quite ready for prime time, according to staff at the city’s Planning and Urban Design Department. Those changes will be considered at a future meeting of the commission. A wording amendment to the city’s standards for cottage developments did receive a hearing. According to a staff report, a cottage development is “a cluster of small, detached single-family residences constructed to specific design standards and arranged around common open space generally at higher density than the underlying zoning would allow for traditional detached single-family residential development.” Principal Planner Shannon Tuch noted that the request to amend the ordinance was unique in that it had been initiated by a citizen rather than a company. But the person who brought the request, Barry Bialik, is hardly the typical citizen. Bialik is chair of Asheville’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, owner of Thirsty Monk Brewery & Pub, and founder of Compact Cottages, a compact-housing real estate company. Tuch outlined the two standards Bialik had asked to eliminate: a prohibition against using the cottage devel-

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opment standards on any site with a 15 percent or greater finished grade and a 1,000-foot separation between cottage developments. While other cities have similar building standards, Tuch noted, not all cities have the same topographical challenges as Asheville, making the 15 percent grade limit and the 1,000-foot separation too restrictive for this area. Cottage developments will still be prohibited on sites that meet steep slope standards. Bialik said Asheville’s cottage ordinance, which was adopted in June 2007, has great potential as well as practical limitations. “As I’m now trying to apply that and put it on land in the city, I ran into things that may not work,” Bialik explained. “So, it’s a great tool, but if it doesn’t work on the land, then it’s not going to do anything.” No other member of the public commented, and the commission approved the changes unanimously. HOMINY CREEK STATION Upgrades to an existing waste transfer station owned by Buncombe County at 190 Hominy Creek Road will increase efficiency and provide better service for city residents, according to Sasha Vrtunski of the city Planning Department. The transfer station sits on 12.4 acres near the French Broad River and adjacent to the Hominy Creek Greenway. Existing buildings will be upgraded and a new building will be built on the site. “There’s a lot of positive benefits to this project,” Vrtunski said. Commission member and landscape architect Guillermo Rodriguez serves on the board for the Hominy Creek Greenway. Rodriguez said sufficient space is available for a sidewalk along the site. Buncombe County Planner Nathan Pennington responded that the county is discussing sidewalk construction with the N.C. Department of Transportation, which owns the road. According to comments from the city’s Technical Review Committee in a staff report, sidewalk construction, or fee-in-lieu-of sidewalk construction, is required along Hominy Creek Road unless a developer requests and receives approval for an alternate arrangement. A Hominy Creek Road resident commented that there is definitely room for a sidewalk and that it would be beneficial. Once public comment closed at 5:49 p.m., commission members discussed the sidewalk issue. In

the end, the commission voted 5-2 to approve the zoning request despite unresolved questions about the sidewalk. Rodriguez and Carter cast the opposing votes.

— Kari Barrows

County Commission recap PRESCHOOL PUSH The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved leasing a county-owned building to Eliada Home during its meeting April 4. The nonprofit states the additional space will provide 60 more preschool spaces by August. It currently serves 152 children in various preschool programs. Eliada Home’s CEO, Tim Sinatra, says the extra spots will relieve pressure, noting the agency receives 200 calls a month inquiring about child care services and currently has a wait list 118 kids deep.

The 2.08-acre parcel is at 32 Compton Drive and is already on Eliada Home’s campus. Commissioners approved putting it up for sale last year after county staff indicated potential buyers had inquired about the property. The county never received any bids on the land. The lease is for 10 years, and the county is charging $1 per year. However, county staff estimates the value of the 60 preschool slots at $507,000 per year and considers it a good trade-off.

fund the aforementioned initiatives in next fiscal year’s budget. “The more I look at different things, the more I see people are doing things we don’t know about. We as commissioners need to figure out what we need to do,” he said, adding that he wants more involvement from community leaders. While commissioners agreed to table both efforts, Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara added the

caveat that if studies show community paramedics can be immediately effective, she would like to find funding for it in the current budget. Ultimately, commissioners agreed to investigate more best practices, speak with more community leaders and gather more research while pledging to make room for the efforts in the next fiscal year, which starts in July.

— Dan Hesse X

OPIOID OBSTACLES Last month, commissioners pledged to fund three community paramedics and a media awareness campaign to combat opioid use. While support for those efforts has not wavered, the sense of immediacy has been questioned. The total cost for those two programs would have been $171,250 for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Commissioner Mike Fryar opened the dialogue by noting he wants to

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR and holiday potluck. Free/Bring a dish to share. Held at The Autism Society, 306 Summit St.

APRIL 12 - 20, 2017

ASHEVILLE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS aiaasheville.org/ • TH (4/13), 5-7pm - "Three Creative Homes," tour of three homes in the "Chicken Hill" neighborhood. $10. Park in the area along West Haywood Street and Hilliard Streets. Proceed to nearby tent to register to receive wrist band.

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 2511333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

SUS TA IN A B IL IT Y EV E N T S

ANIMALS BROTHER WOLF ANIMAL RESCUE 505-3440, bwar.org • SA (4/15), noon-5pm - "Kitten 'Baby Shower,'" event to gather supplies for kitten fosters. Free to attend/Donations accepted. Held at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, 31 Glendale Ave. JACKSON'S PETTING ZOO 2025 Gilliam Mountain Road, Edneyville • SA (4/15), 10am - "Easter at the Zoo," event featuring hayrides with the Easter bunny. Admission fees apply.

BENEFITS ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT? childrenfirstcisbc.org • TH (4/20), 6-9pm - Proceeds from this trivia contest benefit Children First/Communities In Schools. $300-$420 per team of 4-6/$30 cheerleader ticket. Held at Morris Hellenic Cultural Center, 227 Cumberland Ave. CASTING FOR HOPE castingforhope.org • SA (4/15), pm - Proceeds from the Morning of Hope 5K and 10K Run/ Walk and community sunrise service benefit Casting for Hope. $25. Held at Catawba Meadows Park, Morganton

M EARTHSHINE NATURE PROGRAMS earthshinenature.com • MO (4/17), 6-8pm - Proceeds from this event featuring Earthshine Nature program reptiles and presentations benefit Earthshine Nature Programs. Free to attend. Held at Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard EBLEN CHARITIES 255-3066, eblencharities.org • WE (4/12), 9am-12:30pm Proceeds from the “Refresh Leadership Simulcast,” featuring live

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

video business leadership presentations from Patrick Lencioni, Jimmy Johnson and Robyn Benincasa benefit Eblen Charities. $20.

M GRO FEST http://growrural.org/event/ gro-fest-2017/ • SA (4/15), 5pm - Proceeds from “GRO Fest” live music event featuring The Hackensaw Boys, Aaron Burdett, Letters to Abigail, and Bald Mountain Boys benefit Growing Rural Opportunities. $30/$25 advance. Held at Harmon Dairy Farm, Harmon Dairy Lane, Columbus LAKE JUNALUSKA 91 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska, 800-222-4930 • SA (4/15), 9am - Proceeds from the “Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race & Walk” benefit Lake Junaluska recreation opportunities. $30/$15 children.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • WE (4/12), 10-11:30am - "SBA: Programs and Services for Your Small Business," seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech South Site, 303B Airport Road, Arden • TH (4/13), 6-9pm - "How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Business," seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • SA (4/15), 9am-noon - "Basics of Bookkeeping," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION ASHEVILLE 658-0281, aafasheville.org • TH (4/13), 5:30pm - "Connect Social," networking event. Free to attend. Held at Blue Ghost Brewing Company, 125 Underwood Road. Fletcher

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HOP INTO SPRING: If you are hoping to celebrate spring by attending Easter events around and about Asheville, there is no shortage of options. With everything from outdoor Easter sunrise services at Lake Junaluska and Chimney Rock to kids Easter egg hunts at Pack Square Park with the Asheville Downtown Association, the mountains are hopping with Easter related events. For more information and a complete list of springtime Easter possibilities, see page 21. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • Through TU (4/18) - Open registration for "Government-Business CONNECT" workshops and fair for vendors to learn about doing business with the City of Asheville and other regional governments. Registration: bit.ly/2mBu093. Free. Held at US Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville G&W INVESTMENT CLUB klcount@aol.com • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 11:45am General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Black Forest Restaurant, 2155 Hendersonville Road, Arden TALENT JAM ASHEVILLE goo.gl/IJjVPl • TU (4/18), 6-9pm - "Talent Jam," fair to connect students with business opportunities. Registration required. $5 for students/$10 for businesses/$30 for businesses needing talent. Held at Highland Brewing Company, 12 Old Charlotte Highway

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS COOKING CLASSES WITH OFRI (PD.) 6-9pm at Mountain Kitchen: • Saturday, April 22: Dumplings from around the world! • Saturday, April 29: Hearty Mediterranean! Information: (917) 566-5238. To register: www.ofrishomecooking.com GINSENG AND GOLDENSEAL WORKSHOP • THIS SATURDAY (PD.) April 15, 2017, 1pm-4pm, Eagle Feather Organic Farm Marshall, NC.

• With Robert Eidus of the North Carolina Ginseng and Goldenseal Company. Explore goldenseal and ginseng in a forest environment. See "baby" ginseng: • Handson training with newly sprouted plants. • Learn: Cultivation of native medicinal plants as a new business opportunity, new marketing strategies and marketing organizations. • Limited to 20. • Cost: $80. (work/ trade available and sliding scale for students/elderly) • Information/ registration: Call Robert at (828) 649-3536. MAKE YOUR OWN UKRAINIAN EASTER EGG (PD.) Learn to make beautiful Ukrainian Easter eggs: Pysanky workshops in the River Arts District or your location. AshevilleStudioA.com • call/ text (828) 423-6459 • AvlStudioA@ gmail.com for signup + more info. POLE DANCE, AERIAL ARTS, FLEXIBILITY, DANCE CLASSES AT EMPYREAN ARTS (PD.) BEGINNING POLE on Wednesdays 5:30pm, Thursdays 11am, Fridays 7:15pm, Saturdays 11:45am, Sundays 5:45pm. FLEXIBILITY-CONTORTION on Mondays 6:30pm, Tuesdays 8pm, Thursdays 1pm. FLOOR FLOW on Wednesdays 8pm. BREAKDANCE on Saturdays 4pm. EMPYREANARTS.ORG 828.782.3321. SOUTHERN DREAMING CONFERENCE (PD.) Friday/Saturday, April 28-29. The International Association for the Study of Dreams “Dream Festival”, Greenville, SC. • Workshops, lectures, dream art/film, theatrical performance (Harriet Tubman’s Dreams), and more. • Events, fees,

registration: http://www.asdreams. org/regionals/southcarolina2017/ THE REAPPEARANCE OF THE CHRIST (PD.) And the Masters of Wisdom. He comes as World Teacher, not a religious leader, to inspire humanity to stand up for justice and equality...to help us see that we are one human family, to help us solve our most critical global problems. Find out the role you can play in the coming time. • Saturday, April 15, Asheville Friends Meeting, 227 Edgewood Road. 2pm. • Free. 828-398-0609. UNDERSTAND THE ROOTS OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE (PD.) Experience Navajo educator Mark Charles. • Events sponsored by Swannanoa Valley Friends Meeting with support of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church. • Friday, April 21, 7pm-9pm: Truth-Telling on Race and Doctrine of Discovery, Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church, 101 Chapel Drive, Swannanoa, NC. • Free and open to public. Donations welcome. • Saturday, April 22, 9am-5pm: Workshop on Decoding America’s Greatness and The Difference between Power and Authority, Swannanoa Valley Friends Meeting, 137 Center Ave, Black Mountain, NC. • Fee: $35 (includes lunch). • Limited to 30. Learn more about Mark Charles at www.wirelesshogan.com • Learn more about events at www.swannaoavalleyfriends.com ASHEVILLE ASPERGER'S ADULTS AND TEENS UNITED meetup.com/ aspergersadultsunited/, wncaspergersunited@gmail.com • SA (4/15), 6-9pm - Gaming group

ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB 779-0319, vincentvanjoe@gmail.com • 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 ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • TH (4/13), noon-1:30pm - General meeting with guest speaker, Anna Priest, executive director of the Asheville Museum of Science. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. • TH (4/20), noon-1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St.

M BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • MO (4/17), 10am-noon - "Itch to Stitch," needlework and knitting group for all skill levels. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TH (4/20), 4pm - "Coloring & Conversation about Earth Day," for teens to adult. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa • TH (4/20), 6-8pm - "Long Term Health Care under a Trump Administration: Things to Consider," program presented by Nathan Garnett, CLTC. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • TU (4/18), 3-7pm - Hiring Fair for positions within the Parks and Recreation Department. Free. Held at Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. DAVIDSON'S FORT HISTORIC PARK Lackey Town Road, Old Fort, 6684831, davidsonsfort.com • SA (3/18), 10am-4pm "Recruitment Day," colonial crafts and demonstrations. Admission fees apply. ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE 687-7759, aeu.org • SU (4/16), 2-3pm - “Connecting

Across Divides” presentation by Roberta Wall. Free. Held at Asheville Friends Meetinghouse, 227 Edgewood Road HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 697-4725 • 3rd TUESDAYS, 2-4pm - Apple Users Support Group. Free. HOMINY VALLEY RECREATION PARK 25 Twin Lakes Drive, Candler, 2428998, hvrpsports.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Hominy Valley board meeting. Free. LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.Center • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - The Leicester History Gathering general meeting. Free. ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • WE (4/12), 5:30-7pm "Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free. • MO (4/17), 5:30-7pm "Budgeting and Debt Class." Registration required. Free. • WE (4/19), noon-1:30pm "Preventing Identity Theft," seminar. Registration required. Free. • TU (4/20), noon-1:30pm - "Understanding Reverse Mortgages," seminar. Registration required. Free. PUBLIC EVENTS AT A-B TECH 398-7900, abtech.edu

• TH (3/16), 12:30-4pm - "Power Up, Power On: Empowering Women in Technology," event with presentations on work life balance, collaboration, and "A Journey into Robotics." Free. Held in the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center PUBLIC EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • TH (4/13), 11:30am-1pm "Physics Faire," event featuring counterintuitive experiments to challenge participants’ understanding on physics. Free. Held outdoors on the quad SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE showingupforracialjustice.org • 3rd TUESDAYS, 7pm - Coalition building session. Free. Held at Kairos West Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville ST. MARK'S LUTHERAN CHURCH 10 North Liberty St., 253 0043 • TU (4/18), noon-1:30pm - General meeting and lunch with keynote presentation by Catherine Frank, Director Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. $10 includes lunch. WNC BAPTIST RETIREMENT HOME 213 Richmond Hill Drive • Through WE (4/12) - Open registration for the FR (4/14), 4pm workshop, "Advance DirectivesDoes Your Family Know Your Wishes?" Registration: 828-2549675 or sdavis@brh.org. Free.

DANCE POLE FITNESS AND DANCE CLASSES AT DANCECLUB ASHEVILLE (PD.) Pole Dance, Burlesque, Jazz/Funk, Flashmobs! Drop in for a class or sign up for a series: • 6 Week Chair Dance Series - Ongoing • 4 Week Beginner Jazz/Funk to Prince - Begins Apr. 20 • 6 Week Intro to Pole - Begins April 26 • Tues. and Fri. at 12PM - Pole class for $10 • Intro/Beg. Pole Drop in - Sat. at 1:30PM - $15 • Memberships available for $108/month Visit the website to find out more about these classes and others. DanceclubAsheville.com 828-2758628 Right down the street from UNCA - 9 Old Burnsville Hill Rd., #3 STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 4pm Ballet Wkt 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Classical Ballet Series 8pm Tribal Bellydance Series • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm Sculpt-Beats Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 12:30pm 80/90s Fitness Wkt 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Bollywood 6pm Bhangra Series 8pm Lyrical Series • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm Sculpt-beats Wkt 4pm Girls Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm West African Drumming 8pm Sassy Jazz Series • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • Sunday 6:15pm Restorative Yoga • $13 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $6. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www. studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595

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C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y By Kat McReynolds | kmcreynolds@mountainx.com

Trivia night benefits local students WHAT: Are You Smarter Than an Elementary Student?, a trivia event benefiting Children First/Communities In Schools WHERE: Morris Hellenic Cultural Center WHEN: Thursday, April 20, at 6-9 p.m. WHY: In 2016, Children First/Communities in Schools assisted 4,413 youths whose families were experiencing financial stress. “We provide basic resources,” outreach and engagement coordinator Jodi Ford says, listing food, clothing, transportation, tutoring, health care and child care among the most common needs. The nonprofit also hosts parenting classes and provides emergency financial assistance. To raise funds for these resources, the merged organization holds an annual trivia event, wherein local businesses and groups of friends can compete for prizes like Navitat zip lining passes or comedic excursions with LaZoom Tours. Raffle and auction items are also up for grabs. “We are going to have a trivia mistress, Emilie Travis,” Ford says. “Some of the topics will be about [Children First/CIS], but some will be about pop culture. There’s usually a section about music, so she’ll play different songs, and you have to name the artist and song title. Then there’s geography and just general knowledge.” Participants are encouraged to arrive in costumes based on their chosen team name, and prizes will be awarded for best costume, best team name and most spirited group. About 25 teams competed for these titles in 2016, and Ford says there’s space for even more this year. “We also have capacity for what we’re calling cheerleaders. These are people who aren’t necessarily going to be on a team, but they can be part of the event, cheer on team members, participate in the silent auction, have food and enjoy the festivities. It ends up being a really fun night.” Admission costs $300 for a team of up to six trivia participants (Saturday, April 15, deadline) or $30 for a “cheerleader” spectator pass. Either level includes food by Corner Kitchen Catering, Zoe’s Kitchen and Del Vecchios, one alcoholic drink, child care and a gift bag for each person. For more information or to register, visit childrenfirstcisbc.org. X

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WHAT TO WEAR: Children First/Communities in Schools staff member Barbara Norton, left, brings about half a dozen costumes to the nonprofit’s annual trivia event. “She’s the spirit guide for the evening,” says organizer Jodi Ford, “and she has more costume changes than a Cher concert.” Photo courtesy of Children First/CIS

C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR ASHEVILLE BALLET STUDIO 4 Weaverville Road, Woodfin, 252-4761, ashevilleballet.com • WE (4/12), 5-6:30pm - Master class in contemporary and modern techniques with Shauna Sorensen. Registration: ashevilleballet@att.net or 252-4761. Free. ASHEVILLE MOVEMENT COLLECTIVE ashevillemovementcollective.org • FRIDAYS, 7-9pm - Community ecstatic dance wave. $8-$20. Held at Terpsicorps Studios, 1501 Patton Ave. • SUNDAYS, 8:30-10:30am & 10:30am-12:30pm - Community ecstatic dance wave. $8-$20. Held at Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway

EASTER RELATED EVENTS ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION 251-9973, ashevilledowntown.org • SA (4/15), 2pm - “Easter on the Green,” family event with age-specific Easter egg hunts, inflatables, crafts, games, prizes and photo opportunities with the Easter bunny. Easter egg hunt schedule: ashevilledowntown.org. Free to attend. Held at Pack Square Park, 121 College St. BIG IVY COMMUNITY CENTER 540 Dillingham Road, Barnardsville, 626-3438 • SA (4/15), 10am - Kids Easter egg hunt. Free. CHIMNEY ROCK PARK 1638 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, 625-4688

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• SU (4/16), 5am Nondenominational outdoor Easter sunrise service. No admissions after 6am. Free. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC OF HENDERSONVILLE 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville, 692-8630, fcchendersonville.org • SU (4/16), 7am - Easter sunrise service hosted by Henderson County Churches Uniting. Free. Held at Jump Off Rock, Laurel Park, Hendersonville. Carpools will run from First Congregational Church, Hendersonville prior to 6:30am. GROCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 954 Tunnel Road Asheville • SA (4/15), 2-4pm - "Easter Egg Hunt & Spring Fling," event with games, crafts and egg hunt. Free. HAW CREEK COMMONS 315 Old Haw Creek Road, hawcreekcommons.com • SA (4/15), 10:30am-12:30pm - Easter egg hunt with bouncy house, face painting, snacks, dance party and games. Free. LAKE JUNALUSKA CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER 91 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska, 452-2881, lakejunaluska.com • SA (4/15), 11:30am - Easter egg hunt for kids 12 and under. Free. • SU (4/16), 7am - Outdoor sunrise Easter service. Free. THE GATHERING CHURCH 552-3224, gatherasheville.org • SA (4/15), 10:30am-1:30pm “West Asheville Egg Hunt,” with

games, prizes, face painting, food trucks and a snow cone truck. Egg hunt at 11:30am. Free to attend. Held at Rainbow Community School Auditorium, 58 State St.

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ASHEVILLE VEGAN SOCIETY meetup.com/ The-Asheville-Vegan-Society/ • 1st TUESDAYS & Third SATURDAYS, 10am - Social meeting. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road

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DOWNTOWN WELCOME TABLE haywoodstreet.org/2010/07/ the-welcome-table/ • SUNDAYS, 4:30pm - Community meal. Free. Held at Haywood Street Congregation, 297 Haywood St. FAIRVIEW WELCOME TABLE fairviewwelcometable.com • THURSDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Community lunch. Admission by donation. Held at Fairview Christian Fellowship, 596 Old US Highway 74, Fairview LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.Center • 3rd TUESDAYS, 2:30-3:30pm - Manna FoodBank distribution, including local produce. Free. • WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-1pm Welcome Table meal. Free.

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting with guest speaker Becki Gray, Senior Vice President, John Locke Foundation. Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Italian Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • TH (4/13), 5:30pm - African

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

by Abigail Griffin

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

610 Haywood Road, 255-8115

HENDERSON COUNTY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS lwvhcnc.org • 3rd THURSDAYS, 4-6pm General meeting. Free. Held at Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce, 204 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville

• WE (4/12), 5:30-7:30pm -

M SIGNS UP AVL

Advocacy skills workshop focused

signsupavl@gmail.com • SA (4/15), 2-6pm - Pop-up signmaking party for Earth Week marches. Free. Held at Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa St.

American Heritage Commission meeting. Free. Held at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS

on media mobilization, meeting with elected officials and community empowerment. Free to attend.

