27 minute read
MerleFest gives up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity
MerleFest returns, giving up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
MerleFest has been the premier “traditional plus” music festival in the country for decades, launching the careers of music. Watson agreed to perform, on two conditions. The first was that the festival honor Watson’s son Merle, who’d recently been killed bookers scouring the scene for bands they think could fit in future MerleFest lineups. This year’s roster included eight bands — many well-known American roots musicians. Last year, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the Wilkesboro, North Carolina, event, disappointing first-time performers — especially smaller regional acts.
This year, many of those performers were glad to be invited back, appearing in a band competition on Sept. 18. Although they were overshadowed by headliners like Sturgill Simpson and Melissa Etheridge, the winner of the competition earns not only bragging rights, but a performance slot for the next day — solidifying MerleFest’s role as a proving ground for up-and-coming acts.
It all started in 1988 when Wilkes Community College horticulture professor was looking to build and, most importantly Mavis Staples and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. “There are so many wonderful musicians in Western North Carolina, it’s a shame they River Valley-based Blistered Hearts; Statesville guitarist Eli Yacinthe; Nashville’s Hannah Juanita; fund, a sensory garden on the campus.
“On the board was a man that happened to know Doc Watson and he said, ‘You know I think we could go up and see Doc and see if he’d come down and maybe do a benefit concert to raise money to build these gardens,’” said Festival Director Ted Hagaman. Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Doc Watson is a legendary figure in American in an accident, and the second was that Doc could bring his friends. “The very first festival they brought two tractor trailer flatbed trucks, put them out in the field, and created a stage,” Hagaman said. “All the artists that had promised Doc that they would come came, and these are people from the Grand Old Opry like Earl Scruggs and Grandpa Jones and Chet Atkins and just a whole plethora of great musicians, they all came for free.” Now 33 years later, the festival has grown from around 2,000 attendees to as many as 80,000 over four days. But not all of them are there to see headliners like Balsam Range, don’t get a platform a lot of times to show their talent,” Hagaman said. “So we did come up with this about 6 or 8 years ago and said, you know, ‘Why don’t we do a competition?’” Since 2015, the competition has showcased regional talent and boosted the careers of winners like Ashley Heath and Her Heathens, and national touring act Fireside Collective. The competition is invite-only, with festival Radford, Virginia, string band Gate 10; New Boone act Handlebar Betty; Raleigh jamgrass group Into the Fog; Asheville darlings Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats; and Haywood County’s own The Maggie Valley Band. “We got the invite in our email I think in November of 2019 and we just ignored it. OK, I’ll say I ignored it since I deal with the emails,”
said Caroline Miller, who with sister Whitney fronts the Maggie Valley Band. “I ignored it because I thought it was spam.” It wasn’t, and two weeks later a follow-up email convinced the sisters, who were ecstatic. But on Friday, March 13, 2020, just 45 days out, MerleFest 2020 became yet another casualty of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Hagaman said the decision to cancel was heartbreaking, but correct. “Honestly, when it happened and I found out it was canceled, I cried,” Whitney said. “It was like, I know there’s bigger things happening right now with the pandemic but I was just like, ‘Yeah, wow, we lost this too.’” Hagaman said MerleFest invited every performer back for 2021. Some weren’t able to make it, but most, like TMVB, were. “Honestly, seeing the talent and seeing the people that we know are here, I’m just overwhelmed and honored to be here, thankful to be here,” Caroline said Sept. 17. “Not feeling out of place, but just extremely honored for sure.” Each group of performers was given 15 minutes to perform on the Plaza Stage, under the watchful eyes of three judges — all members of a group called The Local Boys. “You get such a broad spectrum of types of bands, types of music, you don’t know what to Raleigh-based Into the Fog (above) performs at MerleFest in Wilkesboro Sept. 18. The Maggie Valley Band (inset) notched its first MerleFest performance as part of the band competition. Cory Vaillancourt photos expect,” said John Aaron, one of the judges. “I hadn’t seen any of these bands. I wasn’t familiar with any of these bands before and I hadn’t researched any of them. Sometimes I do research. This year, I chose not to. I thought, I’m going to come in cold and let them surprise me and I’ll find out when I see them.” The competition was hosted by beloved Western North Carolina singer/songwriter Mark Bumgarner. “I see every year it getting stronger across the board. We’ve always had strong acts, but this year it seems like they all just really brought their own element,” Bumgarner said. “We had a great variety of music, a lot of incredible musicianship, a lot of really good, tight bands, band interaction and band identity.” At the conclusion of the competition judges deliberated for several minutes, pouring over scorecards that rated the groups on stage presence, material selection, musicianship, flow of the show and time management. In the end, it was Into the Fog that took home top honors — and the coveted performance slot. “We just love playing music,” said Winston Mitchell, mandolinist. “Hopefully playing bigger stages, getting our music out to more people and, just doing what we love. But I just want to say real quick we as a band really hate to think of music as a competition, so it’s really hard to feel like we won a trophy or something like that. There’s some amazing bands that played and and we’re super fortunate to have won.”
