A conversation with G. Love

G. Love.

(photo: Kaelan Barowsky)

See that love, rise like a river

A conversation with G. Love

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

For the better part of the last 30 years, G. Love (aka: Garrett Dutton) has been radiating his message of “peace, love and happiness” from behind a microphone atop stages across the country and around the world.

His unique blend of blues, folk, hip-hop and rock music was groundbreaking when Dutton and his band, Special Sauce, first appeared on the northeast music scene in the early 1990s. Raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and coming of age as a young, hungry performer in Boston, Massachusetts, Dutton is now regarded as a touchstone for multiple generations of music lovers.

In essence, he’s become this melodic bridge that connects the 1940s blues, 1950s rock-n-roll, 1960s folk, 1970s soul, and 1980s hip-hop, onward into a 21st century landscape of unlimited sonic possibilities — something Dutton has been on the cutting edge of since day one.

The Smoky Mountain News recently caught up with G. Love while he was working on his homestead in the countryside of Eastern Massachusetts, within earshot of the mighty Atlantic Ocean.

Smoky Mountain News: I know 2020 has been crazy for everybody, but how are you doing?

Garrett Dutton: We’re doing really well. I’m just in the yard right now doing my chores because we’ve got some chickens and goats. [Laughs]. In the springtime, we got off tour and we were kind of hunkering down. So, we got 12 chickens. Along the way, we had a private gig at someone else’s little farm and they had a rooster, now we got dumped with the rooster. He’s a mean one. [Laughs].

Then we got three goats — Molly, Truffle, and Honey. We got a puppy. And we had a baby, little Garrett, last February before all this mess. So, all in all, despite the business side of

Want to go?

Acclaimed singer-songwriter G. Love will host an intimate solo performance at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Salvage Station in Asheville.

The show will take place on the outside stage. All social distance and Covid safety protocol will be encouraged and enforced.

Tickets are $39.50. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.salvagestation.com.

things [in the music industry], it has really been [this] happy personal time.

SMN: With what you’ve been up to on your property and in your personal life, you’re really trying to seek out silver linings in all of this…

GD: Yeah. I mean, that’s it, man. This whole thing has been about trying to find silver linings. This whole thing’s been about trying to be fluid and find different ways of approaching whatever business you’re in or just lifestyle. Different ways of approaching things because we all got to work, we all got to eat.

And you can’t just like sit around, especially in the music business. It’s really tough. For me, I can go do private socially distant [solo] shows at people’s houses. I can show up at a small pop-up show or a house party and keep my music going, keep food on the table.

Even in my small world [of G. Love & Special Sauce], we’re a small business. We got two guys in the office, three crew guys and [three band members]. [When the music industry shutdown], everyone was out of work, you know what I mean? Some of the guys are finding different ways to keep income rolling in and some of the guys are struggling. It’s really interesting like that across the board.

SMN: You’ve been touring rigorously for almost 30 years, somewhere around 100 to 150 shows each year. With the shutdown, what surprised you the most?

GD: If you’re a family person, it’s been nice to actually catch your breath, [all of us musicians and performers] that have been grinding it for years. And no matter whether you’re having a moment or not [in the music industry], it’s like the Neil Young song, “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.”

After you’ve been doing this for 10, 20 or 30 years, you realize, “Hey, we’re basically just riding around in circles.” You know, you’re making money and you’re making people happy. You’re inspiring people with the music, and to be onstage every night is such a great gift.

But, you sacrifice a lot of just simple things — being at home and waking up in bed with your wife and your kids, driving your kids to school, and just being there. That’s the biggest silver lining — being home with my family right now.

And I’ve got to tell you, it feels so good that it’s scary. I mean, I can’t imagine going back on a road so hard right now or anytime soon.

SMN: As a music journalist, people say to me, “You’ve traveled all over and had so many crazy experiences.” Yes, I have. And I don’t regret them. But, at the same time, I’ve missed a lot of birthday, anniversaries and weddings.

GD: Oh yeah. Right? Like how many weddings did you miss? Everyone’s wedding. I felt so bad asking people to come to my wedding because I missed everybody else’s wedding. [Laughs].

SMN: But, for someone like yourself who’s been touring for so long, it probably really brings back this real justification of why you like performing…

GD: Yeah. My goal when performing and doing shows has always been to make people happy and inspire them. That’s what I say to myself before I go onstage. That’s what I’m trying to do. And that’s a beautiful thing — that’s still how I feel.

I always love to play for people and I love that feeling of being onstage — just to feel the power of the music and the inspiration. It’s a great gift to be able to give that to people, you know?