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KIDS ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • SA (4/15), 10am-noon - Workshop Session: Youth improv for 10-15 year olds. $15. ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • 2nd & 4th FRIDAYS, 9-9:45am

- "Little Explorers Club," guided activities and free play for preschoolers. $3.50 per child/Free for caregivers. BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 296-7335 • SA (4/15), 11am - Storytime for kids featuring the book, Too Many Carrots. Free to attend.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 4-5pm "After School Art Adventures," guided art making for school age children with the Asheville Art Museum. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • TH (4/13), 11am - "Preschool Firefighter Storytime," with local firefighters and real fire truck. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101

West Charleston St., Swannanoa • SATURDAYS through (4/29) - Reading with JR the therapy dog for preschool readers through age 10. Registration required: 250-6486. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • MONDAYS, 10:30am - Spanish story time for children of all ages. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • TU (4/18), 9:30am & 10:45am - "Preschoolers We Love You!" book inspired musical revue for preschoolers. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • WE (4/19), 9:45 & 10:45am - "Preschoolers We Love You!" book inspired musical revue for preschoolers. Free. Held at Weaverville United Methodist Church, 85 N. Main St., Weaverville • WE (4/19), 3:30pm - Makers & Shakers: "Terrariums to Go!" activity for ages 5 and up. Bring your own jar and lid. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TH (4/20), 9:30 & 10:45am - "Preschoolers We Love You!" book inspired musical revue for preschoolers. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain CHIMNEY ROCK PARK 1638 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, 625-4688 • WE (4/12), 9:30am - Spring homeschool day. Registration required. Admission fees apply.

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • TH (4/20) & FR (4/21), 10am & noon - Charlotte’s Web, by Theatreworks USA. Recommended for Grades K–5. $7.50. FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am - Family story time. Free.

M HANDS ON! A CHILDREN'S GALLERY 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 697-8333 • TU (4/18), 10:30am & 1:30pm - Stephen Kindland reads his book, I Beg Your Pardon But This is My Garden. Event includes a craft time. Admission fees apply. M LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126 Nebo, 584-7728 • TH (4/13), 1pm - "NC Science Festival Mini-blitz," ranger-led citizen science project to identify, count and record species. Free. • MO (4/17), 10am - "NC Science Festival Reptile and Amphibian Bioblitz," citizen science event to find, count and record the reptile and amphibian species found along a dedicated section of the park. Free. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am - Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend.

M PISGAH CENTER FOR WILDLIFE EDUCATION 1401 Fish Hatchery Road, Pisgah Forest, 877-4423 • MO (4/17), 9-11am - "Nature Nuts: Amphibians," presentation and activities for ages 4-7. Registration required. Free. • MO (4/17), 1-3pm - "EcoExplorers: Birding by Ear," for ages 8-13. Registration required. Free. SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com • SATURDAYS, 11am - Storytime for ages 3-7. Free to attend.

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK PARK 1638 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, 625-4688 • SA (4/15), 8am - "Spring Early Bird Walk." Guided bird walk with a naturalist. Registration required: 800-277-9611. Admission fees apply.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

by Abigail Griffin

LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126 Nebo, 584-7728 • WE (4/12), 10am - "Migration Meander," ranger-led 2-mile birding hike along the lakeshore. Free. • WE (4/19), 1pm - "Earth Day Salamander Soiree," ranger led hike to different types of salamander habitats. Free. BLUE RIDGE CONSERVANCE blueridgeconservancy.org • SA (4/15), 9am - Guided 3-6 mile strenuous hike at Camp Lutherock. Registration for location. Membership required. PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 1 PARI Drive, Rosman, 862-5554, pari.edu • FR (4/14), 7pm - "An Evening of Songs and Stars," evening featuring songs and storytelling of Stan Clardy, facility tour and sky observation. Registration required. $20/$15 students & seniors/$5 for children. PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED pisgahchaptertu.org/ New-Meeting-information.html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewery, 36 E Main St., Brevard

PARENTING ODYSSEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 90 Zillicoa St., 259-3653, odysseycommunity.org/ • TUESDAYS (4/18), (5/2) & (5/16) 6-8pm - "Teaching Kids about Racism and Racial Justice," series for educators and parents. Free. PUBLIC EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (4/19), 7pm - Dr. Lisa Damour, presents her book, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood. Sponsored by the Howard Hanger School for Girls. Free. Held in the Humanities Lecture Hall SWANNANOA VALLEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL 101 Carver Ave., Black Mountain, 669-8571, swanmont.org • 3rd THURSDAYS through (5/18), 9:30am - School tour. Registration required. Free to attend. VERNER CENTER FOR EARLY LEARNING 2586 Riceville Road • TUESDAYS (4/18) until (5/9) - Veteran parenting workshop. Childcare available. Registration: 828-298-7911 x 4347. Free.

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

PUBLIC LECTURES BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • TH (4/20), 7pm - "AnthroPolis," lecture by Dr. Renato Rosaldo, Dr. Ken Betsalel and Dr. Heidi Kelley regarding cultural citizenship and the possibilities for social healing. $5/Free for members. PUBLIC EVENTS AT WARREN WILSON 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • TU (4/18), 5:30pm - The Harwood-Cole Memorial Lecture features Jung Yun discussing her novel, Shelter. Free. Held in Kittredge Community Arts Center

SENIORS SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR SENIORS (PD.) • Companionship and respite care • Accompaniment to appointments • Monitoring and family liaison • Meal preparation • Nursing home visits • Housesitting • Consultation and Mentoring • Conscious Aging Workshops. Evalina Everidge, RN (828) 5777841. SeasonedPathways.com AGUDAS ISRAEL CONGREGATION 505 Glasgow Lane Hendersonville, 693-9838, agudasisraelsynagogue.org • WEDNESDAYS, 11am-2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for older adults of all faiths. Free. SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St., Asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 1:30-4pm - "Bid Whist," card players club. Free. • THURSDAYS, 1-2pm Contemporary line dancing class. Join anytime. $5 per class. • FRIDAYS, 12:30-3:30pm "Canasta," group card game gathering. Free. • TH (4/13), 1-3pm - “Grand Day Out,” grandparents can bring children to participate in games and crafts with other families. Free/$1 per child.

SPIRITUALITY ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR

chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Readings also available. Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229. FULL MOON TRANSMISSION MEDITATION (PD.) Want to help the world? Group meditation that 'steps down' energies from the Masters of Wisdom for use by people working for a better world. Non-sectarian. No fees. A simple altruistic service for the world. • Free. Wednesday. April 12. 7pm. Crystal Visions. 5426 Asheville Hwy. Information: 828-398-0609. MARCONICS NO-TOUCH PRACTITIONER TRAINING (PD.) • A dynamic and interactive event * Spiritual topics and origin of Marconics * Attunement and instruction on the 'No Touch' Protocol * Official Level 1 Practitioner Certification. April 22-23, 10am-5pm. Four Points Sheraton, Asheville. Register: https://goo. gl/5AhtSe.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

by Abigail Griffin

OPEN HEART MEDITATION (PD.) Now at 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212. Tuesdays 7-8pm. Experience the stillness and beauty of connecting to your heart and the Divine within you. Suggested $5 donation. OpenHeartMeditation.com SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER (PD.) Thursdays, 7-8:30pm and Sundays, 10-noon • Meditation and community. By donation. 60 N. Merrimon Ave., #113, (828) 2005120. asheville.shambhala.org CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • 3rd SATURDAYS, 7:309:30pm - "Dances of Universal Peace," spiritual group dances that blend chanting, live music and movement. No experience necessary. Admission by donation. GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 Sixth Ave., W. Hendersonville, 693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • 2nd FRIDAYS, 1-2pm - Nondenominational healing prayer

MOUNTAINX.COM

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

group. Free. • 1st & 3rd TUESDAYS through (5/16) - "Think and Drink,” for professionals under 40 to socialize and think about topics such as mindfulness and balance. Free to attend. Held at Hannah Flanagan's Hendersonville, 300 N. Main St., Hendersonville GREAT TREE ZEN TEMPLE 679 Lower Flat Creek Alexander, 645-2085, greattreetemple.org • 3rd SATURDAYS, 4-5:30pm - Women’s zen practice circle with meditation, discussion, study, creative expression and building community. Admission by donation. KAIROS WEST COMMUNITY CENTER Haywood Road, Asheville, 367-6360, kairoswest.wordpress.com • 3rd SUNDAYS, 11am12:30pm - Introduction to Buddhism meeting. Sponsored by Soka Gakkai International - Asheville. Free. URBAN DHARMA 225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:30-9pm Open Sangha night. Free.

Held at Urban Dharma, 29 Page Ave

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD BUFFALO NICKEL 747 Haywood Road, 5752844, buffalonickelavl.com/ • WE (4/19), 7pm - "Word!" Storytelling event hosted by David Joe Miller and featuring Chuck Brodsky. $15.

M BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (4/13), 6:30pm - Economics & Environmentalism Book Club: The Vandana Shiva Reader, by Vandana Shiva. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TU (4/18), 7pm - Black Mountain Mystery Book Club: The Jury Master by Robert Dugoni. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain • TH (4/20), 2:30pm - Skyland Book Club: The Land Breakers by John Ehle. Free. Held at

Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road CITY LIGHTS BOOKSTORE 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva, 5869499, citylightsnc.com • SA (4/15), 3pm - Forrest Rivers presents his book, The Hippie Revival and Collected Writings. Free to attend. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • SA (4/15), 6:30pm - "The Lost Adventures of Ragman," acoustic guitar and poetry performance. Free to attend. • WE (4/19), 6:30pm - Presentation of the book, Portraits of Palestine: Lives in the Shadow of the Occupation. Free to attend. FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am Book Club. Free. • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm Writers' Guild. Free. GRATEFUL STEPS 30 Ben Lippen School Road, Suite 107, 277-0998, gratefulsteps.org

• MONDAYS, 6:30-9pm, THURSDAYS, 9:30am-noon & SATURDAYS, 9:30-noon, through (4/29) - "Writing Secrets of the Pros," fundraiser class series helps writers discover professional techniques for writing fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Registration required: 828-505-9221 or weirwnc417@gmail.com. $25 per class. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (4/13), 7pm - Stephnie Powell Watts presents her novel, No One is Coming to Save Us. Free to attend. • FR (4/14), 4pm - "Poetry on Request," with local poet Tracey Schmidt. Free to attend. • FR (4/14), 7pm - Bonnie Morris & Pat Spears present their respective books, The Disappearing L: Erasure of Lesbian Spaces and Culture and It's Not Like I Knew Her. Free to attend. • SA (4/15), 7pm - John Kessel presents his book, The Moon and the Other. Free to attend. • MO (4/17), 7pm - "Writers’

Coffee House," writers networking and discussion group. Free to attend. • TU (4/18), 7pm - Paula Robbins presents her book, On Strawberry Hill: The Transcendent Love of Gifford Pinchot and Laura Houghteling. Free to attend. • WE (4/19), 7pm - Taylor Brown presents, The River of Kings and Robert Morgan presents, Chasing the North Star. Free to attend. • TH (4/20), 7pm - Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney presents her novel, The Nest. Free to attend. SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop. com • SA (4/15), 2-3pm - Chris Allen presents his novel, Bibles and Ball Bats, Free to attend. SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM 223 W State St., Black Mountain, 669-9566, history. swannanoavalleymuseum.org • FR (4/14), 11:30am - Historic Book Club: The World Made

Spring 2017

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Each week in April

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR

Straight, Ron Rash. Registration required. Free.

by emailing volunteers@litcouncil. com. www.litcouncil.com

SYNERGY STORY SLAM 575-9299 • WE (4/12), 8pm - Open mic storytelling event on the theme of “walls.” Sign-ups at 7:30pm. Admission by donation. Held at the Odditorium, 1045 Haywood Road

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave. Ste. #213, 253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (4/13), noon - Information session for those interested in volunteering to share their interests twice a month with a young person from a single-parent home or to mentor one-hour a week in elementary schools and afterschool sites. Free.

WILMA DYKEMAN LEGACY 458-5813, wilmadykemanlegacy.org, stokely.jim@gmail.com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 5:30pm - Thomas Wolfe Book Club: Gulliver: The Story of a Tall Man, discussion led by Brandon Johnson. Free. Held at Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 North Market St.

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Dedicate two hours a week to working with an immigrant who wants to learn English or with a native English-speaking adult who has low literacy skills. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 4/26 (9:00 am) or 4/27 (5:30 pm)

by Abigail Griffin

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

to assist with unpacking and pricing in a nonprofit, fair-trade retail store. Registration required. • TU (4/18), 2-4pm - Volunteer to help sort and organize donations to the Buncombe County Schools Crisis Closet. Registration required. HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • 3rd THURSDAYS, 11am "Welcome Home Tour," tours of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population. Registration required. Free to attend.

BLUE RIDGE RAIDERS mizzarnette@gmail.com • SATURDAYS through (5/6) Volunteer to help with ticketing, concessions and apparel for Blue Ridge Raiders home games. Contact for full guidelines.

M HANDS ON ASHEVILLEBUNCOMBE 2-1-1, handsonasheville.org • WE (4/12), 5-6:30pm - Volunteer to help keep up with the maintenance of the Verner Center for Early Learning community garden. Registration required. • SA (4/15), 2-5pm - Volunteer to help accept donations at a nonprofit re-store. Registration required. • TU (4/18), 4-6pm - Volunteer

MOUNTAINX.COM

FROM GIRLS TO WOMEN: Nationally renowned clinical psychologist Lisa Damour is coming to the UNC Asheville Humanities Lecture Hall on Wednesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. to discuss her best-selling book, Untangled, and the developmental transitions teenage girls go through to enter adulthood. To find more information about this free event, visit hangerhall.org. Photo courtesy of the organizers (p. 24)

OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 252-0562, ourvoicenc.org • Through FR (4/14) - Open registration for the Our VOICE Advocate training to provide emotional and informational support to callers on a 24-hour hotline. Training takes place THURSDAYS (4/20) through (5/25), 2:30-5:30pm. For more information or to register: erastusw@ourvoicenc.org or 828-252-0562 ext 105. Free. For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

WELLNESS

PARTNERS IN HEALTH

There’s more to the good life at the LiveWell Expo

BY JAMESON O’HANLON brewkitchen86@gmail.com From live entertainment to cooking demonstations, the fourtth annual News 13’s LiveWell Expo opened a window onto a multitude of ways Asheville locals can live well. Held in late March at the WNC Agricultural Center, the expo featured over 120 vendors who shared health care and physical fitness information to large crowds visiting their booths. Xpress talked with several participants before and during the expo about how people can live the good life in ways they might not have imagined. “There are many factors in life to living healthy,” said Hiliary Parnam, marketing manager for WLOS News 13 and director of the expo since its flagship year in 2014. Parnam was the VIP behind the scenes this year, organizing vendor outreach and setting up the 27,750 square feet of indoor exhibit space. Parnam advertised the for-sale booths to a broad range of lifestyle businesses, medical facilities and nonprofits. Last year, the expo saw more than 9,000 visitors. This time around, 11,000 visitors checked out the expo. Parnam noted, “If your money’s not in order, then your mentality might not be healthy.” Attendees seemed to get the connection of finances to health. Asheville Savings Bank’s booth had one of the longest lines at the expo; at least 30 people were queued up to chat with employees and take home free swag. A sponsor of the expo, along with Ingles and Mission Health, the bank gave away white and blue piggy banks, signifying its goal to promote the idea of saving money.

JAZZ IT UP: Susan Welch, left, and Mackenzie Jones teamed up to lead demonstrations in the Jazzercise booth at the LiveWell Expo last month. Photo by Anna Wilcox Aimee Sprinkel, the bank’s vice president and director of marketing and communications, cited a 2015 American Psychological Association study to clarify why financial health matters. “In the study, the thing that most people worried

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about is finances, ahead of work, family and health,” she said. “If people are stressed out, they’re more likely to smoke, to overeat, to drink, to not exercise. All of those things contribute to diabetes, heart disease and obesity. “It’s amazing how connected financial health and overall wellness are,” Sprinkel continued. “If you’re having trouble paying your bills, or having problems with your credit, that constant stress causes so many problems in emotional, personal and physical health.” Sprinkel loves her job because of the genuinely local focus of the bank. “It’s rare to find a company that really tries to do what’s right,” she said. “All the money that comes in through deposits goes back out through loans locally.” The bank’s 160 employees in its 13 banking centers volunteer more than 800 hours a month at more than 80 organizations, most of which provide basic needs, she said. “If people don’t have the basic needs to

survive — if they don’t have nutritious food every day, if they don’t have a place to live — you can’t expect people to thrive. That has been the platform of the bank, and that’s what does the most to contribute to good financial health and overall physical wellness.” Sprinkel also discussed what can happen when people live beyond their means. “Unfortunately, some people don’t have the financial tools to manage their budgets and put together a savings plan,” Sprinkel said. “It’s not always based on income. Some people have never focused on that. It just gets away from them, and then they realize that they can’t pay that bill.” Helping people gain knowledge of their finances is a big part of the reason the bank sponsors the expo every year, Sprinkel said. “When people hear the name LiveWell Expo, they always think about physical fitness or medical care. But a huge part of living well is trying to help people with their finances and show them that there is a local facility here that has people who can advise them.” Parnam, a competitive Crossfit athlete, spoke personally about the medical benefits the expo can provide. She revealed that she had a persistent health issue in 2016 but was able to heal when a doctor she met at the expo helped her change her diet. “I had strep throat for three months,” Parnam says. “I went to a doctor from the health expo, and he fixed my immune system. When we did blood and urine tests. I had zero vitamin C in my body. I was eating so many sweet potatoes, which are high in vitamin C, but I can’t process sweet potatoes. As a Crossfit athlete, I’m downing three protein shakes a day, but I can’t process whey protein. [The doctor] gave me vegan plant-based enzymes that helped me digest my food so I could get the nutrients to my organs and systems. So my whole nutrition changed.” Laurie Stradley, director of wellness for Mission Health Systems, staffed the Mission booth, along with representatives from 11 departments — among them healthy weight, nicotine cessation and Mission Children’s Hospital. “The LiveWell Expo was incredibly well-attended,” Stradley said. “We saw people from across the region, from all walks of life. The focus of the Mission Health System booth was to share all of the ways that we can meet people where they are and support them in their journey to be well, get well and

Mountain Xpress Presents stay well.” Some of its giveaways included eye masks, water bottles and coupons for wellness services such as massage therapy and acupuncture. Stradley emphasized the importance of her role for Mission’s nearly 12,000 employees. “There is no one that comes into the system that isn’t related to a nurse or lives next door to the intake clinician. We are our community,” she said. “It’s really important to us to be connected in all the different ways that we can. That’s why events like LiveWell give us a chance to see each other outside of that clinical setting and see our neighbors and our friends. That was a really fun part of LiveWell, seeing my colleagues watch one of their cousins walk by or a first-grade teacher. Mission can be seen as this large organization that is a part of Western North Carolina, but I think we forget that personal level sometimes. That’s why those kinds of events are so much fun.” Asheville Humane Society’s booth featured Adam Cotton, manager of Community Alliances, and his furry friend, a gray pit bull named Memphis. “Our goal is to let the community know how important it is for our animals in our community to live a life worth living,” Cotton says. “[Our] being here is another way to show that animals can really improve the health of the people in our community. “One initiative within the [Community Solutions] department that is making a huge impact is Community Pets, a program where staff literally go door to door in targeted underserved communities, providing spay/neuter vouchers, vaccines, flea and tick preventive and various other lifesaving services to pets,” said Cotton. “We’re in our second year of this program and have served hundreds of pets in need.” Cotton has spent six years working for animal shelters around the country and nearly two more working for Asheville Humane Society. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said. “Nothing is more rewarding than knowing that your work has led to a shelter pet getting adopted to their forever home.” Susan Welch, owner of Jazzercise South Asheville and fourth-time expo participant, admitted she struggled to keep up in her first Jazzercise class but had fun and kept going. “I knew if ladies 20 years older than I could move like that, then I could too,” Welch said. “The more classes I took, the more I loved it. The instructors made it fun, and it was a great workout. I lost all of my ‘freshman 15,’ toned up, and was back to my high school size, which I maintain today. I felt good about myself because of how I looked and felt. Seeing the results and loving the supportive, fun classes and

instructors, I wondered if maybe I could teach it one day.” Welch did just that, opening Jazzercise South Asheville in March 2006 as the lone instructor and then moving into a larger location on Sweeten Creek Road in August 2007. The class offerings and staff have grown exponentially, she said. “We offer 25 weekly fitness classes and have a dedicated team of nine instructors, all of whom share my passion for Jazzercise,” Welch said. Welch and her Hendersonville/Flat Rock counterpart, Mackenzie Jones, said they enjoy performing dance moves onstage at the expo and seeing fresh faces each year, even as they combat old stereotypes. “Some people have the misconception of what Jazzercise is because of what it used to be back in the ’70s and ’80s. There are videos all over the Internet of what it used to look like. I cringe when I see them,” Welch said. “But cars do not look the same as they did back then. Clothes don’t, hairstyles don’t, house decor doesn’t. Jazzercise has evolved with the times, and what’s hot and new today and on-trend will change, and we will continue to change.” Welch credited the expo for creating visibility. “Hopefully it will motivate people to be active and live a better, healthier life through movement,” she said. But some instructional platforms don’t lend themselves easily to demonstration. Arnaldo Alvarez, owner of Hard Exercise Works in South Asheville since 2015, paid for a booth in 2016 at the request of Evan Donovan, weekend anchor of WLOS News 13. Donovan worked out five days a week at HEW and lost more than 40 pounds in five weeks as he prepared for the expo last year. But Alvarez said he wasn’t successful selling his gym to the public there. “I found that it was more difficult than I thought trying to convince people to do what we do here,” Alvarez said. “We had a workout sample at our booth, and it was hard to convince someone to give it a shot. We have this all-inclusive community at the gym, and we thought the expo was going to be a great way to introduce that. But a 10-by-10 booth is just not enough room for people to see what we can do.” But Alvarez says he appreciates what the LiveWell Expo can introduce into people’s lives. “I think it’s a great way for people who are interested in changing their lives to peer into the window and see what’s out there, what’s available to them,” he said. “I think the LiveWell Expo does a lot of good things, and for the size of it, they do a great job.” X

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

GREEN SCENE

FULL SPEED AHEAD Smart meters coming to WNC BY THOMAS CALDER

JOINING THE RANKS

tcalder@mountainx.com

More than half of U.S. households already have smart meters, according to an October 2016 report by The Edison Foundation: Institute for Electric Innovation, a nonprofit with close ties to the industry. And by 2020, the report predicts, the number of smart meters in use nationwide will jump from 65 million to 90 million. Duke Energy has already installed 940,000 of these devices in North Carolina, with another 1.5 million scheduled for deployment elsewhere in the state. That’s not counting the utility’s 160,000 customers across nine WNC counties. Duke’s modernization plan calls for replacing the 376-megawatt Lake Julian plant (which is slated to close in 2020) with two 280-MW units. And if peak power demand continues to grow, the utility maintains, an additional 186-MW unit would be needed.

