An afternoon with Songs From The Road Band

A&E How can it be wrong if it grows wild

An afternoon with Songs From The Road Band

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

On March 14, 2020, Songs From The Road Band jumped onstage in the backroom of the Wicked Weed Funkatorium in the South Slope district of Asheville. What was to be a showcase of the immensely talented hometown string band turned out to be the last show within the city limits for the foreseeable future.

And with the final notes played that evening, so was the culmination of the entire music industry as we knew it in Western North Carolina (and beyond). Everybody packed up their instruments, said farewell to each other, and disappeared out into the unknown night.

Skip ahead exactly a year later and SFTRB is sitting in the depths of the legendary Echo Mountain Recording Studios on French Broad Avenue in Asheville. Though the music industry is still in flux, especially in regard to live performances, the group is hunkered down and doing what it does best — work hard.

Whether onstage in the midst of a rollicking jam or in a studio booth breathing life into its latest creation, SFTRB has emerged as one of the most exciting string acts to come along in recent memory. A blend of bluegrass, indiefolk and roots music, the ensemble is a slew of Southern Appalachian pickin’ heroes and nationally-acclaimed musicians.

At the helm of this acoustic pirate ship is bassist Charles Humphrey III. A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer, he’s constantly collaborating with other artists and wordsmiths — always seeking out the next earworm that can (and has) elevated SFTRB into its inevitable place as one of the most progressive and fiery string bands out there today.

Smoky Mountain News: The last time we sat down to interview was at The Funkatorium show. What do you remember feeling when you went home from that last gig?

Charles Humphrey: The day before [that show], we had just come straight back from the studio in Nashville, where we were working on that [same] record we’re in the studio today [in Asheville] for.

I’m a pretty optimistic person, so I wasn’t too worried [when I left The Funkatorium]. And then shows were being cancelled for a month, six months and a year out, where we even have stuff for this summer going to 2022. So, it has just kept snowballing. I didn’t know where it was going to stop or when it was going to start — it was a just a lot of unknowns. things through a different lens?

CH: [Artistically], I think we came out of it better than we were. Honestly, we were able to stay connected with our fans [through live streaming]. We picked up a booking agency during a time when nobody’s booking gigs, which was Prater Day. We’re still on the radio [with hit songs] and making music.

I do know that we don’t want to go back to playing over 200 shows a year. So, I think a lot of people feel reinforced in, “Hey, let’s just do the big stuff.” Focus on the core, play higher quality stuff, play less and work [more] on the records, stay connected with the fans.

This last year? It’s in favor of growing the team, if it’s the right situation. Joining Prater Day, aligning ourselves to them was fantastic. That’s a move in the right direction. And another major event [for us] was solidifying our fivepiece lineup with [our new] banjo player.

You want to build a family. You want a community of people that love the music, who also love to see each other, congregate and visit. If they can do that based around your musical environment, then I think you’re going to be successful and you’ll be doing something that hard to do.

SMN: How have the expectations changed for the band since the shutdown?

CH: We expect to work hard and we’re hopeful that good things will come. And we’re thankful for everything, the good things that have come. But, you just have to keep working hard and see what happens, you know?

You never know what your big break is going to be. I mean, there’s been great musicians that never got a break, that were always one step away. As much as you’ve got to be good, you’ve got to be lucky — right place, right time.

SMN: But, I feel with you guys, it’s more about career longevity.

CH: Oh, yeah. We want to do this for the rest of our lives. Make good records. Create new music. And bring joy to the world. [It’s about] working on the songs and doing what we love.

Want to go?

Songs From The Road Band will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at 185 King Street in Brevard.

Tickets are $15 a seat, but you must reserve an entire table to attend the performance, due to social-distancing protocol and safety measures. Indoor and outdoor seating options are available.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.185kingst.com and click on the “Events” tab.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

We sit together forever, by the color TV glow, telling stories, allegories

Stepping out of my old apartment in downtown Waynesville on Monday afternoon, I placed my old laundry basket on the passenger’s seat of my old truck.

Driving two blocks to the old laundromat, I tossed my old clothes into the old dryer and hopped back into my old truck. Adjusting the rearview mirror, I saw my old face in the reflection.

Though I’m not necessarily old by the numbers (36), I do sometimes feel well-worn and road-weary. Hundreds of thousands of miles traveled. Thousands of interviews conducted and stories written. A constant, endless stream of friends, acquaintances and strangers of the night.

Countless days lost in the blurry haze of people, places and things, and in seemingly every corner, nook and cranny of this country. And all of it culminating on a quiet Monday afternoon in an empty laundromat, the lone soul being a scruffy writer scrounging enough quarters in the change cup of the old truck to ensure the old clothes get enough heat from the old dryer.