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right

It was during the third sip of my second glass of wine that I decided to splurge. As a minimalist, in terms of materialistic things, I choose to spend my money on good food, drink and experiences. Thus, it was a time to celebrate, so why not purchase the $89 bottle of champagne, eh?

Screw it. I mean, it was my parents 48th wedding anniversary. Let’s do it up. When else would I be able to throw down on some quality bubbly in 2020, this haphazard year of chaos and confusion, right?

Kathy and Frank, 2020.

Seated in the depths of The Classic Wineseller in downtown Waynesville last Saturday evening, it was my parents and myself, as well as two of my best friends of all time and space. The table soon became filled with several wine glasses and halfempty bottles enjoyed with gusto.

Entering their 48th go-‘round of holy matrimony, my folks, Kathy and Frank, always seem to find themselves in Western North Carolina to mark the occasion every first week or so in November (their official anniversary is Nov. 4, 1972).

Seeing as it’s usually pretty cold, and perhaps snowing, back up at their 1840s farmhouse in my native Upstate New York this time of year, my parents, like clockwork, will hop in the car and cruise down to

Haywood County to soak in the last of the year’s warmth.

My mother will stroll Main Street Waynesville and check out the shops, my father hitting the links at the local golf courses. Sometimes my mom will grab her golf clubs, too, and join him.

Other times, she’d rather grab a margarita with me and take the moment to catch up with whatever is currently going on in our respective lives. And, later on, my dad will circle back and meet up with us for dinner and drinks, a time of laughter amid the retelling of old tales for the thousandth time being the constant theme of the evening.

And it’s always been that way with my folks — easygoing and freeflowin’. I count myself one of the lucky ones who grew up and became sincere friends with my parents as I entered adulthood. We’ve pretty much always been on the same page and gotten along, even when I was a rebellious teenager (though I still am in many respects).

Kathy and Frank met in Plattsburgh, New York, in the early 1970s. He was a 30-year-old bachelor, drifting between random gigs as a construction worker, repo man and such following a stint in the U.S. Army in the 1960s. At that time, he had gone back to college at nearby Plattsburgh State.

My mother was fresh out of college at P-State and just starting her first year as a special education teacher in a local school district. Kathy was 23 when she crossed paths with Frank at The Bistro, a now-defunct bar in Plattsburgh where a wide-range of Plattsburgh social circles would congregate back then.

Kathy and Frank had a mutual friend, Debbie, who also taught with my mom. She tried to play matchmaker and walked over to my dad at The Bistro that night. He was a pool hustler in those days and had no interest meeting a girl right then and there. But, Debbie persisted, grabbing my dad by the collar away from the table and pulling him to Kathy.

As my father still says to this day, “Well, that was it,” when recalling the first time he met my mother. They dated briefly and were married in 1972. From there, they bought a house in my hometown (Rouses Point, New York), all while acquiring several dogs, cats and a horse along the way.

Eventually, Frank got a job as an immigration officer on the Canadian Border, Kathy putting down roots at Northeastern Clinton Central School. By the mid-1980s, I had come onto the scene, with my little sister just about two years after that. We lived in an old limestone farmhouse and continued on with our lives in whatever trajectory the universe saw fit for each of us.

Like with any marriage, there are good years and bad years. Luckily, for my folks, the good years always outweighed and outnumbered the not so good ones. Now in their golden years, they’ve landed on this steady plain of existence, where both still grow and evolve as curious human beings, but always alongside one another.

It’s now Tuesday morning. I’ll be meeting up with Kathy and Frank soon for

The bubbly at The Classic Wineseller.

breakfast at the Waynesville Country Club before they hit the road back to Upstate New York. Though I won’t be able to get back home for Thanksgiving, I will surely be arriving on their doorstop for Christmas, a time of laughter amid the retelling of old tales for the thousandth time. And, for that, I’m grateful.

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

New Waynesville art studio

Do you want to make a crafty project with friends, but don’t have the materials, space or know-how? CRE828, a new workshop and studio in Waynesville, will allow you to do just that.

CRE828 is a place where you can attend a CRE8 workshop and make a project — all materials provided, no artistic talent required. Bring your drinks and have fun creating.

Pam Smith, a local attorney and instructor at Southwestern Community College, along with Dawn Harrison, a fellow instructor at SCC, have combined talents to bring you CRE828.

When they met, Harrison had an art studio and an online shop, while Smith wanted a workshop. They became good friends and put their ideas together.

Smith’s workshops consist of sign-painting, book stack, bead garland and plant stands, with more added regularly. There are over 100 designs offered. From welcome signs for your front door to a personalized seasonal or mason jar sign — the possibilities are endless.