Duke Energy’s plan to bring smart meters to the mountains could put two key concerns — energy conservation and human health — into a head-on collision, critics say. And customers wishing to opt out may have to pay for the privilege. The utility hopes to start installing the new meters early next spring, saying the devices will help reduce peak demand while giving customers a clearer picture of their own energy use. Last year, the N.C. Utilities Commission approved Duke’s $1 billion modernization plan, which calls for two new gas-fired units to replace the coal-fired Lake Julian power plant. Smart meters, which are already in widespread use in North Carolina and across the country, could help eliminate the need for a third such unit, the company maintains. But there’s no long-term data about the relatively new technology, and opponents have cited potential health concerns. Asheville City Council member Julie Mayfield supports the switch. “It’s universally accepted that giving people more information about how they use energy is a key step to helping them use less,” she says. “Generally, smart meters give the customer much more control over how and when they use energy.” Mayfield, who’s also co-director of local nonprofit MountainTrue,

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

IT’S UP TO THE CUSTOMER

NEW ON THE SCENE: Duke executive Robert Sipes is hopeful that smart meters will be deployed to Western North Carolina by sping of 2018. Some in the community see it as a way to help reduce enegry consumption. Opponents, however, cite potential health concerns, as well as privacy issues and costs. represents the city on the Energy Innovation Task Force. Established last spring, the partnership involves Duke Energy, Asheville, Buncombe County and various Western North Carolina businesses and nonprofits. Key goals include reducing the region’s overall energy consumption, which has doubled over the last four decades, and cutting back peak power demand, which has tripled since 1970. Smart meters, aka “advanced metering infrastructure,” could help meet both those objectives, proponents maintain. The technology helps conserve energy in several ways, task force members say. One key feature is transparency: They provide daily analytic and diagnostic data that’s

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not available through the current automated meter-reading system. Customers can access real-time information about their energy use through a number of platforms, including a cellphone app, enabling them to adjust their consumption as needed. Opponents, though, have also raised concerns about privacy. Duke is still in the initial stages of addressing these matters with the state Utilities Commission. But company executive Robert Sipes remains optimistic that the utility can start installing smart meters in Western North Carolina as early as the first quarter of 2018. “That’s not etched in stone,” he notes. “Other things have to be achieved. But that’s what we’re hoping for.”

In Asheville, says Sipes, “The peak demand we’re trying to influence is in the winter.” During the colder months, for example, hot water use spikes from 6-10 a.m. “Any kind of heating load that can be delayed to a time after peak — or, for that matter, accelerated to a time before peak — could be beneficial to reducing that peak,” he explains. This is one place where smart meters could play a crucial role, notes Duke Energy spokesperson Meghan Musgrave Miles. By gaining access to daily and even hourly information about their energy consumption, she maintains, smart meters will help individuals curtail their use. In 2009, the utility conducted a pilot study in Charlotte, says spokesperson Paige Layne. “Customers who participated saw about an 8 percent reduction in their monthly bill,” she reports. “One participant saw a 34 percent reduction; others experienced increases, possibly related to lifestyle changes that were noted in

surveys (e.g., working from home, new baby, more hot water, etc.).” Some folks, though, are skeptical that greater awareness will automatically lead to reduced usage. Asheville resident Mike Wasmer began attending the monthly task force meetings shortly after it launched last May. An artist, Wasmer also works in home renovation. More recently, he’s added “energy enthusiast” to his résumé. Consumption, he maintains, will decline only in the case of “somebody who is a ‘prosumer’ — someone who’s going to use the auditing tools that are available and really look at and change the timing of their energy use.” Most consumers, he believes, will remain just that: consumers. For this reason, Wasmer predicts that smart meters will “have a very limited impact” on overall peak energy use. Miles disagrees, though she concedes, “Ultimately, the action to reduce energy use — or not — during peak demand times or anytime is up to customers and what they’re comfortable with.” Duke’s existing time-of-use program offers enrollees fluctuating rates: higher during peak demand periods, lower during nonpeak hours. Currently, customers must opt in to the program, but Mayfield says the task force has discussed recommending that variable pricing become the default unless customers opted out. Smart meters, she points out, would help consumers keep track. “The benefit is that if you pay attention to it, you end up paying less.” PAYING IN ADVANCE “One of the downfalls of the current way that folks use electricity,” says Sipes, “is that they turn on switches and things run in their homes without them even knowing about it, and at the end of the month they get a bill, and it’s a big surprise.” The new system will also change the way customers are charged. “The way electric usage and billing works today, you pay in the rear: You’re paying for something that you’ve already used,” he points out. But the new system includes an option that lets customers pay upfront for a specified amount of energy, like feeding quarters into a parking meter to buy a certain amount of time. They can then track their energy use online or on their smartphone; automatic alerts will tell them when they need to make a payment or adjust their consumption.

“A lot of people like that,” notes Sipes, “because it eliminates the need for a deposit. A big part of electric usage is about behavior,” he continues. “You can only influence behaviors if people know what it is they’re doing that’s causing issues. By having that transparency and visibility, we believe it will … help folks not just reduce usage during peak demand periods but reduce their usage overall.” PAYING TO SAY NO North Carolina’s Public Staff was established in 1977 to represent consumers’ interests. The independent state agency reviews proposed actions by utilities, investigates complaints and makes recommendations to the Utilities Commission to ensure that power companies’ rates are reasonable. Last year, the Public Staff reviewed a proposed opt-out fee for customers declining to accept the new meters. The agency’s recommendations could also apply to Asheville and Buncombe County residents. According to Duke, there’s no equipment or installation charge for customers receiving the new meters, since those costs are factored into the current rates. But if the Utilities Commission gives its approval, anyone wanting to opt out of the program would have to pay a one-time $150 setup fee to cover the administrative work involved in processing the request, followed by a monthly $11.75 nonusage fee (because meter readers would be needed to serve those locations). That works out to $291 the first year and $141 a year after that. James McLawhorn, director of the Public Staff’s Electric Division, says, “We looked at the proposed fees and how they were derived, and we were able to determine that they were cost-based fees; the calculations were done accurately. That’s not commenting on whether we thought they were appropriate to apply, just that they were based on costs — they weren’t something that [the company] just pulled out of the air.” Those fees would be a lot lower if they were spread over all of Duke’s customers instead of just the few who opt out (less than 1 percent so far, in the areas where the program’s already in place). But the company prefers not to do it that way. “It just doesn’t seem fair that we would charge other cus-

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G REEN SC E N E tomers for the unique preference that some customers might have,” Sipes explains. And though the fees haven’t been implemented yet, the Public Staff has received about 60 complaints about them and other aspects of the smart meter program over the past two years, notes McLawhorn. (To view these complaints on the agency’s web page, look up docket no. E-7, sub 1115.) HEALTH CONCERNS Some of the roughly 1,400 North Carolina customers who’ve opted out have cited health concerns, says McLawhorn. “But a lot of them have said there could be health impacts, or that they’ve seen studies or read reports and are concerned: They didn’t assert that they’d actually experienced health impacts.” The root issue is the additional exposure to radio frequencies emitted by the meters. Duke contends that common household items such as microwaves and cellphones emit far more radio frequency than smart meters do. “Whether you believe it or not, the facts are that the amount of electromagnetic frequency is pretty small compared to other sources,” says Sipes. “There has never been any conclusive evidence that EMF causes any health issues.” Asked about the health concerns, Mayfield said she’s aware of them but doesn’t know enough to comment, adding that the task force hasn’t had time to consider them yet. Still, Wasmer — who serves on the task force’s Technology Subcommittee — isn’t convinced. “One of the main contentions about the smart meters is that they’re not

ENERGY ENTHUSIAST: Asheville resident Mike Wasmer began attending meetings of the monthly task force shortly after it launched last May. An artist, Wasmer also works in home renovation. More recently, he’s added “energy enthusiast” to his résumé. Photo courtesy of Wasmer broadcasting all the time: They’re broadcasting for a few seconds to a minute per hour,” he explains. “But when you cram dozens into a neighborhood or onto an apartment building, you’re starting to fill up a por-

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

tion of that hour with Wi-Fi signals. People will say, ‘Yeah, it’s just a Wi-Fi signal; it’s no stronger than your cellphone,’ but it has an extensive capacity to increase the signal strength if it’s having trouble communicating.” PUTTING THE GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE

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Dr. David Carpenter, a public health physician who serves as director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the State University at Albany, N.Y., shares Wasmer’s concern about smart meters. On Aug. 2, 2016, Carpenter and four other scientists and health professionals submitted a letter to the Utilities Commission outlining adverse effects.

“With regard to radio frequency fields, the evidence is certainly the strongest for brain cancer resulting from cellphone use,” says Carpenter, who’s also a professor of environmental health science. He concedes, however, that there’s no direct evidence related to smart meters, due in part to the technology’s relative newness. “While there have been measurements of the characteristics of the radiation that comes from the smart meters, there have not been specific health effect studies that have really done what I would call a first-rate study.” Carpenter says he’s not opposed to new technologies. He just thinks they should be assessed more carefully. “It’s been full speed ahead ... without testing them first,” he points out. “That’s happening without any thought, any review of the evidence.” In August 2015, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services issued a report titled Health Impacts of Advanced Metering Systems (Smart Meters), which states, “There is insufficient evidence to link RF exposures to adverse health outcomes.” In their letter to the Utilities Commission, however, Carpenter and his colleagues strongly dispute this report’s findings, saying it cited unqualified reviewers who relied on industry representatives for their information. Insufficient evidence, notes Carpenter, is the same argument that was made for decades concerning the relationship between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. “Press reports that say the results are not conclusive … cast doubt in the mind of everybody,” he points out. “And it just basically says, ‘Ignore the evidence. Don’t bother to look at it. Don’t bother to read it. It’s not conclusive.’” And that, maintains Carpenter, can lead to big problems later on. “If we implement all these new technologies without really critically looking at these problems,” he warns, “it’s going to be very difficult to undo the damage. We have a long history of other environmental exposures where we brought things on the market without carefully studying them in advance. It’s very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle.”

In an email follow-up, Miles responded that smart meters “are very secure and have been tested by Duke Energy and outside firms. … All data sent to and from the meter is fully encrypted, and each meter contains a unique key for authentication on the Duke network.” The utility, she said, is “confident smart meters are safe and customer data is kept private.” Wasmer, however, isn’t reassured. “That’s just a description of a lock,” he says. “That doesn’t mean the lock is not pickable.” COMING SOON TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU

A CALL FOR DELIBERATION: Dr. David Carpenter says he’s not opposed to new technologies. He just thinks they should be assessed more carefully. Photo courtesy of Carpenter PRIVACY CONCERNS Another source of worry among customers, says McLawhorn, is privacy. In its review, the Public Staff shared this concern, noting that Duke may “need to address who owns the data, how the data can be distributed and privacy issues.” Sipes, however, maintains that there are “clear and robust laws that prevent [the company] from sharing that information with anyone without permission from the customer.” The Duke executive adds, “Confidentiality and data security are really a big deal to us. We’re very careful not to cross any of those lines.” Wasmer agrees that this kind of information cannot legally be shared, but he finds it cold comfort — in part because the very analytics and diagnostics that give customers insight into how they’re using energy will also be available to Duke. “Your power provider will know when you are home and when you’re not,” he points out. “Literally. Duke will know when you’re using its services and when you’re not.” This information, continues Wasmer, could also be valuable to potential hackers.

Whether deployment of these meters starts early next spring, as Sipes hopes, will depend on when the company feels it’s ready to shift its focus to this part of the state. Once a schedule is determined, says Miles, residents will be notified by mail a month in advance. These notices will include a phone number folks can call if they have any questions or concerns or want to opt out. Energy conservation aside, however, Duke also has a financial incentive for going ahead with the plan. Asked about the potential savings, Layne said there aren’t numbers yet for the WNC deployment. In the other parts of the state, though, the utility estimates “about a $4.5 million reduction in meter reading costs and $22.8 million in operations costs (because we’ll be able to connect and disconnect meters remotely)” over five years. “Those savings,” she noted, “are passed on to customers during rate reviews.” Sipes, meanwhile, says the switch won’t trigger significant job losses in WNC. Only about 10 meter reader positions will be affected, and those are contract workers hired through a third party. He also encourages people interested in learning more about the program to attend a task force meeting. “I suspect there will be future dialogue between our folks and committee members to help improve things even more,” he predicts. “I think it’s a great example of how the task force is really helping the community work in partnership with Duke Energy to create that energy future we’re all driving toward.” To receive updates about future meetings of the Energy Innovation Task Force, email Lauren Sexton at lsexton@ashevillenc.gov. X

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FARM & GA R DEN

by Maggie Cramer

mcramerwrites@gmail.com

Get growing with WNC’s grape guru The numbers aren’t exactly in Western North Carolina’s favor when it comes to grape cultivation. According to Chuck Blethen of Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard & Greenhouse Nursery, of the 15,000 varieties of grapes in the world, only about 70 grow well in this region. Unlike the California regions of Napa and Sonoma, it gets cold here — and stays cold. In other words, while some of the other thousands of varietals might survive a local winter, too many cool nights and too few hot days mean they wouldn’t thrive, never ripening enough to make good wine. But that doesn’t keep Blethen from encouraging farmers and home gardeners to get growing. After all, some varieties do flourish here, chiefly an indigenous cold-hardy muscadine called the Katuah muscadine. What’s more, the native grape prospers without chemical fertilizers and pesticides — as it’s resistant to most pests and diseases — making it

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS: On a Madison County hillside, Chuck and Jeannie Blethen grow cold-hardy Katuah muscadine grapes using organic and biodynamic methods. Photo courtesy of Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard

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a good choice for those interested in organics and biodynamics. Blethen has been propagating and naturally/biodynamically growing the Katuah muscadine for years. And he and his wife, Jeannie, recently became the first growers to successfully breed a cold-hardy scuppernong, a white muscadine variety, which they aptly named the Katuah scuppernong. Through their teaching vineyard, Blethen shares his wisdom and spreads the grape gospel. He sees grapes as a promising economic opportunity for WNC, citing more than 150 different products that can be made from the fruit.

This year, Jewel of the Blue Ridge is offering on-farm grape growing classes each month through the fall. The workshops run four hours, covering important aspects of cultivating coldhardy grapes in the mountains such as training and harvesting. Winemaking is also offered. May’s class will discuss planting, propagation tips, and trellis design and installation. A special session on Thursday, June 22, will focus on disease recognition and treatment. It will move to the Madison County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension in Marshall, whose specialists are partnering with Blethen to expand the content to also include other small fruits. X

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A grape education

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WHAT Growing Cold-Hardy Grapes in the Mountains workshops WHERE Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard in Madison County (with exception of June 22; see main article); receive directions after registering WHEN May 13, June 10 & 22, July 8, August 24 & 26, September 28, October 5 & 7; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. DETAILS Prices vary; visit jeweloftheblueridge.com for a complete workshop schedule with class descriptions and to register.

ECO PASSIVE SOLAR GREENHOUSE TOURS (PD.) M R Gardens. Saturdays, 11am, April 8-June 10. One-ofa-kind structure remains ideal growing temperature through the coldest parts of winter and in unseasonably warm weather. $5. • Sustainable plants available for sale. RSVP: (828) 3334151. megan@mrgardens.net

M ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7pm Eco-presentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Lenoir Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave. M ELISHA MITCHELL AUDUBON SOCIETY emasnc.org • TU (4/18), 7pm - “Saving the Red Wolf,” presentation by Christian Hunt on the plight of the remaining wild Red wolves in North Carolina. Free. Held in the UNC Asheville Reuter Center Held at UNCAsheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road M GREEN GRANNIES avl.mx/0gm • 3rd SATURDAYS, 4pm Sing-a-long for the climate. Information: singfortheclimate. com Free. Held at Pritchard Park, 4 College St.

FARM & GARDEN

M BUNCOMBE COUNTY EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS 255-5522, buncombemastergardener.org, BuncombeMasterGardeners@ gmail.com • TH (4/20), 11:30am-1pm Gardening in the Mountains Series: “Using Native Plants in Your Landscape,” workshop. Registration required: 828-2555522. Free. Held at Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Office, 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville M BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (4/18), 6:30pm - “Making a Meadow Garden” presentation by landscape architect and horticulturist Randy Burroughs. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville M CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE cityofhendersonville.org • THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS, until (5/13) Seasonal mulch and composted leaves giveaway. Thurs. & Fri.: 3:30-7pm. Sat.: 8am-noon. Free. Held at the old Waste Water Treatment Plant, 80 Balfour Road, Hendersonville M HAYWOOD COUNTY LIBRARY-CANTON 11 Pennsylvania Ave., Canton, 648-2924, haywoodlibrary.org • TH (4/20), 5:30pm -

Workshop to learn how to start seeds. Participants will leave with seed starts. Free.

M M R GARDENS 441 Onteora Blvd. • SATURDAYS through (6/10), 11am - Tours of passive solar greenhouse. Registration: megan@mrgardens.net or 828333-4151. $5 and up.

This Faerie Garden is built of a locally quarried stone called Hooper’s Creek. Visit our portfolio at hammerheadstoneworks.com Marc Archambault, Stone Mason (828) 337-7582 hammerheadstone@gmail.com

M ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL 552-4979, organicgrowersschool.org • TUESDAYS through (4/25), 7-9pm - Class series on all aspects of growing food. Register for more information and locations: organicgrowersschool.org/events/getgrowing-series/. $35 per class.

M POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST polkcountyfarms.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8am Monthly breakfast with presentations regarding agriculture. Admission by donation. Held at the 4-H Center, Locust St, Columbus M WARREN WILSON COLLEGE 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, 2068877 • TH (4/20), 9am-3:30pm “Pastured Pork & Poultry Walk for Beginner Farmers,” workshop with lunch. Sponsored by NC Choices. $30/$10 students.

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

FOOD

DOLLARS AND SENSE Double Up Food Bucks program benefits both Asheville SNAP participants and local farmers mojokitchen.biz

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DOUBLING DOWN: Andrew Goodheart Brown, left, and Bobby Sullivan work in the produce section at the French Broad Food Co-op. The downtown market is one of two Asheville grocery retailers that will begin offering Double Up Food Bucks benefits on locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables to SNAP users this month. Photo by Cindy Kunst

BY JONATHAN AMMONS jonathanammons@gmail.com For a city known as Foodtopia, Asheville often struggles to provide its less privileged citizens access to the promised paradise. Between rising housing prices and the ever-growing urban sprawl, nonprofit Feeding America, which counts MANNA FoodBank among its member organizations, found in a 2014 study that 14.3 percent of the population of Buncombe County is food-insecure.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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Data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that one in six North Carolinians rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), and 44 percent of those recipients are children. Another large percentage of the state’s SNAP benefits go to the elderly and disabled. So what can a city do? How can a place like Asheville, known for

its award-winning chefs and thriving restaurant scene, keep its kids from going hungry? Along with other methods of attack, the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council has discovered another potentially effective tool for chipping away at the region’s food insecurity. Slated for implementation locally at the end of April, the Double Up Food Bucks program was originally developed to alleviate food insecurity in Detroit.