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Jorma Kaukonen.
Ode to Jorma Kaukonen, ode to the spirit of rock
At the core of iconic rock guitarists, Jorma Kaukonen resides in the same company of his 1960s peers, which includes Jimi Hendrix, Terry Kath and Jerry Garcia. And though that trio of his contemporaries are long gone from this earth, Kaukonen remains — this cosmic soul of sonic power and melodic passion.
A founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, two pillars of American rock and blues music, Kaukonen, now 80, is regarded as one of the finest to ever pick up the six-string, whether electric or acoustic.
In conversation, Kaukonen is affable and introspective, the kind of person who will sit down with any and all kindred spirits for an in-depth look and laugh at the absurdity of the grand scheme of things amid one’s place in the universe.
For Kaukonen and those he continually crosses paths with, it’s about seeing humor in everyday life. It’s about chasing long-held dreams and always pushing forward towards the unknown horizon. And never losing sight of the beauty and sacred act of live music, of human interaction from both sides of the microphone.
Smoky Mountain News: With these upcoming shows, it’s just you, solo onstage. What’s the intent behind that setup, of being up there by yourself and the vulnerability aspect of it?
Jorma Kaukonen: Right? [Laughs]. Of course, there is that. I started out playing solo and then I wound up playing with buddies in the Airplane. And I get to dance between a lot of different worlds in that. I enjoy playing with other people, but when I’m playing solo, I really see myself as a storyteller.
HOT PICKS
1Featuring Balsam Range and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, “Grit & Grace: A Flood Relief Benefit for Haywood County” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Sorrells Street Park in downtown Canton.
2Mountain Heritage Day makes a triumphant return to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 25.
3The “Mountain Murders” podcast will host a live show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Lazy Hiker Brewing & Taproom in downtown Sylva.
4Acclaimed singer-songwriter Chris Staples will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Orchard Coffee in Waynesville.
5There will be a special luncheon with beloved southern author Wiley Cash at noon Monday, Sept. 27, in Harmon’s Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
And, you know, the environment of the room, that’s always part of everybody’s gig. However, I usually do a set list before each. I don’t necessarily stick to it, but at least I have a departure point. Once you jump into the pool, then I’ll start to read the audience and see where I need to go with this.
JK: I’m really lucky because I’m still in good health. And I take good care of myself, but you never know what’s going to happen. One of things I find now is that I have to pace myself better.
In the old days, you’d never have to warm up. You’d just pick up your instrument, you’re screwing around backstage playing, you go onstage. Now, I need to carefully warm up. I don’t want my hands to cramp. I want to make sure everything’s working right. These are things that I’m aware of today I might not have been aware of 10 years ago.
SMN: Since the shutdown, Hot Tuna crossed over the 50-year mark. And it’s still going strong. You and [bassist] Jack Casady. It’s outlasted most rock institutions that started at that time, if not all of them.
JK: Yeah. That’s definitely a “who knew?” for me and Jack. When you’re younger, when you start out, you don’t even think of being 50, much less 50 years having a laugh and still being buddies and playing music together.