Harrison’s workshops consist of jewelry and bead making; alcohol inks and acrylic pours, mixed-media, and more. She has been a craft show vendor for years, but that took too much time away from her small farm in Clyde. She always wanted her own shop, and once she met Smith this became a reality.

If you don’t want to create your own, the crafters of CRE828 have a gift shop with ready-to-go items for all occasions. Don’t see what you want? They can personalize that perfect gift just for you.

CRE828 is located at 1283 Asheville Road in Waynesville. 828.283.0523 or www.CRE828.com.

‘Reimagining Bartram’

Several artists have been reimagining 18th century explorer William Bartram’s artwork: what he saw and wrote about while visiting this area. Art inspired by Bartram will be spread out in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The art will be displayed in the Meeting Room and the Living Room areas in order to encourage social distancing while viewing the art. The works will be showcased in the library throughout the months of November and December, then will move to the Highlands Biological Station & Nature Center next year.

You can call the library for an appointment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please remember that masks are required to be worn in the library at all times.

For more information, call 828.524.3600.

• 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.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host

Good Bonez Nov. 14. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host

Anna Victoria Nov. 14 and Open Mic Night

Nov. 19. All shows begin at 7 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Sly

Sparrow Nov. 13 and WoolyBooger Nov. 20.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click on www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• A cooking class will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the McKinley Edwards Inn in Bryson City. Titled the “San Francisco Treats Cooking Class,” ALSO: they will share what they’ve prepared at the conclusion of each class, to which Bryson City Wine Market will pair each dish with the perfect wines. Menu includes clam chowder, garlic noodles, dukka spiced salmon patties, and fried quinoa salad. To RSVP, call 828.488.9626.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 2 to 5 p.m every Saturday at The Wine Bar &

Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.

• The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will host a drive-in concert series with Keller Williams & Friends (jam/acoustic) Nov. 13 and St. Paul & The Broken Bones (soul/rock) Nov. 19. All shows begin at 20 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Hosted by • The annual “Polar Express” train ride is now departing from the Great Smoky

Mountains Railroad depot in downtown

Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.

Acclaimed rock/soul sensation St. Paul & The Broken Bones will perform on Thursday, Nov. 19, at The Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot in Maggie Valley.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Social distancing and safety protocols will be enforced.

Based out of Alabama, St. Paul & The Broken Bones formed in 2012, releasing their debut album “Half the City” in 2014 and its follow up, 2016’s “Sea of Noise,” to much acclaim.

Those strong efforts helped place them on the national scene, and the band worked hard to prove they were no mere retro-soul band — from touring the world relentlessly, including being selected to open for The Rolling Stones and headlining two nights at the Ryman Auditorium, to TV appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, Austin City Limits and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Hosted by The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds, tickets are available at www.thegreyeagle.com.

Cashiers’ ‘Elevated Wines Weekend’

www.highlandswineshoppe.com/events, call 828.526.4080 or email director@cashiersgreen.com.

The Elevated Wines Weekend will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at The Village Green Commons Amphitheater ‘It’s a Small, Small in Cashiers. This wine tasting event is designed to Work’ exhibit appeal to both the true oenophile or just The Haywood County Arts Council annusomeone who enjoys exploring wine. More al show, “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be than 80 wines will be available to taste and showcased through Jan. 9 at the HCAC will be paired with small bites. Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.

The 20 featured winemakers and vine- The 2020 exhibit will feature 47 artists yard owners from Napa Valley will introduce and almost 300 individual works of art for their wines and share their unique winemak- sale. The show provides a unique opportunity ing process and philosophy. The wines aver- for budding artists to exhibit their work, as age $35 per bottle and a portion of proceeds well as the opportunity for more seasoned from wine sales benefits The Village Green, artists to test their boundaries. the 13-acre privately conserved park for pub- All pieces submitted are exactly 12” or lic enjoyment. smaller in every dimension, including base,

Tickets are $150 for general admission, matting, and frame. All artwork is for sale, $100 for local residents of Jackson and priced at $300 or less, and must have been Macon County, and a special $50 ticket for created in the last two years. Commission will anyone in the Cashiers service industry, be the gallery’s usual 60 percent (artist) to 40 such as first responders or hospitality and percent (HCAC) split. tourism employees. The Haywood County Arts Council’s

To purchase tickets, visit small work show was launched in 2008 to www.eventbee.com/v/elevatedwines/ demonstrate that original artwork is affordboxoffice. Tickets will also be available on the able and fun. Most businesses, homes and day of the event. apartments can accommodate smaller works

All North Carolina COVID-19 regulations of art — and the show promotes buying local will be followed and the event is open air. and regional work to help support artists in Face coverings and hand sanitizer will be pro- Western North Carolina. vided. Designated drivers will be available. For more information,

For additional information, visit www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.