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY “It began at a handful of farmers markets, and over the years it spread outward to more states and more types of retail facilities,” says Nicole Hinebaugh, program director at Bountiful Cities, which has taken on the task of overseeing the program’s pilot project. “It is now in about 20 states across the U.S. in farmers markets, grocery stores, corner stores, CSAs [community supported agriculture projects] and farm stands. Any place that you can accept SNAP and that has locally grown produce available is able to host this program.” The basic idea is that anyone who receives federal SNAP or EBT benefits can venture into any participating Double Up Food Bucks location, and their purchase of locally grown produce — and only produce — will be matched dollar for dollar on any other fruit and veggies purchased from the same establishment. “It is a way for low-income shoppers — people who are using SNAP and EBT — to double their bucks on local produce purchases,” explains Hinebaugh. According to CBPP, the average SNAP benefit per recipient per meal in North Carolina is a meager $1.33 — sales tax is excluded from SNAP sales. The promise of doubling those dollars could potentially add up to some significant numbers in the long run. In a 2013 report, Moody’s Analytics estimated that in a slumping economy, every dollar spent through SNAP generates $1.70 in economic activity, allowing families that are stressed for every penny a little slack to spend money on household and personal needs outside the grocery store. SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMERS “Local food can be more expensive,” says Terri March, who oversees the Buncombe County Community Health Improvement Process. The partnership between Mountain Area Health Education Center and Buncombe County Health and Human Services is another key partner in the implementation of the Double Up Food Bucks initiative. “But that is potentially one of the win-wins in this, is that it is also a gift back to our local economy and local farmers. By increasing people’s purchasing power, it makes produce that maybe ordinarily seemed out of reach of a SNAP participant affordable. So we are hoping that people

will now see that because they do have those extra resources, that they can actually afford to purchase local food.” It is helpful to view the program, in this sense, less as an expansion of SNAP and more as a local subsidy for regional farmers. As Hinebaugh observes, “What’s happened across the country, is that this has enabled farmers to expand their operations, make more money, purchase equipment they haven’t been able to purchase before and even grow more varieties of food. And it keeps our local dollars in the local economy.” One of the factors that can keep locally grown foods at a prohibitive price point is consumption, or lack thereof. But the closer the amount grown comes to balancing with the amount sold, the more likely the price is to drop to rates more competitive and comparable with mass-distributed produce. It’s the old supply-and-demand chart in living, breathing action. The ABFPC’s planning team, which has worked for more than a year to launch Double Up Food Bucks, will continue to manage the pilot effort. The team includes representatives from Buncombe County, the county Department of Health and Human Services, MANNA FoodBank, MAHEC, Youth Empowered Solutions, UNC Asheville, the North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness and the YWCA. STARTING SMALL To begin with, the program will focus on gaining a foothold in retail shops. Two stores will kick off the dollarfor-dollar matching effort: the French Broad Food Co-op — which has been involved since the program’s inception — and the West Village Market. Both stores are noticeably more expensive than major grocers, but both also maintain a strong focus on and offer a wide variety of local produce. Two more

locations are expected to be added by the end of 2017. If after one year the pilot program has proven effective, the intention is for Macon County-based nonprofit MountainWise to assume control of the project from the small and locally focused Bountiful Cities. MountainWise would then apply for a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant, which would potentially fund the project for three years, allowing the organization to expand westward into remote mountain communities hardhit with food insecurity. “We are starting small with the intention of being able to get the system going, and so we can start producing some results that we can take to additional funding sources and say, ‘Look, not only has this program shown amazing results across the country, but even right here it is having a strong effect,’” says Hinebaugh. She says that the initiative would love to attract the investment of larger retail grocers like Ingles and Sav-Mor and as well as other smaller outlets such as Hopey & Co., but she understands a business’s reluctance to jump headfirst into a program that has yet to prove its functionality. “Michigan and their Fair Food Network has done a lot of research on what we can expect locally,” says March, noting that the Detroit pilot program served 3,600 participants, 88 percent of whom reported buying more fruits and veggies, 57 percent of whom bought less junk food, with a total of $16,000 spent on locally grown produce. “We do not expect numbers quite that high; ours is a much, much smaller effort. But you can see that the dollars spent count. This is a very successful model that we are building on here.” X

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

FO OD

by Nick Wilson

nickjames.w@gmail.com

SOUTHERN MIGRATION Since the 1950s, a brick ranch-style house has stood at 16 Miami Circle in the heart of South Asheville. That’s about to change, however, thanks to White Duck Taco Shop co-owners Ben Mixson and Laura Reuss. The former family home is undergoing a complete structural renovation that will turn it into Asheville’s third White Duck Taco Shop. Mixson and Reuss have a history of choosing unique spaces to house their operations. “The original Asheville White Duck, in the River Arts District, took over an old chicken hatchery,” notes Mixson. “The downtown location was a pizza restaurant at one point, the Charleston location was a karate dojo, the Johnson City space was an old train station, Columbia was a cotton mill, and the new Greenville location we’re working on used to be some sort of textile factory. So we’re definitely used to unique conversions, and character is important to us.” That description also fits the South Asheville site. The spacious 1.3-acre property off Long Shoals Road sits next to T.C. Roberson High School and offers views of Lake Julian. Still, says Mixson, “We’ve never converted a residential space into a commercial one. Believe me, it would have been faster and cheaper and a lot easier just to knock the whole thing down and build something new with less character, but it’s part of our longterm strategy to create unique restaurant spaces, and when I first saw this place, I just knew it was going to work for us.” The extensive renovation is nearly finished now, but it’s taken a

CHARACTER MATTERS: Converting a former family home into a restaurant space has presented numerous challenges, says White Duck co-owner Ben Mixson. But part of his business’s long-term plan is to create unique dining venues. “When I first saw this space,” he says, “I knew it was going to work for us.” Photo by Nick Wilson major effort. “It’s amazing how much work is required to take an old building and make it commercial but still make it feel like an old building,” he says. “We’ve had to do a complete gut job — redo the subfloors and the entire foundation — to be able to support everything we need to run

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White Duck comes to Skyland

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our business.” For White Duck, that includes being able to accommodate upward of 100 patrons at any given time. Some locations see about 500 customers a day. The original floor plan and exterior will be largely unchanged, but the roof is being completely replaced. “Steel beams are being put in to support a lofted ceiling that will be 10 feet higher than the original,” Mixson explains. “It’s going to feel much bigger and more open.” A major draw for the new Skyland shop will be the large, wooded outdoor space behind the restaurant, with lake views, plenty of tables for customers and at least 40-50 parking spaces. Other possible amenities include a play area for kids and lawn games for customers. “Just to be able to hang out outside and actually have space in Asheville is really refreshing,” notes Mixson. “Michel [Baudouin] is kind of doing the same thing with his new Bouchon location in East Asheville —

just making a place where people who live here can go and not have to fight for parking.” LONG-TERM THINKING The new location is also a chance to promote longtime Asheville staff. “That’s really what we’re doing: growing the brand and trying to create permanent positions for our long-term staff,” says Mixson. “When we find good people, we don’t lose them. The guy who’ll be running this location, Marcus Smith, actually went to T.C. Roberson High School and lives just right over there in the neighborhood. I promised him three years ago that we’d find him a long-term home.” White Duck, he continues, tries “to pay people well and compensate accordingly. This year, for example, we started retirement plans for our staff. Once someone hits three years with us, we contribute 10 percent of

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UP IN THE AIR: Although the building’s original floorplan and exterior are largely unaltered, the roof is being completely replaced and raised an additional 10 feet to create a lofted ceiling. Photo by Nick Wilson their base pay to a retirement plan. We feel it’s just the right thing to do.” Asked how he feels about the business’s rapid growth since its launch in the spring of 2011, Mixson says, “It’s kind of hard to put it all in perspective because I don’t feel like I’m successful. I’m too busy dealing with the nuts and bolts, and spending a lot of time poking my head up and seeing which way the wind is blowing, rather than just letting the wind carry me, if that makes sense.” Still, the restaurant’s impressive track record speaks for itself. When the Skyland and Greenville shops are completed later this spring, Mixson and Reuss will officially be responsible for seven locations and nearly 70 employees. And in light of that, how much further do they want to take the White Duck brand? “Asheville is growing so fast right now, and it’s not even just Asheville. A bunch of cities are experiencing a lot of growth right now,” notes Mixson. “How much longer do I think it’s going to grow? And how exposed am I willing to be to what I think might happen in the future? And how protected do I want to feel throughout that process? Sure, we could grow, but that’s really the question. … I mean, I can guess, but there are some unknowns.

“I firmly believe in cycles,” he continues. “I feel like we’re either at a peak or getting close to a peak of an economic cycle right now. I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but I feel very lucky to have been a part of it. Laura and I just feel so fortunate that Asheville has been so support-

ive of the White Duck. If you know the answers, please tell me,” he says, laughing. The Skyland location is due to open in May at 16 Miami Circle. It will feature the same menu available at the other White Duck shops. For details, visit whiteducktacoshop.com. X

1987 Hendersonville Rd. Ste A • Asheville, NC • (828) 676-2172 (near the intersection of Longshoals & Hendersonville Rd) • Reservations Available M-F 11am-2:30pm & 5pm-9:30pm • Sat 11am-9:30pm • Sun 12pm-9:30pm MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Buxton’s Beach Bash Spam musubi looks like sushi, in that two of its three key ingredients are rice and nori. The distinction, however, lies in its name: a slice of grilled Spam rather than your more traditional seafood option. It’s a popular Hawaiian dish and will be on the tiki-themed menu at Buxton’s Beach Bash. The collaborative effort takes place Saturday, April 15, on the outside patio of Catawaba Brewing Co. Buxton Hall Barbecue will offer tiki-inspired island cuisine, while Catawaba will provide pours of tropical brews. Along with the Spam musubi, guests can expect pit-smoked whole-hog barbecue plates and sandwiches (both with a Hawaiian-style sauce option), as well as an island twist on Buxton’s fried chicken sandwich, Spam-fried rice, macaroni salad and grilled pineapple salad. In addition to food and drink, there will be live entertainment provided by DJ Dr. Filth, as well as live performances from the Ouroboros Boys and The Nude Party. Jennifer Moss, Buxton Hall’s catering director, describes both bands as ’60s-inspired surf-rock. The live bands are a first for Buxton Hall, as is the tiki-themed

A tropical-themed party welcomes spring on the South Slope

TIKI TIME: Chef Elliott Moss will give his famous whole-hog barbecue and fried chicken sandwich a Hawaiian twist for Buxton’s Beach Bash on Saturday, April 15. Tropical brews from Catawba Brewing Co. will complement the tiki-themed menu. Photo by Thomas Calder menu. “We’ve never done anything like this before,” Moss says. “I hope people will come out. It’ll be a really good time.” Buxton’s Beach Bash runs 2-8 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at Catawba Brewing Co., 32 Banks Ave. Admission is free. This is a family-friendly event. For more information, visit buxtonhall.com.

The West Asheville Egg Hunt runs 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at Rainbow Community Center, 60 State St. It is free and open to the public. Street parking is encouraged due to limited space. For more information, email info@gatheringasheville.org.

WEST ASHEVILLE EGG HUNT

Nowruz is the Persian New Year. It translates to “a new day” and symbolizes the coming of spring. It is also the theme for an upcoming dinner at Table restaurant. As part of a greater series of community-focused dinners, the gathering will feature three local chefs: Jacob Sessoms of Table, Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani and A-B Tech culinary instructor Reza Setayesh. Table’s general manager, Kelly Vormelker, notes that the dinner will include three family-style courses: mezza, or small dishes; a main dish; and dessert. She adds that

The West Asheville Egg Hunt returns to the Rainbow Community Center on Saturday, April 15. The family-friendly gathering will offer children, kindergarten through fifth grade, the chance to hunt down and collect these prizefilled treats. Additional activities and games include cornhole, face painting and a bubble machine. This year’s West Asheville Egg Hunt has a food focus as well. Kona Ice and Mojo’s BBQ & Grill will both be participating in the event.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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NOWRUZ: UNITY AT THE TABLE

all three chefs will be “collaborating on each course, as opposed to each chef taking a particular dish.” While menu specifics will not be released, Vormelker says guests can expect dishes that include hummus, eggplant, saffron, goat meat and chicken, along with dessert pastries inspired by all three cultures represented — Persian, Sephardic and Parsi. The dinner will include shared carafes of wine. Nowruz takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Table, 48 College St. Tickets are $80 per person, tax and gratuity not included. All proceeds benefit Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción, a local organization that strives to create inclusive communities with justice, freedom and equality for all. To learn more about the organization, visit cimawnc.org. Email info@tableasheville.com for reservations or call the restaurant at 828-254-8980. BRUNCH AT STAR DINER On Easter Sunday, Star Diner will launch a Sunday brunch menu. Highlights will include crab cake Benedict with asparagus, two poached eggs and béarnaise sauce; Annie’s challah French toast with amaretto whipped cream, toasted almonds and maple syrup; and the Star tenderloin burger, a combination of ground beef, veal, pork and bacon, stacked with seared foie gras, lettuce, tomato and pickled red onions. Among the menu’s beverage choices are mimosas, bottomless coffee and Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. Prices range from $12-$20. Star Diner is at 115 N. Main St., Marshall. Brunch will be served noon3 p.m. Sundays beginning April 16. Reservations are encouraged. Call 828-649-9900. For more on Star Diner, visit avl.mx/3ia.

WEEKNIGHT SPECIALS, KIDS MENU AT GAN SHAN STATION Gan Shan Station has rolled out a new themed weeknight specials menu. Mondays are $2 off draft beer; Tuesdays are Build-A-Bowl Ramen Night with plates starting at $9; Wednesdays are $4 per plate Bun Night; Thursdays are $44 Whole Fish Night. The restaurant also now offers a kids menu with choices such as grilled chicken tenders, chicken wings and a fresh veggie plate. Kids desserts are available as well. Prices range from $5 to $8.50. Gan Shan Station is at 143 Charlotte St. Hours are Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. For further details, visit ganshanstation.com. HIGH FIVE COFFEE OPENS NEW LOCATION IN WOODFIN High Five Coffee will open a third location at 2010 Riverside Drive in May as part of the Mill at Riverside complex. In a press release, owner Jay Weatherly says, “This new location will be an easy spot for folks in the Woodfin and the North Asheville area to grab a coffee and a snack. It’s a unique little outpost right on the river that I believe will become a sweet spot for locals, offering a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Asheville.” Specialty coffee, canned and draft beer, and graband-go foods are all on the shop’s streamlined menu. The new High Five Coffee will be at 2010 Riverside Drive. Hours will be Monday-Sunday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. For details, visit highfivecoffee.com. X

WE’RE RENOVATING!

Same vibe & great prices

CLOSED Starting Easter, 4/16 See our website for more details!

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

CAROLINA BEER GUY

FOOD

by Tony Kiss | avlbeerguy@gmail.com

Brews and bites Make room at the table for the latest Asheville brewery. Hillman Beer opened Saturday, April 8, at 25 Sweeten Creek Road, pushing the Asheville-Buncombe brewery total to 34, with even more still to come. The brewery, operated by Brad Hillman, his brother Greig Hillman, and Greig’s wife Brandi Hillman, includes the Rise Above Deli run by Brandon Murry. The deli serves such classic foods as a Reuben sandwich, house-made sourdough bread, a smoked turkey sandwich and vegetarian items. The brewery occupies the former Paparazzi’s bar and grill building on Sweeten Creek Road. The area, which is only two miles from Asheville’s busy South Slope brewing district and borders Biltmore Village and the Oakley community, is developing its own brewing scene. Sweeten Creek Brewing, French Broad Brewing,

Cafe, Market & Beverage Budget Friendly

Hillman Beer and Rise Above Deli open on Sweeten Creek Road

BEER AND A SANDWICH: The new Hillman Beer brewery and its partner, Rise Above Deli, opened Saturday, April 8, at 25 Sweeten Creek Road. The brewery is owned by brewer Brad Hillman, his brother Greig Hillman and Greig’s wife Brandi. Photo courtesy Hillman Beer Catawba Brewing and the new Burial Beer Forestry Camp production facility and soon-to-be taproom are all nearby. Brad Hillman, who will handle the brewing duties, has been testing and developing recipes for more than a year. “We are really excited to hear the buzz [about the brewery] around town and to let people taste our beers,” he says. He previously lived in Charleston, S.C., and has worked in restaurants for most of his life. “We wanted to do a brewpub with a nice comfortable environment, a cool atmosphere and a cool vibe,” he says. “People here have proven that they love beer and going to breweries.”

The Rise Above Deli is a separate business from the brewery, but customers won’t notice the difference, says Murry, who previously ran the Rise Above Bread bakery and also worked at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. He joined the team through his friendship with the Hillman brothers. “I knew they were interested in putting out food, and I approached them about partnering up,” he says. “We are both focusing on what we are passionate about.” His first step was making major renovations to the kitchen space, which he described as previously being in bad shape from the old Paparazzi’s days.

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This is Murry’s first time in the deli business, but there are some similarities between his previous work and the new venture. “I would say that baking and doing pastries requires a skilled hand and an attention to detail, which does transfer to deli work,” he says. Murry says he’ll be “doing everything” at the deli but has also hired three employees. “We are making all of our bread from scratch,” Murry says. “We are pickling the meats. My brisket for corned beef and pastrami sits in a salt brine for a week. I am doing things as traditionally as possible, but with my own twists.” For those who want vegetarian options, Murry will have falafel, a tempeh Reuben and kale salad. “We are making pita breads in house and the chickpea batter from scratch.” He is also sourcing ingredients locally and regionally — meats come from Hickory Nut Gap Farm and the tempeh from Smiling Hara. The flour is purchased from Lindley Mills in Graham. Customers order food items at the Hillman Beer bar, where they can also get a brew. The deli and brewery share a public space for eating and drinking.. The Rise Above name “just came to” Murry one day, he says. The band Black Flag has a song by that name, and the deli logo is also similar to the group’s logo, he said. Hillman Beer has a 5-barrel brewing system with 10-barrel fermenters. The tasting room has inside seating for about 80, with outdoor picnic table seating for about another 80. This weekend, Hillman will tap a half dozen of his beers, including a German kolsch, an ESB, an American brown ale, a Belgian pale ale, an IPA and a golden pale ale. Alcohol by volume ranges between 5 and 6.5 percent, he says. More beers are in the tanks, including a Belgian double and tripel. The brewery has plenty of parking, including an on-site lot that can handle 35 cars, and there are other nearby lots that customers can use as well. Brewery hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-10 pm. Saturday and Sunday. The deli is open during brewery hours and will eventually open for lunch, Hillman says. Hillman Beer and Rise Above Deli are at 25 Sweeten Creek Road. For more details, visit hillmanbeer.com. X

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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

SPOKEN AND WRITTEN

Asheville Wordfest returns after last year’s hiatus

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. When it comes to Asheville’s writers, poets and storytellers, absence can also make the heart grow ever more inquisitive, if not a tad bit anxious. “People were asking me, ‘When is it happening again?’” says Laura Hope-Gill, founder and organizer of Asheville Wordfest. The questions began last year, following the festival’s hiatus. It was the first time the event hadn’t taken place since Hope-Gill launched it in 2007. A number of factors played into the decision, including the declining health and death of Hope-Gill’s father. But come Tuesday, April 18, Asheville Wordfest — a series of readings, workshops and open mic sessions — returns. The six-day series will feature more than 25 local wordsmiths sharing their works at venues throughout downtown Asheville. Participating locations include the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, The BLOCK off Biltmore, aSHEville Women’s Museum and Hotel Indigo. Hope-Gill considers the last decade a learning process, one that she has continued to build upon in order to make Asheville Wordfest what it is today. She notes that at its outset, the grant-funded festival focused primarily on recognized and celebrated names, such as Galway Kinnell, Li-Young Lee and Valzhyna Mort. “It was shiny and great, but it wasn’t a community festival, really,” she says. But when the recession hit and funding dropped, Hope-Gill turned to homegrown talent and support. “I drew on community voices and unearthed intercommunity bridges,” she says. “Build up, not bring in — that’s the way. After 10 years, Wordfest has this reputation for being a place of diversity. We don’t have to fly in our multicultural lineup. We have it right here. Let’s listen to our stories. Let’s hear each other. That’s a community festival.” That doesn’t mean, however, that national talent is prohibited from participating. This year’s festival will host two visiting writers.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

FINDING POWER IN POETRY: In Elizabeth Meade’s poem, “Way of Small Warriors,” she writes: “I want to be like grass/growing through cracks/in the concrete — reaching/ or light, even when sitting in darkness.” Photo by Thomas Calder Minnesota-based poet and Poetry Slam champion Danny Solis will be among those reading Friday, April 21, at The BLOCK off Biltmore. Quraysh Ali Lansana, the director of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Creative Writing and Poetry, will lead a workshop on Saturday, April 22, and give a public reading that night. But mostly the festival will emphasize and celebrate local and regional talent. Among those involved in this year’s fest is poet and Asheville resident Elizabeth Meade. A first-time participant, she’ll read a series of poems at the aSHEville Women’s Museum on Wednesday, April 19, in an event including Jessica Jacobs, Nickole Brown, Jadwiga McKay and Lori Horvitz.

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Meade, who has cerebral palsy, says some of her work explores her disability. But most of her poems center on “being alive in the here and now and being human and examining what that’s like.” Issues of love, self-acceptance and curiosity are prominent in her writing. The latter, she notes, is of particular interest and importance. Poetry, says Meade, encourages her “to pay attention to the various things in my life that make my life rich. … That’s one of my favorite things about writing poetry — to be able to capture, or to try to capture the extraordinary.” Meade is hopeful those who wouldn’t normally attend a poetry reading will consider giving Asheville Wordfest a chance. “I

think there’s a misconception about poetry … that it’s this kind of lofty or superintellectual thing,” she says. In Meade’s opinion, readings are about gaining new perspectives and broadening one’s experience: “As far as we know, we only have one lifetime in this one body, and this one human experience, and you never know what you might gain from listening to other people.” Another first-time participant at this year’s Asheville Wordfest is Appalachian State University history professor and eight-time Story Slam winner Ray Christian. The U.S. Army veteran will lead a workshop — “How to Write and Tell a Winning Five Minute Slam Story” — on Saturday, April 22, at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Asheville

TELLING TALES: “Stories help connect people,” says Ray Christian. “If you have a desire to be connected with other people, or a desire to tell your own truth, [Asheville Wordfest] is an opportunity for that.” Photo courtesy of Christian campus. Later that evening, he will share a tale at The BLOCK off Biltmore. In addition to being a regular at the Asheville Moth, Christian has toured with The Moth MainStage. His stories focus on a number of personal topics, including growing up in “a Southern ghetto in Richmond, Va.,” as well as his military service and his life in academics. These stories have landed him on stages across the country, including New York City, Detroit and Chicago. In October, Christian won the National Story Slam at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn. Even with these experiences and accolades, Christian says he’s impressed with the caliber of storytelling found in Asheville. “It is as good or better than what I’ve seen nationwide,” he says. “Asheville is on fire.” It’s this level of talent, Christian adds, that will be on display at Asheville Wordfest: “You get a chance to see a little bit of everything.” From poetry to prose, traditional to the more contemporary storytelling, guests, says Christian,

will get “a taste of the whole range.” Like Meade, Christian views Wordfest as an opportunity for people to connect. “Everybody has a story,” he says. “Hearing people’s stories is understanding people. Come on out and understand somebody. It’s probably more important now than it ever has been.” X

WHAT Asheville Wordfest WHERE At numerous downtown locations See avlwordfest.com for details WHEN Tuesday-Sunday, April 18-23 Advance tickets are $25 single-evening pass/ $150 full-weekend pass/ $35 workshop/ $85 all-workshop button (not needed if you have full-weekend pass)/ $15 “Honestly All I Can Do” pass See avl.mx/3ko for full schedule

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

A&E

by Daniel Walton

danielwwalton@live.com

‘THE FAMILY REUNION OF THE ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCENE’ Music Video Asheville’s 10th year boasts its biggest selection yet

RAISING THE BAR: In the early years, awards like Best Use of the Color Red or Best Use of Tiger celebrated the idiosyncrasies of the videos, but since 2013, judges have compared submissions more directly in categories such as cinematography and editing. Selections have improved, submissions have increased, and crowds have grown. Photo courtesy of Music Video Asheville

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In 2003, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City hosted an exhibition titled Golden Oldies of Music Video. The sights and sounds of Michael Jackson and Public Enemy bounced off the same walls that housed venerable Matisses and Picassos. As an art form, music videos could now be summarized in a tidy retrospective suitable for highbrow critics. Try telling that to Music Video Asheville. Now in its 10th year, the showcase of local musicians and videographers returns to the Diana Wortham