And I use the word “old” as a term of endearment. Nothing negative or demeaning. More so, from an old soul like myself who’s deeply sentimental and always in awe of the stories being older folks and antique objects. What stories do they have to tell? What things have they seen, felt and understood about the world surrounding you and me?

This balance of thought between appreciation of all things and a possible existential f crisis occurring at the neighborhood laundromat was brought on by a visit this weekend by my best friend of all time and space, Andy, alongside his darling wife, Ashley, and their new baby girl, Alice.

Living in Knoxville, Tennessee, I’d see Andy & Co. almost monthly for several years. Of course, that all changed with the pandemic and shutdown, where this past weekend was pretty much the first time I’d spent quality time with them in over a year.

Meeting up at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville, we sat at a table next to Richland Creek. Sunshine and smiles all around. I missed my friends. I missed a lot of things as I sat there and caught up with them. It was surreal to interact with their baby girl, this entity of beauty and grace created by Andy and Ashley. Wild stuff, to say the least, eh?

I sat there and sipped my cold beer, reminiscing of when Andy first brought Ashley to Waynesville, where all met up at Frog Level for drinks. Back then, Andy was still living in Waynesville, Ashley in Knoxville. We were all just at the starting line of our respective careers and impending adulthood. Those days were the better part of a decade ago, and yet it feels like yesterday.

They’ve worked hard to get to where they stand today, and continue to do so. As their love for each other continues to grow, so does their lives together in East Tennessee. There’s a nice house that they call “home.” New cars in the driveway. Baby crib in the former guest room. Heck, they even have their own washer and dryer onsite.

It’s not that these things are foreign to a longtime bachelor like myself. But, they do remain elusive, in many respects. I could care less about the material stuff. I like my rusty, musty Toyota Tacoma, where I’m able to throw it around the backwoods without a care about getting it scratched or all muddy (badges of honor and symbols of fun, truth be told).

To each their own, I say. Some folks aim for the family and white picket fence kind of lifestyle. Others, like myself, tend to gravitate towards the lifestyle of a glorified dirt bag. Now, the idea of a “dirt bag” has nothing to do with a lack of hygiene or lack of a work ethic.

It’s more about minimalism, the idea that you can you pack up with very little and take off in a moment’s notice for the horizon in search of new adventures and experiences. I purposely have very little, and don’t have much interest to own more than a one-bedroom apartment filled with shelves of books, stacks of vinyl records and a few old guitars leaning against the wall.

But, even minimalists and those who forever ramble after the horizon desire a companion, someone to share those sunrises and sunsets with. Who wouldn’t want that, right? Us ramblers seem to lose track of the ever-ticking clock, where months and years have passed since you turned around and realized you might just be the last of your friends still running around all in the name of irresponsible enlightenment — those beloved faces that used to walk alongside you, now small dots way off in the distance.

Which is why it means so much to rendezvous with those dots, whether it be by happenstance on the road or next to Richland Creek over a cold beer and fond memories rehashed, where so much time has swept by, but all present in conversation still remaining on the same page — a unique and cherished thing in a fast-paced society of meaningless distractions and white noise.

Take the old clothes out of the dryer at the old laundromat. Toss them in the old laundry basket and hop into the old truck, onward to the old apartment. Adjust the rearview mirror and see the old face in the reflection.

Not necessarily old by the numbers (36), but well-worn and road-weary. And yet sincerely happy and full of gratitude: for the knowns and unknowns, for things out of my control, and for the deep, sometimes fleeting, splendor just within my field-of-vision.

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

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.

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

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

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Eric

Alan Barker (classic rock) April 3 and Shane

Meade (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. April 10.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Illegal

Pizza Party March 27, Chris Pressley w/Arnold Hill (Americana/rock) April 2-3,

Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) April 9 and

Isaac Corbitt (soul/acoustic) April 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar. Innovation Station in Dillsboro. Plenty of outdoor activities throughout the day, too. Music by Kim Smith. Small raffle items will also be offered.

• The “Bunny Hopper Express Train Event” will be held on April 3 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

ALSO:

Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Winter

Member’s Show” will be held through March 27 in the Gallery & Gifts showroom at the

HCAC in downtown Waynesville. Original work from 24 local artisans. Free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

Shane Meade.

Meade to play Lazy Hiker, Nantahala

Popular Western North Carolina singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 26, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

He will also hit the stage at the following venues: • 8 p.m. Friday, April 9, at Nantahala Brewing in Sylva. • 8 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin.

All shows are free and open to the public. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com or www.nantahalabrewing.com.

Canton barbecue fundraiser

An International Teacher Sorority, the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, are partnering with Pig In A Basket BBQ and Bethel Barbershop to host a fundraiser on Saturday, March 27, at the Bethel Barbershop, which is located at 6388 Cruso Road in Canton.

The fundraiser will benefit the children of Haywood County Schools. They will be collecting money and food items that will be donated to the schools to help supply items for children that are food insecure.