I was just talking to Jack earlier today because we’re getting ready to do a tour in a month or so. And we’re like kids again. We’re both really excited to get back to work. One of the things that’s happened to me with the music, and I’m so grateful for this, is that I still love the music and the guitar as much as I ever did.
SMN: What’s it like when you’re onstage and look over and Jack’s still there?
JK: I mean, he’s my oldest friend. Think about it, I’ve known him since 1955 and we started playing together in 1958 — that’s a long time ago.
SMN: Your music has always been so steeped in the blues. And it’s one of those things you appreciate when you’re younger, the intricate nature and simplicity of the blues. But, what’s so interesting is that it’s a genre you grow older with, you discover more about the blues as you get older.
JK: I totally agree. People that don’t dig the blues or don’t get it or think it’s boring. Well, you’re not listening to the right blues. Blues is a constantly evolving art form. Even some of the early guys, it’s always been multi-dimensional. There’s a complexity in a sort of deceptive simple-ness that can take a lifetime to really get on top of.
The blues talks about real stuff. It could happiness. It could misery. I could be relationships, good and bad. They talked about the world. And the pop music that I grew up with before rock-n-roll, the blues was just so much more inviting than the pop music.
Plus, the sounds. As a guy that’s always loved the guitar, the sonic textures [of the blues] were always so exciting compared to heavy instrumentation.
Editor’s Note: Jorma Kaukonen will hit the stage for an intimate solo concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville. Renowned instrumental duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley will open the performance. Tickets start at $35.50 per person. To purchase tickets, go to www.worthamarts.org and click on the “Events & Tickets” tab.
BLUE RIDGE BOOKS INVITES YOU TO JOIN WILEY CASH
for a luncheon, reading & discussion of his new book, When Ghosts Come Home SEPT. 27 • 12 P.M.
Harmon’s Den @ H.A.R.T. Tickets: $30 Purchase tickets at Blue Ridge Books LAST CHANCE!
Hometown your Bookstore
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arts & entertainment
Balsam Range flood relief benefit concert
Presented by Balsam Range, United Way of Haywood County, Town of Canton, Clyde Lions Club, Canton Lions Club and The Smoky Mountain News, “Grit & Grace: A Flood Relief Benefit for Haywood County” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Sorrells Street Park in downtown Canton.
Hitting the stage will be acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range, with Americana sensation Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters opening the show.
The event is to not only raise funds for those in need following the devastating flood waters in August in the communities of Canton, Cruso, Bethel and Clyde, but also to provide a moment to gather together as neighbors and friends and enjoy some live music.
Balsam Range is a fiery quintet hailing from Haywood County. The highly-popular act has become the stuff of legend in recent years, as seen by the band’s numerous number one radio hits, chart-topping albums and International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, including “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018) and “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), amid several other honors.
The show is free and open to the public, with a $20 suggested donation at the entrance. All proceeds from the evening will go to the United Way of Haywood County, which will provide disaster relief for flood victims.
Food trucks and craft beer will also be sold onsite. Bring your lawn chairs and your good attitudes for an unforgettable night of Appalachian music under the stars.
Monetary donations from local businesses, organizations and private citizens are currently being accepted. For more information, contact Garret K. Woodward, arts/music editor for The Smoky Mountain News at garret@smokymountainnews.com.
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters.
Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee
When Mountain Heritage Day makes a triumphant return to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 25, it will come with a full day of live music.
The annual festival of Southern Appalachian traditions and culture is renowned as a showcase of bluegrass, oldtime and traditional music, as well as family activities, food vendors, artisan demonstrations, and the region’s finest arts and crafts booths.