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Theatre on Wednesday, April 19. The awards show has grown from its modest beginnings at the nowdefunct Cinebarre movie house into a red-carpet extravaganza downtown — a course of success that mirrors the ever-increasing relevance of music videos themselves in the online age. Although its venue has quadrupled in capacity (from 120 to nearly 500 music video fans) the core purpose of Music Video Asheville has stayed the same over the past decade. “This is a firsthand way to see the best of what Asheville’s got when it

comes to music: a diverse blend of genres, amazing talent and edgy style,” says event organizer Kelly Denson. “It’s the family reunion of the Asheville music scene.” But Denson, now in her fifth year of co-organizing the awards with partner Jason Guadagnino, has also responded to shifts in Western North Carolina’s music video culture. The most obvious of these changes is the sheer quantity of videos now produced by area artists. “Back when we started, we showed every video we received,” says Denson. “If we did that now, it’d be a five-hour event.” This year, Music Video Asheville racked up a record 56 submissions, which a panel of local music, video and art professionals winnowed down to the best 90 minutes for viewing at the awards ceremony. Complicating that curation is the concurrent rise of video quality, fostered by easier access to recording equipment and editing software. Artists with a big vision no longer need an equally big budget to capture their ideas. “I’ve seen videos that people made entirely on their cellphones come in and compete head to head with videos that were made on really highquality cameras,” Denson says. As the tools of creativity have become less expensive, local video producers have experimented with more sophisticated techniques — such as the stop motion in “Opium Den” by rapper Foul Mouth Jerk, winner of Best Visual Design at the 2015 awards. “It was one of the best videos I’ve ever seen at Music Video Asheville, and it was made in his house using Barbie dolls and handmade sets,” says Denson. “But it was definitely rated R, so he had to tell his daughter not to come downstairs during filming!” In addition, technology has encouraged artists to create more and better videos by filling the void left by MTV and VH1 (which both originated with nearly exclusive

music video programming). Brian Adam Smith, a member of the Digital Creativity faculty at Clemson University’s Center of Excellence and entering his fourth year as a judge of Music Video Asheville, emphasizes YouTube’s importance to the music video revival. “Anything can be on YouTube, from ballet to Bob Ross painting,” he says. “But out of the top 20 most-viewed videos on YouTube, every single one is a music video. It’s arguably the most popular art form in the world.” YouTube has become the primary way that teenagers listen to music, as well as an important tool for booking agents to assess new acts. Given these high stakes, local artists are spending more effort on music videos — and Smith says that makes his job as a judge more difficult. “It’s getting harder every year for the panel to agree. The production quality is becoming so great, and there are so many talented musicians, videographers, directors and editors,” says Smith. Denson also notes that Music Video Asheville has become more focused on craftsmanship as the event has grown. In the early years, awards like Best Use of the Color Red or Best Use of Tiger celebrated the idiosyncrasies of the videos, but since 2013, judges have compared submissions more directly in categories such as cinematography and editing. “It’s still done in a spirit of

fun, but we’ve raised the bar of the competition higher and higher,” Denson says. In the future, both Denson and Smith expect Music Video Asheville to keep growing. Smith even suggests an eventual category for 360-degree music videos. He is already working with regional and Grammy Award-winning musicians, as well as large music festivals, to produce 360-degree live performances and virtual reality music videos. Denson is secretive, however, about what she has planned to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. “We have two surprise live performances that we’re going to keep under wraps,” she says. “They’re going to blow people’s minds, and that’s all I can say for the time being.” X

WHAT Music Video Asheville musicvideoavl.com WHERE Diana Wortham Theatre 2 S. Pack Square dwtheatre.com WHEN Wednesday, April 19, 5 p.m. $15 general admission/$30 VIP

Room to grow Last week, the Music Video Asheville team announced the official selections for this year’s festival. The 58 total submissions were culled down to the best 90 minutes for the program, as determined by a selection committee. And, while the 27 chosen videos run the gamut from rock (Crank County Daredevils) to hip-hop (Martin Snoddy), well-known acts (Jon Stickley Trio) and relative newcomers (Nathalie Jane Hill), what is not well-represented on the roster is videos by artists of color. “We only had submissions by five African American-fronted acts this year,” says Kelly Denson, who adds, “I believe events like ours should be held accountable by the media and the public to ensure that we are not, even unintentionally, racially biased.” Black musicians whose work will be shown at this year’s Music Video Asheville are Mook and TEYG (both hip-hop) and Virtuous (Christian hip-hop and R&B). Denson says she was concerned by the lack of artists of color and discussed that disparity with her team. The selection committee includes an African American member who “felt confident in our process and assured me that we had chosen the selections based on merit,” Denson says. “We make a very concerted effort to be able to curate a program that is as beautifully diverse as our music community.” She adds, “We look forward to future submissions from [bands] fronted by all races, genders, sexual orientation, ages, and physical and mental abilities.” Ideas about how this event and others can be more inclusive? Please share them at mountainx.com or by email to amarshall@mountainx.com. —Alli Marshall X

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin

edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

SONIC BANQUET The name Midnight Snack brings to mind an impulsive sojourn to one’s refrigerator in the dead of night. Contrary to that sense of instant gratification, the Asheville art-pop band that goes by the same moniker took its sweet time crafting its new LP, Child’s Eyes, a process that produced more of a late-night banquet than a simple side item. The group’s follow-up to 2014’s The Times will be launched Saturday, April 15, at Isis Music Hall. It’s the quintet’s first such show since relocating from Boston nearly three years ago and celebrates the ensemble’s evolved approach to making music. “In the past, we’ve always tried to track a record in a big, epic recording binge that lasts a couple of weeks and where everyone is working nonstop,” says frontman Jack Victor. “This time, we mostly worked on the record four days out of the week and took three days off to do other things, and those breaks were very helpful.” Choosing to craft the songs in Midnight Snack’s home studio and at the WAVL Industries Studio space run by Peter Brownlee (bass/engineering) and Mike Johnson (guitars/synthesizers/mixing) was crucial in establishing that freer schedule. Minus the pressure and constraints that come with paying for expensive recording time, Victor says the band “had a seemingly infinite amount of time to work on the project” and get his creations just right. As its title suggests, many of the songs that make up Child’s Eyes address the transition to adulthood, while others reflect on falling in love. Acutely aware of those well-

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Midnight Snack plays an album release show at Isis Music Hall

FRESH PERSPECTIVE: The songs on Midnight Snack’s new album, Child’s Eyes, address the transition to adulthood and falling in love. “It takes a certain amount of personal development and maturity to really love someone,” says frontman and songwriter Jack Victor, second from left. “I wanted to write about how being in love has helped me grow as a person.” Photo by Daniel Barlow worn topics’ universality, Victor feels that the intersection of the two themes helps set the lyrics apart. “It takes a certain amount of personal development and maturity to really love someone. I wanted to write about how being in love has helped me grow as a person,” he says. Multiple rounds of demos for most of the songs encouraged plentiful experimentation, part of an overall elevated openness encouraged by an increased sense of environmental comfort. “On the other hand, the spaces where we were working weren’t always the most conducive to recording, and we had limited access to microphones and other recording gear,” Victor says. “These limitations put us in a problem-solving mental space, which I believe ended up yielding more creative results. For example, we were really struggling to get great drum sounds at Pete and Mike’s studio, so Mike just fully committed to a retro/lo-fi sound for the drums with his mix. The album has lots of little artifacts from our recording environment that I think give it character.”

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Among those quirks, Victor singles out the discovery of a hallway in the house with “nice natural reverb,” which inspired him and his bandmates to set up an extra mic there while they tracked vocals. However, there’s a good reason he’s quick to discuss the percussive qualities of Child’s Eyes. The album is Midnight Snack’s first where Victor’s on a drum kit, but the instrument has always been his primary one. Before the new record, Victor played keyboards for the band, an extension of writing songs on piano. There was also the fact that a talented drummer was already in place — Brad Bahner played on the group’s early EPs and first album before Jacob Burnstein took over for The Times. “In a way, I think I wasn’t ready to be the drummer at the beginning, and those guys helped show me how it was done,” Victor says. “It never occurred to me that I could play until Jacob left the group, and I think the crisis of having a vacancy in the band caused the revelation. I also wanted to maintain my energy and delivery to the audience as a singer, which is why I decided to play

standing up for Midnight Snack. It’s been a lot of fun.” Fans who attend the Isis show will witness that arrangement, which also includes vocals by Katie Richter (trumpet) and Zack Kardon (guitars). In addition to the promise of a few surprises, the crowd will likely be treated to another rarity as well. Victor says there’s a strong possibility that the band will play Child’s Eyes in its entirety, from start to finish, at some point during the set, something unlikely to be seen on Midnight Snack’s forthcoming tour dates. X

WHO Midnight Snack with Emma’s Lounge WHERE Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Saturday, April 15, 9 p.m. $10

A&E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

WHAT COMES NATURALLY Vieux Farka Touré is the guitarplaying and singing son of the late Ali Farka Touré, the Malian musician responsible for helping to bridge the gap between traditional West African music and the blues. But from the very beginning of his own musical career, Vieux has charted his own musical path. He’s a popular draw locally; in recent years he’s played LEAF and Goombay, and has headlined The Orange Peel and New Mountain as well. Touré takes the stage at The Mothlight on Thursday, April 13. The elder Touré never wanted his son to become a musician; he wanted an easier life for Vieux. Bowing somewhat to his father’s wishes, Vieux did not begin his recording career until after the 2006 death of Ali. And though he has been touring and recording for a decade now, Vieux still recognizes the responsibility that comes with his famous moniker. The Touré name “is a large part of my professional identity,” he admits, “whether or not I chose to embrace this. While there is a lot of pressure to walk in his footsteps, I am very proud to have this responsibility. It is an honor for me to continue his legacy.” But Vieux doesn’t mimic his father’s musical approach. One listen to “Homafu Wawa,” the opening track on Samba, his seventh and latest album, demonstrates that vividly. The guitar textures on the tune owe at least as much to indie-rock as to African musical traditions. “I do not need to be exactly as Ali was and do exactly what he did,” Vieux says, “but rather operate in the same spirit of honoring our culture while also growing the tradition to include different styles and ideas.” He says that as he grew up (Vieux was born in 1981) he absorbed the influences of Western pop and rock music. “For an artist to be honest, he must make art that comes naturally,” Touré says. “And for me, what comes naturally is a mix of traditional music and modern music.” Keen listeners will discover just how successfully Vieux creates that mix. “Homafu Wawa” has a strong central melody of its own but also incorporates a melodic line from the reggae and rock classic “I Shot the Sheriff.” “Yes, of course,” Vieux admits. “This is a small homage to the king, the great Bob Marley. He is

Vieux Farka Touré returns to Asheville Samba was cut live in the studio, with an audience present. And each of the album’s 10 songs was performed and recorded only once, capturing and preserving a sense of spontaneity. The inspiration for that approach comes from a quality source. “James Brown once said, ‘The first take is God, the second take is man,’” Touré says. “And I agree with the great Godfather of Soul.” X

WHO Vieux Farka Touré with Last Good Tooth WHERE The Mothlight 701 Haywood Road themothlight.com

MAKING MUSIC HONESTLY: Vieux Farka Touré pays homage to the legacy of his legendary father, but his own music combines West African traditions with more modern influences. Photo by Zeb Goodell

WHEN Thursday, April 13, 9 p.m. $15 advance/$10 day of show

a big inspiration for me and for the people of Mali in general.” Vieux arrives at his mix of styles effortlessly. “Honest art does not calculate which influences to use and which ones not to use,” he says. Beyond the debt Vieux owes to the legacy of his father, he accepts accountability as well toward those who listen to his music. “My responsibility is to put my heart and soul into the album, to make it as strong and pure as I can,” he says. “The responsibility I have to my fans is the same one that I have to myself. I must simply put forth the best effort that I can and try to express what is inside of me as directly as possible through my music.” The album title Samba has nothing to do with the same-named Brazilian style of music, though the latter does, in fact, have roots in West African tradition. “In my language, the Sonrai language, ‘samba’ means ‘second-born,’” Touré explains. “This is me in Ali’s family.” The song “Samba Si Kairi” is the album’s centerpiece. “This song talks about my childhood, my parents,” Touré says. “My grandfather would sing ‘Samba Si Kairi’ to me as a child, and I would dance. Samba, who never breaks, who never runs from threats, who is not afraid. This song is an homage to my grandparents.”

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

SMART BETS

A&E

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

Hex Hex, a new bimonthly dance benefit, will support local organizations that have been or could be negatively affected by the current political administration. One hundred percent of proceeds from the first event will go directly to Our VOICE. “With so much going on in the world, it can be so hard to figure out what to do — and Hex is a product of trying to figure that out,” says co-founder Evan Cohen. “We hope that with a bimonthly event, we’ll be able to raise funds for many different organizations ... and give people an outlet to connect.” The first Hex, which will include performances by hip-hop artist Nervous Dupree and three local DJs, takes place at The Mothlight on Friday, April 14, at 9 p.m. $5. themothlight.com. Photo courtesy of Hex

Roots in the Guild In the 1970s, nine women artists joined the Southern Highland Craft Guild looking for sales opportunities, education and collaboration, but they also found community and friendship. “Having so much in common drew us together, and we in many ways became sisters,” remembers Diane Tunkel Hanson. Though their lives took different paths, the artists reunited for a show with the Southern Highland Craft Guild, inspired and organized by Ann Hughes. Roots in the Guild: 9 Women Artists Today features Hughes, Hanson, Jimmie Benedict, Ellen Crandall, Bernie Rowell, Gina Anderson, Pat Herzog, Judi Gaston and Rosa Kennedy, and explores how they’ve developed as artists and friends. The show runs through May 9 at the Folk Art Center’s Focus Gallery. All nine artists will host an opening reception on Saturday, April 15, from 1-3 p.m. Free. southernhighlandguild.org. “Josie’s Spirit House” by Ann Hughes

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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Noname Rapper and poet Noname’s big break came in 2013, when the young artist appeared on fellow Chicagoan Chance the Rapper’s song “Lost.” Three years later, she released her much-anticipated debut album, Telefone. Acclaim for the record came quickly, earning Noname coveted spots on 2017 lineups, including seven appearances at last month’s South by Southwest, several tour stops with Lauryn Hill and performances at upcoming megafestivals Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Born from slam poetry traditions and influenced by artists ranging from rapper/songwriter Andre 3000 to bluesman Buddy Guy, Noname’s unique brand of rap is as gently poetic as it is brutally observant. Noname will perform her coming-of-age hip-hop at The Orange Peel on Friday, April 14, at 9 p.m. $20/$25. theorangepeel.net. Photo by Bryan Allen Lamb

Salvage Station Arts Festival Salvage Station will kick off its 2017 event season with the inaugural Salvage Station Arts Festival, featuring a variety of local artists, crafters and others. The sprawling bar and restaurant along the French Broad River offers a large venue for vendors to sell their wares. “I’m excited to be a part of this event because I love the space. It’s perfect for bringing folks together for the common goal of sharing their passions,” says Kristen Oxtoby of Hauntingly Familiar Vintage, one of the sellers. The festival takes place Saturday, April 15, 1-5 p.m. Free. salvagestation.com. Image courtesy of Salvage Station

A& E CA L E N DA R

by Abigail Griffin

FORAGED COLORS: Downtown Books and News is hosting an exhibition of portraits of “magical women” created by Asheville-based artist Suzanne Joy Teune with plant dyes that were foraged from Ireland and Appalachia. Chicago-raised Teune, who recently graduated from the Burren College of Art in Ireland, is committed to using sustainable and natural methods in her works and paints using river and creek water and plant dyes such as black walnut, goldenrod, bloodroot, pokeberry and sumac. For more information about the show and the artist, visit suzannejoyteune.com (p. 57) ART

Stop Motion," workshop to learn how to create a short stop-motion

ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (4/14) - Open registration for the "Creative Sector Summit: Innovation in the Arts," event in conjunction with the City of Asheville to explore innovation in the local arts community arts and ensure creative culture. Takes place Friday, April 21, 10am-4pm. Lunch included. $35/$25 for members. Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St. Ste 401 Asheville

animation with your cellphone. $30.

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • FR (4/14), 6pm - “Wire Weaving from the Heart,” stone wrapping class and craft fair with artist and activist Yahe. Free to attend.

THE ASHEVILLE DARKROOM

GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 253-7651, grovewood.com • WEDNESDAY through SATURDAY (4/12) until (4/15), 1pm - Biltmore industries history tour. Registration required: grovewood.com/historytours. Free to attend. JACKSON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL jacksoncountyarts.org • MO (4/17), 6-7:30pm - Annual members meeting. Free. Held at the Jackson County Library, 310 Keener St., Sylva MECHANICAL EYE MICROCINEMA mechanicaleyecinema.org • WE (4/12), 6-8pm - "Cellphone

Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. PUBLIC EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • TH (4/13), 6:30-8pm - “Facing Project," performance and discussion on affordable housing in Asheville. Free to attend. Held at YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St.

207 Coxe Ave. Suite 16, Asheville, .572.3275, theashevilledarkroom.com • 3rd MONDAYS 6-8pm "Darkroom basics," workshop. $10. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 859-8323 • FR (4/14), 6-8pm - "Making Felted Ducks & Chicks," workshop. $40.

ART/CRAFT FAIRS SALVAGE STATION 468 Riverside Drive, Asheville, salvagestation.com • SA (4/15), 1-5pm - Spring arts festival with local artisans, craft vendors and artists. Free to attend.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS FOOTHILLS FOLK ART FESTIVAL facebook.com/ FoothillsFolkArtFestival • Through FR (9/1) - Applications accepted for The Foothills Folk Art Festival. See website for full guidelines. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • MO (4/17) & TU (4/18), 7pm Open auditions for The Roaring Twenties, A Cabaret. Contact for full guidelines. HUES AND BREWS FESTIVAL HuesAndBrews.org • Through (4/21) - Applications accepted for artists and crafters who wish to vend in the Hues and Brews Artist & Craft Beer Celebration, Saturday, May 20th. Contact for full guidelines. Held at Caldwell Arts Council, 601 College Ave., SW Lenoir TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through MO (5/1) - Submissions accepted for the upcoming exhibited entitled "The Other Side." Contact for full guidelines. • Through MO (5/15) - Photograph submissions accepted for the annual White Squirrel Photo Contest. Contact for full guidelines.

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

A &E CA LEN DA R MUSIC BLUE RIDGE SYMPHONIC BRASS facebook.com/ Blue-Ridge-SymphonicBrass-472866629591180/ • TU (4/18), 7:30pm - Concert featuring organist Timothy Shepard and the Brevard College Wind Ensemble. Free. Held in the Brevard College Porter Center BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • TU (4/18), 2pm - Legends of Jazz Film Series: Bella BartokRoots, screening with Michael Jefry Stevens. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. CALDWELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2855 Hickory Blvd., Hudson, 726-2200, cccti.edu • WE (4/12), 1pm - CCC&TI music faculty guitar quartet concert. Free. Held in room B-100 MUSIC AT WCU 227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • TH (4/20), 8pm - Concert by Rapper Wale and Niykee Heaton. $27.50-$22.50/$15-$20 students. Held in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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by Abigail Griffin PAN HARMONIA

HART THEATRE

254-7123, panharmonia.org • SU (3/19), 3pm - Asheville Baroque Concerts presents "Oltremontano" featuring recorder, viola da gamba and harpsichord. $15. Held at Oakley United Methodist Church, 607 Fairview Road

250 Pigeon St., Waynesville • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (4/16) - The Loves of Elaine. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $10/$7 students.

THEATER 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (4/16) - This is Our Youth, presented by the Actor’s Center of Asheville. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm Sun.: 2:30pm. $15. ATTIC SALT THEATRE COMPANY 505-2926 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (4/23) - The Nerd, comedy. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $14-$28. Held at NC Stage Company, 15 Stage Lane CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • FR (4/14), 7-8:30pm - Acts of Oneness, theatrical dance performance. Free to attend.

J.E. BROYHILL CIVIC CENTER 1913 Hickory Blvd., SE Lenior, broyhillcenter.com • TH (4/20) through SA (4/22), 7:30pm - “A Midsummer Night’s Roller Disco," Shakespeare on roller skates. $16.25/$9 students and children. THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 279-4155 • TH (4/13) & FR (4/14), 7:30pm - Mountain Art Theatre presents Stupid F**cking Bird. $12. • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (4/20) until (5/6), 7:30pm - Mountain Art Theatre presents Stupid F**cking Bird. $16. THEATER AT UNCA 251-6610, drama.unca.edu • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS through (4/15) - TheatreUNCA and Asheville Community Theatre present, Peter and the Starcatcher. $22. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. Held in Carol Belk Theatre

GALLERY DIRECTORY AMERICAN FOLK ART AND FRAMING 64 Biltmore Ave., 281-2134, amerifolk.com • Through MO (4/24) - Face Jug Show, exhibition featuring face jugs from regional potters.

ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM ON THE SLOPE 175 Biltmore Ave., ashevilleart.org • Through SU (5/14) - Pop 'n' Op, an exhibition featuring works from the "Pop/Op” era.

ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through FR (4/21) - “Context, Pretext, Subtext: Words in Art, Art in Words,” exhibition co-curated by Kenn Kotara and Eric Steineger. Held in Weizenblatt Gallery

ASHEVILLE BOOKWORKS 428 1/2 Haywood Road, 255-8444, ashevillebookworks.com • Through WE (5/31) BookOpolis2017 - Dream A Book, exhibition.

ART AT WCU 227-2787, bardoartscenter.wcu.edu • Through FR (4/28) – 49th Annual Juried Undergraduate Exhibition. Reception: Thursday, April 20, 5-7pm. Held in the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center • Through FR (4/14) - MFA Thesis Show: Sarah Rincon. Held in WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center ART IN THE AIRPORT 61 Terminal Drive Fletcher • Through FR (6/30) - Flourish, group exhibition. ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (5/12) - Plein Air: Magic and Mystery, exhibition of works by Lisa Blackshear. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. • Through FR (5/12) - The Art of Portraiture: An Exploration of Modern Photography. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 253-3227, ashevilleart.org • Through FR (6/30) - Exhibition of silver works by William Waldo Dodge, Jr. Held at Wells Fargo Downtown Asheville, 1 Haywood St.

ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • Through SU (4/30) - Imageries of Life, exhibition of works by figurative artist Sahar Fakhoury. BEAUTY BAR 800 Fairview Road, Suite AA, 545-1970 • Through TH (6/1) - That's How the Light Gets In, exhibition of photography by Bonnie Cooper and Don McGowan. BENDER GALLERY 12 S. Lexington Ave., 505-8341, thebendergallery.com • Through FR (6/30) - Crossings – A Boat Show, glass and mixed media group exhibition. BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 225 W. State St., Black Mountain, 669-0930, blackmountainarts.org • Through FR (5/12) - Orchestration, installation by Julia C. Burr. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • Through WE (5/25) Exhibition of paintings by PK Barratt. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • Through SU (4/30) Storybook Characters on

Parade, mixed media exhibition. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 27 Church St., 253-3316, centralumc.org • SUNDAYS (4/16) through (7/15), 9am-12:30pm - Nature’s Apothecary, exhibition of textile art by Mountain Art Quilters. Free to attend. DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES WESTERN OFFICE 176 Riceville Road, 296-7230 • Through SA (5/6) - Mentors and Heroes, photography exhibit by David Holt. DOWNTOWN BOOKS & NEWS 67 N. Lexington Ave., 348-7615, downtownbooksandnews.com • Through TH (6/8) - Exhibition of the works of Suzanne Teune. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • Through (5/13) - Exhibition of new and old work by painter, Margaret Curtis. GRAND BOHEMIAN GALLERY 11 Boston Way, 877-274-1242, bohemianhotelasheville.com/ • Through SU (4/30) - New Bohemians, exhibition of work by Karen Weihs, Greg Decker and Richard Oversmith. • Through WE (5/31) ColorQuest, exhibition of knife palette paintings by Stefan Horik. GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 2537651, grovewood.com • SA (4/15) through SU (5/21) - Visions of Nature, paintings by Brad Stroman. Reception: Saturday, April 15, 2-5pm.