Alpha Delta Kappa will be collecting items on site and a ticket for a free barbecue sandwich (with side) will be given for a donation of five or more items.

Pig in a Basket BBQ, a local food truck based out of Canton, will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the barbershop. Find more information at any of the sponsoring groups Facebook page or by emailing adk.alpharho@gmail.com.

Lake Junaluska Easter festivities

All are welcome to come and celebrate Easter with an outdoor sunrise service at the Lake Junaluska Cross and a contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro on Sunday, April 4, at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

The sunrise service will begin at 7 a.m. at the outdoor amphitheater below the Lake Junaluska Cross and is open to the public for in-person worship. The service also will be streamed live on Lake Junaluska’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakejunaluska.

“The message of Easter continues to be one of hope, and we invite you to join us inperson or online as we come together this Easter to share in the hope and the love of Christ,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska.

A brass quintet will provide music, and the speaker will be the Rev. Gina Gilland Campbell. Campbell is an ordained United Methodist clergywoman and an adjunct faculty member at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she teaches classes in worship, preaching, pastoral leadership and the formation of Christian leaders in an increasingly interfaith world.

Service attendees are encouraged to dress warmly for cool mountain morning temperatures, and are asked to bring masks and observe social distancing. In the event of rain, the service will be held at Memorial Chapel. Check lakejunaluska.com/easter for possible schedule changes.

Following the service, Lake Junaluska also will host a sumptuous contactless Easter breakfast buffet at the Lakeside Bistro inside The Terrace Hotel from 7:30 a.m to 10 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 828.454.6662.

Due to health and safety concerns, Lake Junaluska will not host Easter egg hunts this year and the Lake Junaluska Friends of the Lake 5K, previously held during Easter weekend, will take place Saturday, Sept. 4.

For more information, to check updates for weather-related schedule changes or see the full menu for the Lakeside Bistro’s contactless Easter breakfast buffet, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/easter.

Easter on the Village Green

The Village Green in Cashiers will host an array of activities during Easter Weekend that celebrates the hope, renewal and joy of the Spring holiday.

The first event is the observance of the Stations of the Cross at 4 p.m. Good Friday, April 2, beginning at The Village Green Commons. The service will also be livestreamed on the Village Green Facebook page (@cashiersgreen).

In the event of inclement weather, the Cashiers Area Clergy will lead this as a virtual experience, again via live-stream on the Village Green Facebook page.

The following morning, hop on over to the Village Play to begin a preview of the newly installed StoryWalk and ending with a visit with the Easter Bunny at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3, at the Commons.

Families are encouraged to pick up a coloring page with an interactive scavenger hunt to use along the StoryWalk path in the Village Green. The StoryWalk begins near the playground and extends to the Commons where the Easter Bunny will take safe-distanced photos.

For the visit with the Easter Bunny, guests will be asked to wear masks in line, but may be removed for photos. Reservations are urged to ensure safe-distancing as well as an enjoyable experience for everyone.

The links to register can be found on the “Events Calendar” page at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/calendar. In the event of inclement weather, the Bunny Walk will be canceled and notice sent to registrants.

The annual Community Sunrise Service will be the following day at 7 a.m., Sunday, April 4, at the Commons. The service will also be live-streamed on the Village Green Facebook page (@cashiersgreen).

Celebrate the Resurrection with a service featuring live music by The Lost Chords, scripture and an uplifting message with the backdrop of a beautiful sunrise over the mountains.

Those attending need to bring a lawn chair and observe a six-foot distance between households. In the event of inclement weather, the Cashiers Area Clergy will lead this as a virtual experience, again via live-stream on the Village Green Facebook page.

To learn more about The Village Green and these events or to make a donation, call 828.743.3434 or visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade

The famous Easter Hat Parade will return to the streets at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3, in downtown Dillsboro.

Bring your finest Easter bonnet and dress up the smiles on everyone’s face by joining in and walking in the parade. In keeping with the times and the pandemic, you should plan to wear a mask. And if you do not participate in the parade, you can simply do as hundreds of others do: come to Dillsboro and watch the array of folks strolling “down the avenue” in their finery.

Registration for the parade starts at 11 a.m. Brenda Anders, coordinator for the event for the last 30 years, has taken the joy of Easter just a little further.

“The first couple of years, the number of participants in the parade were less than 24,” Anders said. “But, the event has grown, to where we have had over 200 hat contest entries in our parades through the years.”

The prizes for the hat contest are simple and mostly handmade. The categories are ever-changing, but include the largest, smallest, most outrageous, best use of fresh flowers, hat that traveled the farthest, youngest and, of course, best dog.

The Easter Bunny will also be onsite for photos. For more information, call 828.506.8331 or click on www.visitdillsboro.com.