The schedule for the Blue Ridge Stage:
• Summer Brooke & Brayden kick off the music at 10 a.m. Known for leading the IBMA award-winning Mountain Faith Band, the popular brother/sister bluegrass virtuosos graciously provided the concert for 2020’s Mountain Heritage Day virtual performance. • When Whitewater Bluegrass Company performs at 11 a.m., it will mark a major milestone, as it will be their 25th time playing at Mountain Heritage Day. More or less founded at WCU in 1982, the band blends its own brand of bluegrass, country ballads and mountain swing with down-home humor. • At noon, the Apple Blossom Cloggers, a dance troupe of 7 to 9 years old girls, join Whitewater Bluegrass Company for lively clogging demonstration, followed by presentation of the Mountain Heritage Awards at 12:15 p.m. to an individual and organization in recognition of work within Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. • The Queen Family starts picking at 12:45 p.m. Known as master musicians and experts in regional lore, the Queen Family were honored with the 1999 “Mountain Heritage Award” and the 2001 “BrownHudson Award” by the North Carolina Folklore Society. • Phil and Gaye Johnson at 1:30 p.m. play guitar and sing an acoustic blend of bluegrass, folk and favorites. The prolific songwriters and storytellers from Polk County travel across the country to perform and are among the longest running repeat performers at Mountain Heritage Day. • The Grascals, three-time Grammy nominees and two-time IBMA “Entertainer of the Year,” perform at 2:15 p.m. The Bailey Mountain Cloggers will join the Grascals at 3:30 p.m. for foot-stamping and high stepping mastery that is a perennial of Mountain Heritage Day. • At 3:45 p.m. the Merle Monroe Band will bring their mix of Bill Monroe-style bluegrass with Merle Haggard’s style of songs of the common man (hence the name) to the stage for their own brand of bluegrass, gospel and traditional country.
For more information, updates and a full schedule of events, go to www.mountainheritageday.com.
Summer Brooke & Brayden.
Frog Level taps into Americana
Acclaimed singer-songwriter/indie guitarist Kevin Fuller will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
The Upstate New Yorker has traveled the highways and bi-ways of America, from Maine to California, putting his transformative experiences to paper and chords.
“I’ve always been influenced by bluegrass and Appalachian music,” Fuller told The Smoky Mountain News. “I’d always heard the twang in my songs. I heard banjo, fiddle and upright bass. So, when I ended up here, and met the greatest musicians in the world, who played those instruments and asked to play music with me, I was kind of blown away. I feel like there’s a reason why I am here, and I feel like this is it.”
Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.
Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Life Like Water
Oct. 1. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Jacob Johnson (guitar/vocals) Sept. 25 for a special dinner performance (call for per person price) and Jay Brown (guitar/vocals)
Oct. 2 ($10 cover). All shows begin at 7 p.m.
Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
ALSO:
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or www.coweeschool.org.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or www.curraheebrew.com.
• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on
Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or www.elevatedmountain.com.
• Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Foxfire
Boys Sept. 24 and Curtis Blackwell Oct. 1.
Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host
Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) Sept. 24, Ol’
Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 25 and an Open Drum Circle Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host an
Oktoberfest Celebration Sept. 26. All events • Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Yard
Karaoke 7 p.m. Oct. 8. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host PMA (reggae/soul) Oct. 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host George Ausman Sept. 24, Granny’s
Mason Jar Sept. 25, Wyatt Espalin Sept. 26 and Jacob’s Well Oct. 2. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host Heart of
Pine (Americana) 7 p.m. Oct. 2. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala
Gorge) will host Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) 3 p.m. Sept. 24 and Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Sept. 24. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.
• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host Chris
Staples (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. Sept. 26 ($25 at the door) and Corey Kilganon &
Lazuli Vane (Americana/indie) 8 p.m. Sept. 29 ($15 at the door). Advance tickets are available at the shop. 828.246.9264 or www.orchardcoffeeroasters.com.
• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host
Caribbean Cowboys (oldies/surf) Sept. 25. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com. • Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with The Knotty G’s Sept. 25 and The
Bill Mattocks Blues Quartet Oct. 2. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing
Arts (Franklin) will host Crowder (Christian/indie) at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30.
Tickets start at $25, with priority seating available. For more information and to purchase tickets, click on www.smokymountainarts.com.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host
Blackjack Country Sept. 23, Tricia Ann Band
Sept. 24 and Outlaw Whiskey Sept. 25. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke on Thursday nights and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.
Chris Staples.
arts & entertainment
Rising songwriter rolls into Orchard
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Chris Staples will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Orchard Coffee in Waynesville.