LONDON DISTRICT STUDIOS 8 London Road • FR (4/14) through TU (5/9) - Following the Stars to Freedom, exhibition featuring the art nouveau paintings of Heather Shirin. Reception: Friday, April 14, 5-10pm. MADISON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 90 S. Main St., Marshall, 6491301, madisoncountyarts.com • Through WE (5/31) Exhibition of rare photos taken by British song collector Cecil Sharp. MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY 9 Walnut St., 575-2294, moracollection.com • Through SU (4/30) - Hi, Five!, exhibition of rings by 30 jewelers. MOUNTAIN GATEWAY MUSEUM AND HERITAGE CENTER 102 Water St., Old Fort, mountaingatewaymuseum.org/ • Through WE (5/17) - Traveling exhibition commemorating the centennial of the U.S. entry into World War I. ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 285-9700, facebook.com/ odysseycoopgallery • Through SU (4/30) Exhibition of ceramic art by Melanie Dyel and Laura Peery. PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFTS 67 Doras Trail Bakersville, 765-2359, penland.org • Through SU (5/7) - Inspired, group exhibition of artists from the Penland resident artist and core fellowship programs. PINK DOG CREATIVE 342 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • Through SU (4/23) - The Art of Illumination, ArtSpace

Charter School PULSE Art Project group exhibition. PUSH SKATE SHOP & GALLERY 25 Patton Ave., 225-5509, pushtoyproject.com • Through MO (5/1) - Slackers, group art show featuring LEVY, GREU & KFEZ. SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM 223 W State St., Black Mountain, 669-9566, history.swannanoavalleymuseum. org • Through (12/1) - Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America's Great Public Spaces, exhibition.

M THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401, thecollider.org/ • Through TH (8/31) - Struck by Nature, exhibition of environmental art by photographer Marjorie Pierson.

M THE GALLERY AT FLAT

Ave., Spruce Pine TRACKSIDE STUDIOS & GALLERY 375 Depot St., 545-2904, facebook.com/ TracksideStudios375/ • Through SU (4/30) Generation Why, exhibition of the work of four emerging Millennial artists. • Through WE (5/31) - Seeing the World…, exhibtion of watercolors and ink by Virginia Pendergrass. TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (4/28) Transylvania county public schools student art exhibit for grades K-12. Reception: Thursday, April 13, 4:30-6pm.

ROCK 702-A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, 698-7000, galleryflatrock.com/ • TH (4/13) through SU (5/14) - Temporal Witness: Tracing Nature's Path, exhibition featuring works by Alice Ballard, Christina Laurel and Rosamond Purcell. Reception: Thursday, April 13, 5-7pm.

TRANSYLVANIA HERITAGE MUSEUM

THE TRYON DEPOT ROOM 22 Depot St., Tryon, 859-7001, tryondepotroom.com • Through FR (4/28) Luminaries, exhibition of drawings by Janet Orselli.

• Through SU (5/21) -

TOE RIVER ARTS COUNCIL 765-0520, toeriverarts.org • Through SA (4/29) Exhibition of blacksmith and metal work from around the country. Reception: Friday, April 28, 5-7pm. Held at Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery, 269 Oak

tryonarts.org

MOUNTAINX.COM

189 W Main St., Brevard, 8842347, transylvaniaheritage.org • Through SA (5/13) - Wars of the 20th Century, exhibition. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 859-8323 Crossroads, Gallery Show. TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 8598322, • Through SA (4/22) Exhibition of work from the residents of White Oak Manor. Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

CLUBLAND

BIG THINGS BREWIN’: Alt-rock outfit BIG Something has built itself a big following since forming in 2009. Its blend of catchy vocals, lofty guitar squalls, and funky fusions has garnered 3 “Album of the Year” nods from The Homegrown Music Network and earned the band a place alongside touring acts like moe. and The B52s. Be part of the next BIG thing when it plays Asheville’s New Mountain Theater Saturday, April 15 beginning at 9 p.m. Photo courtesy of the promoters. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 185 KING STREET Karaoke Night, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke w/ DJ Do-It (from Sound Extreme), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singersongwriter), 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Dark Star Orchestra After Party w/ Phuncle Sam (jam), 10:00PM

The Rhythm & Blues Social Club Every Monday

39 S. Market St.

●

8 pm

theblockoffbiltmore.com

Dark Star Orchestra After Party w/

Phuncle Sam

The Reality

MO LOWDA & THE HUMBLE

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

4.12 10PM

AMH

4.13 10PM

ONE STOP

(Funk/Rock) Ca$h Donations

4.14 9 PM

AMH

(Prog/Sci/Fusion) adv. $10

4.14 10PM

ONE STOP

4.15 10PM

AMH

(Alt Rock) Ca$h Donations

Larry Keel Experience w/ The Sufi Brothers and Circus No.9

BEN'S TUNE-UP Wednesday Honky Tonk w/

adv. $7

Consider the Source w/ The Groove Orient & Hail! Cassius Neptune

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM

(Americana/Newgrass) adv. $17 MOUNTAINX.COM

Laurel Lee & The Escapees, 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM BYWATER Well Lit Strangers (bluegrass), 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Open mic jam w/ Riyen Roots & friends, 7:00PM CROW & QUILL Stevie Lee Combs (dock-side blues), 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ the Saylor Brothers (bluegrass), 6:30PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 6:30PM Songwriter's "open mic" (April poetry focus), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Doug Stanhope (comedy), 7:00PM Viva La Hop (hip-hop, rap), 10:00PM HICKORY TAVERN Trivia Wednesdays, 8:00PM

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

NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB School Night w/ Swannanoa Valley Montessori School, 11:00AM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Duncan Wickel, Chris Rosser & River Guerguerian, 7:00PM

ODDITORIUM Synergy Story Slam, 7:30PM Kortriba, ObsideonEye & Geometers (experimental), 9:00PM

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

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:30PM

JUICY LUCY'S BURGER BAR AND GRILL Acoustic Jam, 7:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Ryan Barrington Cox & Lassos, 9:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

ORANGE PEEL An evening w/ Dark Star Orchestra, 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Andy Ferrell (Americana), 6:00PM

ROOT BAR NO. 1 Lucky James (roots, soul), 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION R&B Wednesday Jam Night w/ Ryan "RnB" Barber & friends, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Karaoke!, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Donnie Dance Party, 8:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mercer and Johnson (Americana, roots, bluegrass), 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Giantology w/ The No Ways & Snake Prophecy (kkultwwav), 9:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Dark Water Rising w/ Durty Dub & Zoocru, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Open Mic w/ Billy Presnell, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 6:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Wide Screen Wednesday's, 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Asheville Art Trio (jazz), 7:30PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Jason Whittaker (acoustic), 6:00PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Triptych Soul w/ The Brook & Bluff, 8:30PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 10:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Thursday Brews 'n' Blues w/ The Cris Coleman Blues Experience, 8:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band (bluegrass), 8:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons, 7:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Vegabonds (rock n' roll), 8:00PM

BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Marshall Ballew & Wanda Lu Paxton, 7:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (ragtime jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Local Honey (folk, Americana), 9:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Billy Litz (soul, roots), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Laura Thurston (folk), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Bunch & Fashion Bath (rock), 9:00PM

ROOT BAR NO. 1 Jukebox Poetry (acoustic folk), 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION TreeHouse! w/ PMA (reggae), 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Gabe Smiley (rock, folk), 7:00PM SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Vinyl Night, 6:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Unite! Open Mic Night w/ Jack Sley (sign-up @ 7pm), 7:30PM

HICKORY TAVERN 30 Rocks Music Game, 8:00PM

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

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Alarm Clock Conspiracy (rock), 6:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Vieux Farka Touré w/ Last Good Tooth (blues, reggae, soul), 9:00PM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Rale Micic w/ Geoff Clapp (jazz), 7:00PM Italian Night w/ Mike Guggino and Barrett Smith, 8:30PM

TOWN PUMP Jordan Okrend (singersongwriter), 9:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Bryan Marshall & His Payday Knights (hot old country), 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM MARSHALL HIGH STUDIOS Billy Litz (soul, roots), 6:00PM ODDITORIUM Thunderchief, Midmourner & Horseflesh (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 6:30PM The Reality (funk), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING The Night Shirts, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL An evening w/ Dark Star Orchestra, 8:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Bean Tree Remedy (acoustic folk, eclectic), 8:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Joe McMurrian (blues), 7:00PM WILD WING CAFE Sam Warner (acoustic), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Grand Theft Audio (acoustic), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/Pam Jones, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 14 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Jason Moore & Mutual Friends (jazz, funk), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Fineline, 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Reasonably Priced Babies (comedy), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Joe McMurrian (acoustic deep roots, blues), 7:30PM

4/12 wed giantology w/the no ways snake prophecy

4/13 thu

vieux farka touré w/ last good tooth

4/14

fri

hex

a dance party benefit for our voice!

4/15 sat

4/17 mon

pile

w/ gnarwal, shallows free monday!

russ t. nutz

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm TUESDAYS Zydeco Dance Party Free • 7pm Dance All Night!

free!

w/ tom scheve, chesney goodson

4/18 tue

acid mothers temple w/ babylon

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

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

FRI DALLAS BAKER 4/14 9PM / $5 SAT JERRY PRANKSTERS 4/15 9PM / $5 FRI 4/21

HARMED BROTHER W/ THE MUTINEERS

SPECIAL GUEST: DRUNKEN PRAYER

9PM / $5

SAT IAN HARROD’S LOVE BOMB 4/22 9PM / $5 IRISH SUNDAYS Irish Food and Drink Specials Traditional Irish Music Session • 3-9pm OPEN MON-THURS AT 3 • FRI-SUN AT NOON CRAFT BEER, SPIRITS & QUALITY PUB FARE SINCE 1996

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville

252.5445 • jackofthewood.com

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

CLU B LA N D ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Consider the Source w/ The Groove Orient & Hail Cassius Neptune (middle eastern fusion), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Iggy Radio, 6:00PM Vinyl Night, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BYWATER FriDaze, 5:30PM

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Posey Quintet (swing, jazz, blues), 7:00PM CORK & KEG Crunk Old Hen (oldtime), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Drayton & the Dreamboats (moonlit dream jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Garage & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER Classic World Cinema, 8:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Free Mason & the Madmen (funk, jazz), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY The Reality (reggae, funk), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Ryan Zimmerman, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN An Evening w/ Brandy Clark & Charlie Worsham (country), 8:00PM HICKORY TAVERN New South Rising, 9:00PM HOPEY & CO Wine, Beer & Local Fare Tasting w/ live music, 4:00PM

THIS WEEK ONLY Thursday • Apr 13 East Side Social Ride Friday • Apr 14 Alarm Clock Conspiracy, 7-9pm Saturday • Apr 15 Easter Egg Hunt 12-we run out of eggs!

SUNDAY FUNDAYS $12 Burger & Beer, $1 Off UpCountry Draft

Happy Hens & Highlands Farm will be on site with some of their spring babies!

Friday • Apr 21 Highland’s 23rd Birthday

THU - 4/13 • 7PM JOE MCMURRIAN

FRI - 4/14 • 8PM CIRCUS NO.9 WITH ANYA HINKLE

SAT - 4/15 • 8PM FEMALE FRONTED NIGHT!

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An Evening w/ The End of America (folk, rock, Americana), 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Dallas Baker & friends (country), 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Rock 'n' Soul DJ, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Asheville Gypsy Jazz Trio, 6:30PM MARSHALL HIGH STUDIOS Kath Bloom w/ Wes Tirey & Sarah Louise (folk), 7:00PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Bob Sinclair & The Big Deals, 7:30PM

with special beer releases and cupcake pairing! Kick the Robot 7-9pm

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Bogtrotter w/ Digital Rust & Push/Pull, 10:00PM

EXTENDED HOURS

OLE SHAKEY'S Acoustic Roots Music, 5:00PM

Monday-Thursday 3-9pm Friday-Saturday 12-10pm Sunday 12-6pm

ALEXA ROSE • ASHLEY HEALTH BRIE CAPONE • ELISABETH BECKWITT

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM Mo Lowda & The Humble (alt rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Gruda Tree, 9:00PM

12 Old Charlotte Hwy. Suite 200 Asheville, NC 28803 828-299-3370

highlandbrewing.com

Expires 04-26-17

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

ORANGE PEEL Noname (hip-hop), 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Joe Cat (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Alex Krug Combo (folk, Americana), 8:00PM ROOT BAR NO. 1 Tom Savage (blues), 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION QUEEN w/ Amanduh Pleaze (dance show), 10:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Matt Walsh (blues), 8:00PM SCARLET'S COUNTRY DANCE CLUB Open Mic night w/ Sam Warner, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Spring Fling w/ DJ JAM, 9:00PM THE CHOP HOUSE 42nd Street Jazz & Swing Band, 6:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT HEX.1: Benefit for OurVOICE, 9:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL SOL Vibes w/ Mycorr & friends, Mr. Clock, Midnight Willo, Murkury & Starspinner, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Franklin's Kite (folk, rock), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Rhoda Weaver & The Soul Mates (soul, dance), 7:00PM Jim Arrendell & The Cheap Suits (live music, dance), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Anya Hinkle Dinner Show (bluegrass), 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Jazz Orchestra, 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE Grand Theft Audio (acoustic), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH A Social Function (acoustic), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Electric w/Ben Hovey, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, APRIL 15 185 KING STREET Spalding McIntosh & Cody Siniard (singersongwriter), 8:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Duo of Dreams & Splendor (vintage jazz), 6:00PM Lyric (acoustic soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Mark Keller, 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE The Doyle & Debbie Show, 8:30PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Acoustic Sessions, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Larry Keel Experience (Americana, newgrass), 8:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Gypsy Jazz Trio, 3:00PM The Secret B-Sides, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Billy Litz, 7:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Buxton’s Beach Bash w/ DJ Dr. Filth, Ouroboros Boys & The Nude Party, 2:00PM Dave Desmelik (singersongwriter), 7:00PM

FBO AT HOMINY CREEK Opening Day 2017, 10:00AM

OLE SHAKEY'S Saturday Night Fever, 10:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Jordan Okrend Experience (rock, soul), 10:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Big Takeover (reggae, ska), 10:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Canvas People (indie, rock), 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING King Garbage, 9:00PM

FROG LEVEL BREWERY Bend & Brew, 11:00AM GOOD STUFF Kevin Scanlon, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Southern Culture on the Skids w/ Ouroboros Boys (alt. rock), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Skunk Ruckus (punk, oldtime), 7:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL AmiciMusic presents “April in Paris”, 7:00PM Midnight Snack CD Release w/ Emma’s Lounge (pop-art), 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Jerry Pranksters, 9:30PM

CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE Class of 65 Reunion (hiphop, R&B, funk, soul), 8:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

CORK & KEG Old-Time Jam, 7:30PM CROW & QUILL Mountain Bitters Appalachia (folk), 9:00PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Big Something w/ Broccoli Samurai (rock, pop, funk), 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter w/ DJ Big Smidge (50's/60's R&B, rock 'n' roll), 10:00PM

ODDITORIUM Horseburner, Stonecutters, Made of Machines (metal), 9:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM

ORANGE PEEL Explosions In The Sky w/ Thor & Friends [SOLD OUT], 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Bradley Carter (bluegrass, old-time, Americana), 6:00PM OSKAR BLUES REEB RANCH Loaded Up & Truckin' Food Truck Off & Aural Pleasure Fest w/ Dr. Dog, Nikki Lane, Flaoting Action, Sarah Siskind and Sunliner, The Soul Magnetics, Fly By Night Rounders & DJ Nex Millen, 12:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Crocodile Smile (classic hits, rock), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Fumblebuckers (jug-band, Americana), 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Millie Palmer Quartet, 7:00PM ROOT BAR NO. 1 Spanky Twang & the Yuge (honky-tonk), 9:00PM SALVAGE STATION Fish & Friends, 1:00PM Spring Arts Festival, 1:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue

3/24 MARTIN BARRE

Of Jethro Tull

Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM SonderBlue, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Conscious Comedy Night, 7:00PM Latin Rhythms & Salsa w/ DJ Malinalli (dance lessons @ 9 p.m.), 10:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Pile w/ Gnarwhal, Shallows (alt indie), 9:30PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL 30 & Up Casual and Sexy w/ DJ Twan, 10:00PM Honky Tonk Nights (live music & DJ), 10:00PM TOWN PUMP Doc Holiday (high energy blues, rock), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Gracie Lane (folk, americana), 7:00PM Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 10:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Kevin Spears and Chris Rosser (world music), 8:00PM

Historic Live Music Venue Located At

185 CLINGMAN AVE • ASHEVILLE

WED TUE SAT FRI

THU WED WED

4/12 COMEDIAN DOUG STANHOPE TAQUERIA 4/12 VIVA LA HOP OPEN AT 11AM DAILY 4/13 BUNCH + FASHION BATH BRANDY CLARK & COMING SOON 4/14 CHARLIE WORSHAM 4/15 SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS BANGARANG, 79 SORCERY, 4/18 SAMURAI SHOTGUN, RISING DOWN 4/19 JUNIOR BROWN Early Show

Late Show

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

HARVEST RECORDS + THEGREYEAGLE.COM

R A CO VER CHARGE!

THU. 4/13 Bean Tree Remedy ( acoustic folk, eclectic)

FRI. 4/14 DJ MoTo

( dance hits, pop)

SAT. 4/15 Crocodile Smile ( classic hits, rock)

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

North Carolina’s First Cider Bar Family Owned & Operated Seasonal, craft-made hard ciders and tasting-room delights from local farmers & artisans.

k #1 Best Place to Drin Cider in U.S.A. -Food & Wine Magazine

4/21: Y&T w/ Temptation’s Wings

FREE SHOW

4/22: The Asheville Shellac Bash 4/23: Zoe & Cloyd Album Release Show + Special Guests Mile Twelve

Featuring

Largest Selection of Craft Beer on Tap • 8 Wines 6 Sours on tap at all times!

4/13: Fortnight Pint Night 4/20: River Rat Pint Night 4/22: Earth Day Seed Giveaway!

4/27: King’s Day Netherlands Holiday! Wear orange and get 10% off your tab!

On Tap!

4/20: Turnpike Troubadours w/ Cordovas

w/ Ouroboros Boys

w/ Hearts Gone South

USIC! LIVNEEVM E

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Live w/The Caribbean Cowboys, 8:00PM

NIGHT EVERY MONDAY 6PM

An Evening With

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SUNDAY, APRIL 16 185 KING STREET Sunday Sessions open jam, 12:00PM

East Asheville’s Craft Beer Destination • 29 Taps

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Los Abrojitos (tango), 7:00PM

Easter Egg Hunt 11am • SUNDAY

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Guitar Bar Jam, 3:30PM

THIS WEEK at THE CREEK MON Monday Burger + Trivia w/ Emilie - 7pm TUE

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WED Wings + Open Mic Jam w/ Roots & Friends - 9pm FRI

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5-9PM–ALL YOU CAN EAT SNOW CRAB LEGS thu 4/20

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BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Just Us Duo (classic rock, blues, standards), 7:30PM

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com BEN'S TUNE-UP Sunday Reggae Night w/ The Dub Kartel, 6:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Sunday Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Dan Lewis (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open-Mic (music, poetry, comedy), 5:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt, 1:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Kirsten Maxwell w/ Wil Pfrang & Mike Tedesco, 5:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Celtic Jam Session, 3:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Pabst Sabbath w/ Sen. Artie Mondello & DJ Chubberbird (rock n' roll), 10:00PM

MONDAY, APRIL 17 185 KING STREET Open Mic Night w/ Chris Whitmire, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Jazz Club (soul, R&B, jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Mondays, 8:00PM BYWATER Open mic, 7:15PM Spin Jam (local DJs and fire-spinning), 10:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Musicians in the Round Jam, 5:30PM

LOBSTER TRAP Phil Alley, 6:30PM

CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Trivia night, 7:00PM

LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Gypsy Jazz Brunch w/ Leo Johnson, 12:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Brody Hunt & The Handfuls w/ Jonathan Henley Band (classic country), 8:00PM Country karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

ODDITORIUM 80s/90s Queer Dance Party w/ DJ Nickie Moore, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass brunch w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood, 11:00AM ORANGE PEEL Chronixx w/ Kelissa & Max Glazer (reggae), 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Quetzal Jordan Duo (of Tina & Her Pony), 3:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Paper Crowns jam, 6:00PM

GOOD STUFF Songwriter's "open mic" (April poetry focus), 7:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open mic night (music & comedy), 6:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Game Night, 4:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM Open Mic Night, 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & friends (bluegrass), 6:30PM

SALVAGE STATION Open Mic Night w/ The Wet Doorknobs, 7:00PM

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

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY This Sissy Brown, 4:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Conversations on The Block w/ Kevin Spears & Greg Bryant, 5:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Pocket Vinyl w/ Mr. Mange & Fashion Bath (live art & music), 7:30PM TOWN PUMP Jessie Abbey (folk, Americana, indie), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN AmiciMusic presents “April in Paris”, 3:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Movie Night! (The Blues Brothers), 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE The Porch Magazine's 5:3:1 (5 stories, 3 songs & 1 action), 6:30PM The Rhythm and Blues Social Club w/ Joshua Singleton & Peggy Ratusz, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio (jazz), 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Trivial trivia w/ Geoffrey & Brody, 8:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Russ T. Nutz w/ Tom Scheve & Chesney Goodson (Americana, country, comedy), 9:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jay Brown, Andy Gwynn & Donna Marie Todd, 7:00PM

TUESDAY, APRIL 18 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Rhoda Weaver and the Soul-mates, 5:00PM Lyric, 7:30PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia, 7:30PM BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER Mystical Poetry w/ Tracey Schmidt, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner (Americana, bluegrass), 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Thunder karaoke w/ Jason Tarr, 8:00PM CORK & KEG Old Time Jam, 5:00PM CROW & QUILL Boogie Woogie Burger Night (burgers & rock n' roll), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Honky-tonk, Western & Cajun night w/ DJ Brody Douglas Hunt , 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Bangarang w/ 79 Sorcery, Samurai Shotgun & Rising Down, 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Jess Raymond & the Blackberry Bushes, 7:30PM

JUICY LUCY'S BURGER BAR AND GRILL Trivia w/ DJ Cliff, 8:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown (folk, singersongwriter), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Open Mic Comedy Night w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 11:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesdays, 10:00PM

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ONE WORLD BREWING TRIVIA! w/ Ol' Gilly, 7:00PM ORANGE PEEL Jump, Little Children w/ Young Mister & Katie Rose (indie, Baroque pop), 6:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-n-Justice Benefit Tuesday w/ The Shien & The Delphonics (lessons @ 7 and 8 p.m.), 9:00PM Swing Asheville's Latenight Vintage Blues Dance, 11:00PM

PRESENTS:

EVENT SPACE, FOOD TRUCKS & LIVE MUSIC!

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Open jam w/ Rob Parks & Chuck Knott, 7:00PM

TUESDAYS A NIGHT OF SOUL RHODA WEAVER AND THE SOLMATES 5-7 FOLLOWED BY THE LYRIC 7-9

THE MOTHLIGHT Acid Mothers Temple w/ Babylon (psychedelic, rock, experimental), 9:30PM

WEDNESDAYS HONKY TONK

TOWN PUMP TV Mike & the Scarecrows (cosmic twang stompers), 9:00PM

OPENING DAY PARTY

APRIL 15TH

LAUREL LEE AND THE ESCAPES 7-10

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Jazz & Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM

SCOOTER HAYWOOD & THE REPEAT OFFENDERS 5 PM – 7 PM FREE

THE CRIS COLEMAN BLUES EXPERIENCE 8-11

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Trivia Night, 8:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic w/ Chris O'Neill , 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM WILD WING CAFE Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition (bluegrass), 6:00PM

THURSDAYS BREWS N’ BLUES

FRIDAYS MUSIC MASHUP IGGY RADIO 6-9 VINYL NIGHT 10-2AM

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SATURDAYS

GYPSY JAZZ TRIO 3-6 THE SECRET B SIDES 10-1AM

SUNDAYS REGGAE NIGHT

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS BY SCOTT DOUGLAS & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH =

M A X R AT I N G

H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Danny Boyle takes a fresh look at familiar characters in T2 Trainspotting

T2 Trainspotting HHHH

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle PLAYERS: Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, Anjela Nedyalkova, Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson, Irvine Welsh DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: A crew of formerly drugaddled miscreants reunites after two decades of bad blood to take stock of their misspent lives. THE LOWDOWN: A fitting follow-up to an unquestionable classic that may not please the most ardent purists but makes a moving statement on the struggles of maturity and the pitfalls of nostalgia.

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

There can be something particularly grating about listening to middleage men pining for the glory days of youth, and Danny Boyle has made a film about that very phenomenon. I’m pleased to say, however, that the resultant picture is not as tedious as I had feared — even if it’s never as transcendent as it could have been. Those similarly afraid that the longawaited (in some corners, dreaded) sequel to Boyle’s 1996 breakout picture Trainspotting would fail to live up to the frenetic verve of the original film may well find their concerns justified, but that precise sense of failure is the entire point of T2. Boyle’s trip down memory lane is characterized less by nostalgia than regret, and he manages to toe the tonal line between wistful and maudlin with a mastery

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that belies the 20 years of experience he’s gained since he first adapted Irvine Welsh’s seminal work of pseudo-gothic junkie fiction. In a sense, the first Trainspotting film was a monster movie — and so too is T2, only this time the monster isn’t heroin-fueled nihilism, but malign longevity. The narrative revisits Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), now living clean and firmly ensconced in middle age and the middle class, until a coronary incident on a treadmill leads him to question the purpose of the remaining 30 years of life his doctors have promised him. This existential crisis prompts a return to Edinburgh and the friends he burned in the climactic heroin deal that punctuated this story’s predecessor. Ewen Bremner, Johnny Lee Miller

and Robert Carlyle reprise their roles as Spud, Sick Boy (now Simon) and Begbie, respectively — and the ensemble is thoroughly unashamed in their display of aging gracelessly. McGregor returns to the role that made him a star, and Carlyle returns to the career-defining turn that made him nearly uncastable as anything other than a bloviating psychopath, but their takes on Renton and Begbie are almost unrecognizable when contrasted with computer-inserted flashbacks from the previous film. As Renton and the gang fall back into old patterns, so too does Boyle. Dutch angles, forced-perspective trick shots and a throbbing pop music score dominate the proceedings, but like the story’s protagonists, what once seemed like innovative tech-

niques are now a bit long in the tooth. Much of the film is directorially focused on examining the effect 20 years of gentrification has had on Edinburgh, the city’s hard-earned veneer of grime having been largely effaced by tourism, immigration and economic progress that leaves the film’s central characters as little more than anachronistic landmarks resisting change in a world that has passed them by. Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge double down on the dark comedy that distinguished the original Trainspotting, their current film replete with carefully choreographed cameos (Kelly Macdonald and author Welsh reprise their roles from the first film for one scene each) punctuated by visual callbacks and black-hearted sight gags that evoke the prior film without digressing into redundancy. Ever the consummate stylist, Boyle’s visual sensibilities have developed a range that was absent from his early work, and while not all of the aesthetic risks he takes in T2 work, it’s an undeniably interesting film to look at. The seismic shift in cinematic technology that the intervening years have witnessed affords Boyle directorial options that were entirely unavailable in 1996 and wouldn’t have been remotely affordable had they existed. In many ways, T2 functions aesthetically as a self-reflexive meditation on its own narrative, the gutter-punk inventiveness of the first film dulled by two decades of success and selfindulgence — the ideas aren’t necessarily new, but the budget certainly is. There’s something comforting about revisiting a classic, and Boyle plays to his audience’s entrenched affinity for Trainspotting’s well-loved characters and storylines — but he’s after something more here. T2 recognizes the indelible cultural mark left by its predecessor but raises the question of excessive attachment to the past. In returning to both the narrative and stylistic cues that made him a household name, Boyle is offering a meta-commentary on the veneration of sacred cows — and while his film refuses to draw even oblique conclusions, the implications are clear: The good old days weren’t always that good, and growth requires an acceptance of that fact. Rated R for drug use, language throughout, strong sexual content, graphic nudity and some violence. Now Playing at Fine Arts Theatre. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Going in Style HH DIRECTOR: Zach Braff (Garden State) PLAYERS: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Ann-Margaret, Joey King CRIME COMEDY RATED PG-13 THE STORY: Three elderly men on the verge of losing their pensions decide to rob a bank. THE LOWDOWN: A charming cast makes the film watchable, but drab comedy and a lack of anything to actually say make the rest pretty forgettable. Zach Braff’s Going in Style is a film that’s built upon little more than the reputations, talents and charms of its cast of well-respected leads, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin. It’s enough on its own to make this remake of Martin Brest’s film of the same name (which starred George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg) passable — though wholly forgettable — entertainment. The cast (which also includes Ann-Margaret as Arkin’s love interest) is professional and charming enough that they could give just about any movie a modicum of entertainment value, which they certainly do here. Unfortunately, this is a movie that lacks ambition, as Going in Style sets a low bar for itself, never wanting to be more than perfectly fine. The film has a sheen of topicality, as our three leads play noble retirees whose pensions are about to disappear from the steel mill they worked at for years. Plus, Joe’s (Caine’s) mortgage is out of control, Wille (Freeman) needs an organ transplant, and Albert (Arkin) is already on the verge of homelessness. Awash in sob stories and moral certitude, the trio decide to solve their various problems by robbing a bank and — because the film is generally toothless — only keeping what’s owed of their pensions and donating the rest to charity. Going in Style’s sole concern is goofy laughs, something that keeps the movie from having anything resembling true weightiness. There’s the possibility of ideas here, obviously — class consciousness, the lonesome-

ness and abandonment of aging — but the entire film is too flippant to ever approach these topics. Or maybe the fear was making the movie heavier than it needs to be, which is a valid concern since so many movies forget to be fun. But Going in Style also isn’t very entertaining on its own either, being a bit on the simple side, too often falling back on slapstick and a loud, frantic style of humor. The film shies away from anything resembling nuance, a disappointing turn for director Braff. As much as I disliked his Wish I Was Here (2014), there was at least an attempt at creativity and thought. Going in Style is pure work-for-hire schlock, but the kind of material a filmmaker a bit less resigned could’ve done something with. This is, in the end, pure pap, a cold fact that keeps the film from being anything more than disposable and ephemeral. With its underpinnings of everyman woes, the movie is played far too broadly to have any true power. There’s only ever silliness when there at least needs to be a modicum of intelligence. The only plus is a cast of actors who could pull off these roles in their sleep — and almost do. It’s the kind of thing where everyone deserves a bit better, honestly, including the audience. Rated PG-13 for drug content, language and some suggestive material. Now Playing at AMC Classic River Hills, Carolina Cinemark, Epic of Hendersonville, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

Smurfs: The Lost Village HS

DIRECTOR: Kelly Asbury PLAYERS: Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Julia Roberts, Mandy Patinkin, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Jake Johnson, Meghan Trainor

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CHILDREN’S ANIMATED FANTASY RATED PG THE STORY: The all-male Smurfs discover a village populated entirely by female Smurfs. THE LOWDOWN: An entirely unnecessary and largely forgettable film that seeks to address the gender imbalance in the Smurfs universe but doesn’t get much further than acknowledging that the franchise had a parity problem in the first place. One could expend prodigious time and energy examining the questionable necessity, or obvious lack thereof, for Sony to resurrect the Smurfs franchise after the cinematic abortions that were the mixed-media 2011 and 2013 films featuring Neil Patrick Harris and Katy Perry. But like it or not, some ideas don’t die easily — and studios hate to relinquish a property that has the slightest chance of turning a profit. For our sins, the moviegoing gods have bestowed upon hapless audiences a fully animated reboot that seeks to address the missteps of those recent takes on the eponymous elfin mushroom-dwellers conceived by Belgian cartoonist Peyo in

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by Scott Douglas

the late 1950s. While this film is certainly a step in the right direction, no amount of retooling can justify this blatant attempt to bait Gen Y parents into fostering in their children an appreciation for a concept that would have best been left in the sugar-addled memories of 1980s Saturday morning cartoon binges. Smurfs: The Lost Village skews almost exclusively to the younger demographic among its audience, excluding any and all adult humor in favor of some relatively impressive visuals and a decidedly juvenile sense of story. Even a moderately precocious 7-year-old may find his or her cinematic tastes too sophisticated for the narrative on display here, but the quality of the animation will likely prove passably diverting for most of the film’s mercifully brief 90-minute running time. The film is competently — and occasionally beautifully — animated, with marketably cute character design and some surprisingly distinctive set pieces that tangentially evoke the surrealism of Odilon Redon (while avoiding the more frightening implications that such a comparison could suggest). The story, such as it is, revolves around Smurfette — the lone female Smurf in her village, voiced here by Demi Lovato — lacking a defining characteristic in the same sense as her fellow Smurfs, whose names indicate their definitive (or sole) personality trait. There’s Hefty Smurf, who’s strong; Brainy Smurf, who’s smart; Clumsy Surf, who … well, you get the idea. Gender politics have been a problem within the Smurfs franchise since the introduction of Smurfette in the late ’60s, as her narrative origin is based on ideas of toxic femininity and dependence on a masculine hierarchy. Created by the villainous wizard Gargamel from a lump of clay like some sort of seductive Golem, Smurfette’s raison d’être is to infiltrate and destabilize the Smurfs’ community through the exploitation of her feminine wiles, and only the benevolent intercession of Papa Smurf redeems her. That this transformation requires the character’s transition from a frazzle-headed brunette into an impeccably coiffured blonde while stripping her of any sense of agency is a telling detail that should indicate why feminists have long taken issue with the concept of Smurfette on a fundamental level. This film pays lip service to addressing these concerns, as

Smurfette stumbles upon a village populated entirely by female Smurfs in an off-limits section of the forest, but the script’s progressive tendencies end there. The female Smurfs are just as thinly developed as the males, and little is done to balance the gender equation beyond creating numeric parity. Julia Roberts plays a feminine counterpart to Papa Smurf, but the two are almost immediately coupled off as though a romantic relationship were an inevitability. For the purposes of this movie, perhaps Papa Smurf should be rechristened Exposition Dump Smurf — voiced by Mandy Patinkin in a “so-it’s-come-to-this” role of tragic proportions. The rest of the voice cast — featuring Rainn Wilson, Jack McBrayer, Michelle Rodriguez and Joe Manganiello — are all relatively unobjectionable, but little more. As far as frivolous films for 5-yearolds go, Smurfs: The Lost Village didn’t fill me with a level of seething resentment that would warrant gouging out my own eyes, which is sadly something of an accomplishment when it comes to such fare. The very young will (probably) enjoy it, and everyone else will be able to endure it. Personally, I hope I get to skip the inevitable sequel. Rated PG for some mild action and rude humor. Now Playing at AMC Classic River Hills 10 (formerly Carmike 10), Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville, The Strand Waynesville. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

The Void HHHS

DIRECTOR: Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski PLAYERS: Aaron Poole, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Kenneth Welsh, Evan Stern, Daniel Fathers, Grace Munroe HORROR RATED NR THE STORY: A small-town cop stumbles into a world of cosmic monstrosity when he encounters a blood-spattered junkie on the run from a mysterious cult.

SCREEN SCENE THE LOWDOWN: A love letter to gore fanatics and one of the best films yet to come out of the current throwback-horror renaissance. The trend of horror films referencing the halcyon days of lowbudget genre filmmaking of the late ’70s and early ’80s shows no signs of abating, and most recent entry in this modern resurgence is possibly the purest of any yet committed to screen. What co-directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski have accomplished with The Void is the first film in a currently crowded subgenre that transcends the near-pastiche established by the likes of Rob Zombie or Ti West to approach the level of true homage. This is a film that calls to mind Carpenter and Cronenberg at the height of their prowess — with a generous dose of Fulci thrown in for good measure. In many ways the film is a masterwork of low-budget ingenuity that hits the appropriate genre notes without slavishly aping the material that influenced the filmmakers, doing justice to its antecedents while offering something original in the process. The film follows a small-town sheriff’s deputy Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole), who finds himself ensnared in an occult conspiracy that drags his estranged wife Allison (Kathleen Munroe) and a collection of strangers into a Lovecraftian world of eldritch abominations. While many films — most recently the Ridley Scott ripoff Life — evoke Lovecraft in spirit, this film seems to embody the specifics of the author’s weird fiction with a rare loyalty. The primary antagonists in the film’s first act are a group of silent robed figures defined only by the triangular symbols emblazoned on their cowls, a striking image that could have been ripped from the pages of Lovecraft or Ligotti. As Carter navigates the bowels of a nearly abandoned hospital to uncover the true force motivating a series of monstrous mutations and gruesome mutilations, the world of cosmic horror conceived by Gillespie and Kostanki becomes disturbingly tangible, even as it diverges into hallucinatory nightmare territory. A large part of the problem with the current wave of self-referential horror nostalgia is that modern filmic techniques — and the mindset of contemporary filmmakers — have hampered the shoestring-

budget appeal of the films they’re referencing. As such, few directors have attained any true resonance with the material they seek to emulate in the way Gillespie and Kostanki have with The Void. This film is an exception to the currently prevalent rule, finding a goldmine of gore in its strict adherence to practical effects, a claustrophobic setting and a limited cast. The creativity impelled by budgetary constraints produces an effect that calls to mind not only the decidedly nondigital body-horror of Cronenberg’s The Fly or Carpenter’s The Thing but also more otherworldly films like Paul W.S. Anderson’s underrated Event Horizon or Clive Barker’s Hellraiser — and The Void holds up well in comparison to these classics. The Void’s aesthetic indebtedness to its predecessors is self-evident, and yet the film crafts something that feels new out of parts that are decidedly old. Like the creatures on screen, this is a film that carves the face off of a still living subject to reveal a monstrosity hidden within — something inhuman and altogether disturbing. Fans of classic late20th-century splatter cinema need look no further for their gore fix than this film — when you stare into The Void, terror stares back. Unrated. Now Playing at Grail Moviehouse. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

FILM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • WE (4/19), 7:30pm - Music Video Asheville, local music video screening and awards event. $15/$30 VIP. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • FR (4/14), 8pm - Classic World Cinema: Film screening of Rashomon. Free to attend. ISRAEL/PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL • THURSDAYS through (5/18), 7pm - Israel/ Palestine Film Festival. Free to attend. Held at Lenoir Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave.

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CONGREGATION OF ASHEVILLE 1 Edwin Place, 254-6001, uuasheville.org • FR (4/14), 7pm - Environmental & Social Justice Film Screenings: After Spring. Free.

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

HEAR THEM ROAR: Fierce Flix campers and counselors enjoy a light moment together. Registration is open for the 2017 iteration, during which girls and gender minorities ages 8-16 will write, direct, shoot and edit music videos for the bands at Girls Rock Asheville, June 26-30. Photo courtesy of Mechanical Eye Microcinema •The next phase of Joe Kendrick’s Southern Songs and Stories music documentary series is currently underway. Kendrick and filmmaker Aaron Morrell of Grae Skye Studio attended the SpringSkunk Music Fest April 6-8 to make a documentary about the festival and spend time with the Jon Stickley Trio. The project is being financed through the crowdfunding platform Patreon. Supporters will be granted exclusive content and rewards. southernsongsandstories.com •On Wednesday, April 12, from 6 to 8 p.m., Mechanical Eye Microcinema offers a class on creating stop-motion animation with smartphones and iPads. Open to teens and adults, the course will be led by Charlotte Taylor, and participants will work with clay and/or paper cutouts. No experience is necessary, but bring your own electronic recording device. Tuition is $30 and payable via cash or check on the day of the class. Register online. avl.mx/3kf •Asheville Pizza & Brewing celebrates National Humor Month with a screening of Fast Times at Ridgemont High on Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $3 and available at the theater’s box office. ashevillebrewing.com •Pack Memorial Library continues its monthly Legends of Music film series — curated by local jazz pianist Michael Jefry Stevens — on Tuesday, April 18, at 2 p.m., with a screening of Béla

Bartók — Roots. The documentary offers a thorough review of Bartók’s personal and artistic development, using pictures, music and the words the composer wrote in his letters and studies. Due to its three-hour run time, the film will be shown in two parts. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/ff •Submissions are being accepted for the 2017 Asheville Film Festival, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 16. The deadline is Friday, July 14. Filmmakers whose works are selected for the festival will be notified on July 21. avl.mx/3ke •Registration is open for Fierce Flix, Mechanical Eye Microcinema’s summer film camp for girls and gender minorities ages 8-16. From Monday, June 26, through Friday, June 30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, campers will work in groups to write, direct, shoot and edit music videos for the bands at Girls Rock Asheville. The music videos will premiere at a public screening at the end of the week. Each day, campers will attend video shoots, filmmaking instruction, workshops and a mini-screening and Q&A with a female filmmaker. Workshops include screenwriting and storyboarding, cinematography, editing, optics and lights, gear 101, HERstory of filmmaking, gender in media, visual literacy and more. Tuition is a $150 sliding scale, and campers are accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis. Sign up online. mechanicaleyecinema.org/fierceflix X

MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

M OVIES

by Scott Douglas

S TA RT IN G F R ID AY

S PEC IAL S C REEN ING S

Frantz Romantic wartime drama from arthouse darling Francois Ozon. According to the studio: “Set in Germany and France in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, Frantz recalls the mourning period that follows great national tragedies as seen through the eyes of the war’s “lost generation”: Anna (Paula Beer), a bereft young German woman whose fiancé, Frantz, was killed during trench warfare, and Adrien (Pierre Niney), a French veteran of the war who shows up mysteriously in her town, placing flowers on Frantz’s grave. Adrien’s presence is met with resistance by the small community still reeling from Germany’s defeat, yet Anna gradually gets closer to the handsome and melancholy young man, as she learns of his deep friendship with Frantz, conjured up in evocative flashbacks.” Early reviews are positive. (PG-13)

Gifted Family drama from director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). According to the studio: “Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) - in a coastal town in Florida. Frank’s plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank’s formidable mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary. Octavia Spencer plays Roberta, Frank and Mary’s landlady and best friend. Jenny Slate is Mary’s teacher, Bonnie, a young woman whose concern for her student develops into a connection with her uncle as well.” Early reviews are moderately positive. (PG-13)

The Fate of the Furious F.Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) directs an all-star cast in the eighth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise. According to the film’s site: “Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game — and the rest of the crew has been exonerated — the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before. From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage… and to bring home the man who made them a family.” Early reviews are moderately positive. (PG-13)

Mountain Xpress Presents

BEST OF WNC

! w o N Vote X AWARDS - 2017

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APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

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Rashomon HHHHS DIRECTOR: Akira Kurosawa PLAYERS: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki DRAMA Rated NR Though he’d made better movies before this one — and would make better ones after it — Rashomon (1950) is the film that put Akira Kurosawa on the map as a major force in international film. The secret probably lies in the picture’s unusual structure, which not only functions as a hook, but is, in fact, the whole reason for the film. The story by itself is simple — a man and his wife are waylaid by a bandit in an encounter that leaves the husband dead. But the trick is that we never see the story objectively. Instead, we see if from differing perspectives — and different agendas — so that we never know what really happened, only those differing tellings of the same events. What is true? There’s no way of telling and that’s what caught people’s imaginations. It becomes a mystery without a solution. Looked at without this aspect in mind, Rashomon actually feels cruder than some of Kurosawa’s earlier work, and maybe even a little padded. Does it deserve its massive reputation? Probably, but it’s best looked at as of its time. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke, published on Nov. 24, 2015. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Rashomon on Friday, April 14, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 Hwy 70, Swannanoa.

The Driller Killer HHHH DIRECTOR: Abel Ferrara PLAYERS: Abel Ferrara (as Jimmy Laine), Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day, Harry Schultz, D.A. Metrov HORROR Rated NR Director Abel Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant) made his feature directorial debut — at least if we’re not counting his “adult” work — with this gory 1979 slasher flick. Ferrara also stars as the titular killer, a painter driven to madness by loud neighbors and mounting debts, but as is typically the case with this director, there’s more to the story than mere exploitation. While it might not be as polished as Ferrara’s later, more memorable works, all the pieces are in place for the auteurial signature that would eventually come to define one of the late twentieth century’s preeminent purveyors of pulp. Inspired by Polanski’s Repulsion and notable for its pseudo-vérité depiction of the late 70s New York punk scene, The Driller Killer fuses a low-art premise with high-art ideals that make it one of the strangest and most challenging films of its era. The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Driller Killer on Thursday, April 13, at 9:15 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

The Kennel Murder Case HHHHH DIRECTOR: Michael Curtiz PLAYERS: William Powell, Mary Astor, Eugene Pallette, Ralph Morgan, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat MYSTERY Rated NR The 1920s and 30s were the high point of a certain kind of detective fiction — the puzzle plot mystery (often featuring an “impossible” locked room murder) built around a gentleman detective. These gentleman detectives were invariably wealthy, spent their spare time studying crime and indulging in the arts. They were well-dressed, wellspoken and invariably smarter than the police. No fictional detective fits the concept of the gentleman detective better than S.S. Van Dine’s fictional sleuth Philo Vance. And no one embodied the character onscreen better than — or even as well as — William Powell. It was Powell who kicked off the detective movie exploits with three early talkies at Paramount Pictures — The Canary Murder Case (1929), The Green Murder Case (1930) and The Benson Murder Case — but when Powell left the studio and moved over to Warner Bros., Paramount lost interest. MGM took a shot at Vance with The Bishop Murder Case (1930) in which Basil Rathbone tried the role, but neither Rathbone nor the film was a success. It wouldn’t be until 1933 that Warner Bros. revived the character with William Powell back in the role. In fact, the opening credits read, “William Powell returns as Phil Vance in The Kennel Murder Case.” And it was worth the wait because The Kennel Murder Case is far and away the best of the Philo Vance pictures and perhaps the finest example of this particular kind of mystery ever made. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke, published on Oct. 16, 2012. The Asheville Film Society will screen The Kennel Murder Case on Tuesday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

MARKETPLACE REA L E S TAT E | R E N TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SERV ICES | JOB S | A N N OU N CEMENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL AS S E S & WOR K S HOP S | M U S ICIA N S’ SERV ICES | PETS | A U TOMOTIV E | X C HANG E | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@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

REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE WANTED HOUSE SWAP • Us: downsize from 2009 East Asheville, 2400 sqft passive solar 3BR/2.5BA, carport, shop, 3.44 acres. Woods/native landscape. • You: upsize from recent green built 1600 sqft (+/-), Weaverville, Black Mountain or East Asheville. No Realtors! 828 552-1285.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE BILLER/COLLECTOR Four Circles Recovery Center is seeking an experienced biller/ collector to increase collections, reduce accounts receivable days and reduce bad debt. High school diploma/GED and 5 years relevant experience required. Apply online at www.fourcirclesrecovery.com/ careers.

RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT VERY NICE 1BR Suitable for 1 to 2 people. • No smokers. One small pet ok, small pet deposit. $700/month plus deposit. Includes water, electric, heat and air conditioning. Yard and patio available to share with landlord. Washer hookup. (828) 778-5520.

ROOMMATES ROOMMATES 1 ADULT • LARGE ROOM Furnished BR/ dining/porch. Share house w/2/3 others in Eco-friendly community. $750/month and 4 hours community service, includes all utilities and DSL. (828) 273-3775. See westwoodcohousing.com ALL AREAS Free Roommate Service @ RentMates.com. Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at RentMates.com! (AAN CAN)

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY MUDDY SNEAKERS: THE JOY OF LEARNING OUTSIDE Muddy Sneakers seeks a candidate experienced in fund development with strong communication and independent work skills to join our team as Director of Philanthropy. Email resume, cover letter, and salary history to Carolyn Ashworth: carolynlinds@gmail. com. Position open until filled. HOUSEKEEPING ATTENDANTS Red Oak Recovery, a cutting edge substance abuse treatment program for young adults, has 2 part-time housekeeping attendant positions open. One at our Leicester location, and one at our Fairview location. • This position will be responsible for ensuring clean, sanitary, comfortable, orderly and satisfying surroundings for the clients, employees, and public. • Qualified candidates will be 21 years of age or older, have a High School diploma and have experience in commercial cleaning. • Those with personal or professional experience with 12 Step Recovery, Substance Abuse Treatment, and/ or Mental Health Treatment are encouraged to apply. • Days and hours of work are variable and will include nights and weekends. • Competitive pay offered. • To apply, please visit our website, www.redoakrecovery.com/employment 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 part-time positions available. Training provided. Contact us today! www.GrayLineAsheville.com; Info@GrayLineAsheville.com; 828-251-8687.

EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an Employment Specialist position. For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin. com/postings/4184 FINANCE COORDINATOR Children First/ CIS and The Mediation Center is looking for a Finance Coordinator to support both organizations overseeing bookkeeping and accounting activities. Salaried with benefits. For details: childrenfirstcisbc.org/ job-posting FINANCIAL COUNSELOR Four Circles Recovery Center is seeking a financial counselor to oversee daily accounts receivable collections and billing. High school diploma/GED and 5 years relevant experience required. Apply online at www.fourcirclesrecovery.com/careers. HIRING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT VECINOS FARMWORKER HEALTH PROGRAM The ED coordinates all outreach programs and is responsible for achievement of the organization’s mission, managing finance and business operations,and providing leadership in alignment with Vecinos’ values. For complete job post, contact info@vecinosinc.org www.vecinos.org

RESTAURANT/ FOOD APOLLO FLAME • WAITSTAFF Full-time. Fast, friendly, fun atmosphere. • Experience required. • Must be 18 years old. • Apply in person between 2pm-4pm, 485 Hendersonville Road. 274-3582. BREVARD SUMMER CAMP Now hiring chef; salad bar prep and cooking class instructor for summer season. Full and Part time . Positive attitude, clear background check and references required. Call 828883-2181 NOW HIRING KITCHEN STAFF FOR EAGLE'S NEST CAMP NEAR BREVARD Eagle's Nest Camp near Brevard is now hiring summer kitchen staff. Garden-to-table program. Competitive salary, morning/ afternoon shifts, training; room/board available. Position runs 5/28-8/14/2017. Apply online: www.enf.org/eagles-nest-camp/ summer-employment. Questions? Email campapplications@enf.org.

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED! Be your own boss. Flexible hours. Unlimited earning potential. Must be 21 with valid U.S. driver’s license, insurance & reliable vehicle. 866-329-2672 (AAN CAN)

HUMAN SERVICES CURRENTLY SEEKING LPNS AND SOCIAL WORKERS -Willing to drive within a 30-40-mile radius of home -Case Management experience helpful -LPN need 3 years’ experience - 1 year being in home health.

-SW need to be licensed or Bachelor’s Degree and home health experience. Send Resume to Tina at: extrahandhealthcare@ yahoo.com LIFE SKILLS TRAINER Foundations Asheville, a young adult transitional program working with college-age adults in Asheville, North Carolina seeks qualified life skills trainer to create and maintain a consistent, emotionally safe and supportive environment needed to foster the strengths and overcome hurdles necessary for successful adulthood. Collaborate with team to implement programming designed to support young adults in reaching their goals. Work one-on-one and in the group setting to model and develop independent living skills. Foundations is a residential program, requiring overnights while on shift. The standard shift is a full-time live-in position in the heart of Asheville, with excellent accommodations and expenses paid. Daily tasks of transportation, cleanliness, community involvement, and maintaining a timely schedule are key job responsibilities. In addition, consistent role modeling of healthy habits, problem-solving, emotional maturity, and executive function is critical to our students' success. Seasonal opportunities exist for travel, community service, and project-based-learning. Work with a skilled clinical team to implement real growth for the young men in our care. The ideal applicant would have: •Excellent communication skills, creativity, and desire to work in a tight-knit community. •Skills to teach successful habits of academic success. •Skills to support others find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities in the community of Asheville. •Professional experience with guidance, teaching, experiential education. •Experience with direct care in a therapeutic environment. •A clean driving record. •Unique strengths they bring to our community. •A desire to learn and grow in the field. •This is not an entrylevel position, and requires a high degree of autonomy and collaboration. We are currently interviewing qualified applicants for Full-time and PRN positions. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Promptly email cover letter, resume, references, and any pertinent certifications to foundationshiring@gmail.com. Learn more at www.foundationsasheville.com. RESIDENTIAL LIFE STAFF - WHETSTONE ACADEMY Whetstone Academy is seeking full time and part time Residential Life Staff for evenings, 2:30pm - 10 pm, during the week and day shifts on the weekends. 864-6386005 jholcomb@whetstoneacademy.com www.whetstoneacademy.com.

YOUTH RECOVERY MENTORS - MONTFORD HALL P/T and F/T direct care mentors for youth in substance abuse recovery. Lead activities, support sobriety, develop relationships, teach coping skills, administer meds. Fun, supportive work environment. Apply at www.montfordhall.org

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT GIRLS ON THE RUN OF WNC SEEKS EXPERIENCED, PART-TIME COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER Girls on the Run seeks a part-time (25-30 hrs/ week) experienced professional to expand programming and impact through building partnerships with schools, businesses, organizations and media; recruiting volunteers; directing two GOTR 5k events annually; and managing the SoleMates fundraising program. Apply by 4/21 at gotrwnc.org.

CAREER TRAINING AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-7251563 (AAN CAN)

RETAIL PART-TIME BOOKSELLER POSITION AT MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE/CAFE Parttime bookselling position, 15-30 hours weekly including evening and weekend shifts. We’re looking for a book-loving candidate with the following skills: ability to prioritize in a fast-paced, multitasking environment, attention to detail, ability to bend, stoop and lift boxes up to 40 pounds, strong communication skills, computer skills, and friendly demeanor. Email inquiries only via info@malaprops. com.

SALON/ SPA

NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS UltraSkin Wax Center recently opened a new location in Asheville and is looking to hire Guest Service Associates and NC Licensed Estheticians. Please apply at www.ultraskinwaxcenter.com

FILLED

SENSIBILITIES DAY SPA Now hiring for a full-time front desk/spa assistant position at Sensibilities South located in the Hilton Hotel at Biltmore Park. Weekends required. Please bring resume in person.

SERVICES BUSINESS

SARAFIS ADYTON GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN & INDIVIDUAL SOCCER TRAINING Sarafis Adyton offers graphic and web design services and individual soccer training. Please visit our website at www.sarafisadyton.com. Contact us at 478-951-7104 or sarafisadyton@gmail. com.

HOME IMPROVEMENT ELECTRICIAN ASHEVILLE ELECTRICAL SERVICE CONTRACTORS Full Service Electrical Contractor, we do service/repair work 24/7 365. Residential, commercial, industrial, solar, wind. We pride ourselves on

Area Supervisor – Western District Quality Oil Company is seeking an Area Supervisor for its Quality Plus division. • This person will supervise a group of Quality Plus locations in the Western territory of NC and Eastern territory of TN.

SEEKING CNA OR PARAPROFESSIONAL FOR I/DD PROVIDER Seeking experienced CNA or Hab Tech for creative I/DD program. Send Resume to sonia.pitts@ yahoo.com www.openheartsartcenter. org THERAPEUTIC FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED Davidson Homes Inc. is seeking Foster Parents in Swannanoa and the surrounding areas. • All training is free and daily rate is great! Call Debbie Smiley: 828-776-5228. www.davidsonhomes.org THERAPIST Four Circles Recovery Center is seeking a full time therapist to provide clinical care to clients and families in recovery. Master's degree and provisional license required. Wilderness experience preferred. Apply online at www.fourcirclesrecovery.com/careers.

• The ideal candidate will have solid retail managerial experience, have experience hiring staff, and be extremely customer service focused. • This position requires frequent travel, a positive attitude, and tremendous organizational skills. • Excellent benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401k with company match and profit sharing! • Company vehicle is provided.

Interested candidates should apply online at:

www.QOCNC.com MOUNTAINX.COM

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

H U MOR

Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge every Wed., 9pm @ The Southern • Twitter @tomscheve

A Tip of the [Affectation] to you

asheville disclaimer

Briefs

On heels of airstrikes after Syrian chemical attack, Asheville parents being nicer to their ‘beautiful babies’ so Trump doesn’t punish them with cruise missiles Rates rise for on-street parking in downtown Asheville, which locals use, to pay for upkeep of Civic Center Parking Garage, which no locals use

High winds create havoc for AVL’s ridiculously hatted men Asheville, TuesdAy — Weather systems that created high winds in WNC over this past week caused complete mayhem, sending derbies, porkpie hats, and fedoras scattering across the mountain region. “R.I.P. Trilby, gone but not forgotten,” one local hat-wearer solemnly tweeted following what he later described as a “heartbreaking gust of identity destruction.” Tragedy was averted in some cases, however. “By dropping everything in my hands, I was able to save my Panama hat at the last second,” said local Scott Petersby, whose daughter sustained light injuries when she fell from his arms during his heroic act. Though the worst of the winds have subsided, their effects are still being felt among Asheville’s men. “How many more hours will I have to comb out my beard in public settings?” one wind-damaged Asheville man asked. “So many hours, so many.”

Asheville Disclaimer is parody/satire Contact: tomscheve@gmail.com Contrib. this week: Tom Scheve 70

APRIL 12 - 18, 2017

Opioid epidemic suddenly ends, allowing County Commissioners to cancel funding for proposed anti-opioid efforts

The mere announcement of new anti-opioid measures (since canceled) was enough to pull this Buncombe County couple out of addiction.

Asheville, MondAy — Buncombe County Commissioners followed up a previous announcement of new anti-opioid efforts by canceling those same proposed anti-opioid efforts because the original announcement was sufficient in itself to curb opiate abuse in Buncombe County. “We are proud to tell our constituents that, through our earlier proposal to fund paramedics who specialize in opiate overdose cases, we are able to cancel funding for that proposal because the original proposal by itself as a string of words successfully curbed opiate overdoses in our area,” said County Commissioner Joe Belcher. The proposed measures, which included the hiring of three community paramedics and a media awareness campaign, would have cost $171,250 to fund the efforts through the fiscal year. “It can be argued that by proposing these measures, and then canceling, we’ve fulfilled our own media awareness goals,” said Commissioner Mike Fryar. “The fact we are constantly popping up in the media to announce — and then cancel — plans to address this issue shows we are serious about working with the media on this issue.” Commissioners feel the $171,250 can be better spent raising awareness on the West Coast of Asheville’s opiate-free offerings, “such as more beer than you could possibly drink in a lifetime, but that’s our challenge to you,” said Fryar.

MOUNTAINX.COM

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Before visiting Sicily for the first time, American poet Billy Collins learned to speak Italian. In his poem “By a Swimming Pool Outside Siracusa,” he describes how the new language is changing his perspective. If he were thinking in English, he might say that the gin he’s drinking while sitting alone in the evening light “has softened my mood.” But the newly Italianized part of his mind would prefer to say that the gin “has allowed my thoughts to traverse my brain with greater gentleness” and “has extended permission to my mind to feel a friendship with the vast sky.” Your assignment in the coming week, Aries, is to Italianize your view of the world. Infuse your thoughts with expansive lyricism and voluptuous relaxation. If you’re Italian, celebrate and amplify your Italianness. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s closing time. You have finished toiling in the shadow of an old sacred cow. You’ve climaxed your relationship with ill-fitting ideas that you borrowed from mediocre and inappropriate teachers once upon a time. And you can finally give up your quest for a supposed Holy Grail that never actually existed in the first place. It’s time to move on to the next chapter of your life story, Taurus! You have been authorized to graduate from any influence, attachment, and attraction that wouldn’t serve your greater good in the future. Does this mean you’ll soon be ready to embrace more freedom than you have in years? I’m betting on it. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The heaviest butterfly on the planet is the female Queen Victorian Birdwing. It tips the scales at two grams. The female Queen Alexandra Birdwing is the butterfly with the longest wingspan: over 12 inches. These two creatures remind me of you these days. Like them, you’re freakishly beautiful. You’re a marvelous and somewhat vertiginous spectacle. The tasks you’re working on are graceful and elegant, yet also big and weighty. Because of your intensity, you may not look flight-worthy, but you’re actually quite aerodynamic. In fact, your sorties are dazzling and influential. Though your acrobatic zigzags seem improbable, they’re effective. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Picasso had mixed feelings about his fellow painter Marc Chagall, who was born under the sign of Cancer. “I’m not crazy about his roosters and donkeys and flying violinists, and all the folklore,” Picasso said, referring to the subject matter of Chagall’s compositions. But he also felt that Chagall was one of the only painters “who understands what color really is,” adding, “There’s never been anybody since Renoir who has the feeling for light that Chagall has.” I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will be the recipient of mixed messages like these. Praise and disapproval may come your way. Recognition and neglect. Kudos and apathy. Please don’t dwell on the criticism and downplay the applause. In fact, do the reverse! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is the title of an old gospel song, and now it’s the metaphorical theme of your horoscope. I advise you to climb a tall peak — even if it’s just a magic mountain in your imagination — and deliver the spicy monologue that has been marinating within you. It would be great if you could gather a sympathetic audience for your revelations, but that’s not mandatory to achieve the necessary catharsis. You simply need to be gazing at the big picture as you declare your big, ripe truths. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If you were a snake, it would be a fine time to molt your skin. If you were a river, it would be a perfect moment to overflow your banks in a spring flood. If you were an office worker, it would be an excellent phase to trade in your claustrophobic cubicle for a spacious new niche. In other words, Virgo, you’re primed to outgrow at least one of your containers. The boundaries you knew you would have to transgress some day are finally ready to be transgressed. Even now, your attention span is expanding and your imagination is stretching.

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): For over a century, the Ringsaker Lutheran Church in Buxton, N.D. hosted rites of passage, including 362 baptisms, 50 marriages and 97 funerals. It closed in 2002, a victim of the area’s shrinking population. I invite you to consider the possibility that this can serve as a useful metaphor for you, Libra. Is there a place that has been a sanctuary for you, but has begun to lose its magic? Is there a traditional power spot from which the power has been ebbing? Has a holy refuge evolved into a mundane hang-out? If so, mourn for a while, then go in search of a vibrant replacement. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Most people throw away lemon rinds, walnut shells and pomegranate skins. But some resourceful types find uses for these apparent wastes. Lemon rind can serve as a deodorizer, cleaner and skin tonic, as well as a zesty ingredient in recipes. Ground-up walnut shells work well in facial scrubs and pet bedding. When made into a powder, pomegranate peels have a variety of applications for skin care. I suggest you look for metaphorically similar things, Scorpio. You’re typically inclined to dismiss the surfaces and discard the packaging and ignore the outer layers, but I urge you to consider the possibility that right now they may have value. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’re growing too fast, but that’s fine as long as you don’t make people around you feel they’re moving too slowly. You know too much, but that won’t be a problem as long as you don’t act snooty. And you’re almost too attractive for your own good, but that won’t hurt you as long as you overflow with spontaneous generosity. What I’m trying to convey, Sagittarius, is that your excesses are likely to be more beautiful than chaotic, more fertile than confusing. And that should provide you with plenty of slack when dealing with cautious folks who are a bit rattled by your lust for life. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Until recently, scientists believed the number of trees on the planet was about 400 billion. But research published in the journal Nature says that’s wrong. There are actually three trillion trees on earth — almost eight times more than was previously thought. In a similar way, I suspect you have also underestimated certain resources that are personally available to you, Capricorn. Now is a good time to correct your undervaluation. Summon the audacity to recognize the potential abundance you have at your disposal. Then make plans to tap into it with a greater sense of purpose. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The poet John Keats identified a quality he called “negative capability.” He defined it as the power to calmly accept “uncertainties, mysteries and doubts without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” I would extend the meaning to include three other things not to be irritably reached for: artificial clarity, premature resolution and simplistic answers. Now is an excellent time to learn more about this fine art, Aquarius. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Are you ready for a riddle that’s more enjoyable than the kind you’re used to? I’m not sure if you are. You may be too jaded to embrace this unusual gift. You could assume it’s another one of the crazy-making cosmic jokes that have sometimes tormented you in the past. But I hope that doesn’t happen. I hope you’ll welcome the riddle in the liberating spirit in which it’s offered. If you do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised as it teases you in ways you didn’t know you wanted to be teased. You’ll feel a delightful itch or a soothing burn in your secret self, like a funny-bone feeling that titillates your immortal soul. P.S.: To take full advantage of the blessed riddle, you may have to expand your understanding of what’s good for you.

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ACROSS

1 Condé ___ (magazine publisher) 5 Ending with Lenin or Stalin 9 Mixed ___ 14 Wedge or pump 15 Princess of Alderaan 16 Shackles 17 “How’s it goin’, Washington?” 19 Retreats 20 Event presided over by a king and queen 21 Cobbler’s tool 23 Museum-funding org. 24 “To your health!” 26 E.R. worker who sprained an ankle? 29 Sgt. Friday’s org. 30 Sri Lanka’s capital 31 Inseparable 32 How many TV movies can be seen 33 Diminish 37 Prescription for a prehistoric carnivore? 41 Got wind of 42 Many wine barrels come from them 43 Car wash option

8 From the beginning, in music 9 Atmospheric pressure units 10 Competitor of Tide 11 “Nothing ___!” 12 Against a thing, legally 13 Syrian strongman 18 Roman counterpart of the Greek Helios 22 Typist’s stat 24 A deadly sin 25 West with Roc-A-Fella records 26 Christmas cheer? 27 One who leads a quiet, measured life 28 Celebrity chef Matsuhisa 30 Anderson Cooper’s TV home 32 Animal that might be found curled up DOWN on a windowsill 1 Sydney’s state: Abbr. 34 Right now 2 “___, that feels 35 Tiniest bit good!” 3 Endless melodrama 36 Competitor of BP 38 Pretentious 4 Group of four 5 Down in the dumps 39 Advocate for seniors 40 Maui music maker, 6 Good name, for informally short 7 A helping hand 45 Chafe

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No. 0308

44 The Geneva Conventions prohibit it 47 Empire State Building style, informally 48 “Keep that record in its case!”? 51 Out of bed 52 Sean ___ Lennon 53 Slugger’s stat 54 [Shocking!] 55 “Hamlet” courtier 57 Mistake a shiny disc for a cookie? 62 Mental bloc? 63 Vegetable with curly leaves 64 Loosen 65 Pub selection 66 A knee sock covers it 67 Scrape, as the knee

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PUZZLE BY PAULA GAMACHE

46 Bridge units 47 Gossips 48 Some camera lenses 49 Map feature 50 XXX stuff 51 Maze runner

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54 Rocker Stefani 56 The Cyclones of the N.C.A.A., for short 58 “As if!” 59 QB Manning 60 Sin City forensic drama 61 Place for a trophy cabinet

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