Staples is an American musician from Seattle, Washington. He released several albums independently before catching the attention of Seattle-based Barsuk Records, who re-released “American Soft” in 2014. Staples’ second album on Barsuk, “Golden Age,” was released in 2016, with “Holy Moly” in 2019.
Admission is $25. Seated is limited for this performance. Tickets available at the door with advance tickets available at the shop. www.orchardcoffeeroaster.com.
Valley Tavern flood benefit
There will be a flood benefit for Haywood County residents from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Valley Tavern in Maggie Valley.
Sponsored by WPTL 101.7 and the Valley Tavern, there will be live music from Keil Nathan Smith, Neighbors Band, Wayne Buckner & Shooting Creek, Olde Tyme Pickers, Scoundrel’s Lounge, American Maid, and Outlaw Whiskey. A silent auction will also take place.
All proceeds will go to local pastors to provide direct aid to those impacted by Tropical Storm Fred in Cruso, Canton, Bethel and Clyde.
FREE
ESTIMATES
HaywoodBuilders.com 100 Charles St. WAYNESVILLE Smoky Mountain News
arts & entertainment
Want to paint, sip craft beer?
The “WNC Paint Night” will return to local breweries in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.
With step-by-step instructions, you will paint yourself a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This is pure fun to do while you sip on something tasty at the brewery.
Events will be held at the following locations: Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9; and Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 22; BearWaters Brewing (Canton) from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Nov. 12 and Dec. 23.
Space is limited. Reserve your seat by texting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. To learn more, visit the Facebook page @paintwnc or Instagram @wnc_paint_events.
• The Haywood County Arts Council’s annual
Haywood County Studio Tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 25-26. The tour is a two-day, self-guided, free event in which
Haywood County artists open their studios to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.
• An art contest (ages 5 years and up) will be held through Oct. 14 at the Marianna Black library in Bryson City. A fun night complete with face painting for children and other activities will also take place during the “Gallery Night” event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. The theme of the contest is “It’s a Beautiful World.” To register for the contest, pick up an application on Monday, Sept. 13, at the library.
• The “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The
Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call
The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. www.franklinuptowngallery.com.
• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art
Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public
Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work.
Classically trained at Savannah College of
Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV.
ALSO:
ColorFest returns to Dillsboro
The annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in downtown Dillsboro.
Come spend the day in a walk-about mountain town filled with color and history. Enjoy a day of fun, food, live music, artisan demonstrations, entertainment and shopping.
Over 40 artisans will be displaying authentic Cherokee art, pottery, jewelry, photography, loom beading, handmade soaps, many kinds of needle work, Christmas ornaments, pinecone wreaths, candles, rustic furniture, chair caning, baskets and much more. www.dillsboronc.info.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood
Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. www.mountainmakersmarket.com. • Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through October at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Current Covid-19 safety protocols will be enforced. 828.488.7857.
ALSO:
Launched in December 2018 and covering Appalachian true crime cases from Georgia to Maine, the popular “Mountain Murders” podcast will host a live show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Lazy Hiker Brewing & Taproom in downtown Sylva.
The show’s hosts Heather and Dylan Packer are natives of Haywood County with an interest in true crime. “Mountain Murders” and Lazy Hiker are presenting a night of true crime, comedy and improvisation.
“What makes Mountain Murders unique is our focus on our underrepresented region,” Heather said. “We try to defy stereotypes about Appalachia while showcasing often lesser-known cases. Mountain Murders focuses on research and storytelling.”
The live show will offer dinner options and will be preceded with a Q&A session as well as an audience participation game. The show will offer fans a chance to meet the hosts as well.
Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the door on the evening of the show for $15. You can also check “Mountain Murders” Facebook page for an event, as well as click the link in our Instagram bio for ticket information.
The full event will be recorded and distributed by the podcast after the show. Follow Mountain Murders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. The podcast is available across all platforms, including Apple, Google, Spreaker, Spotify, Castbox, and more.
Want to learn theatre?
This fall, there will be a slew of theatre classes offered by the HART Arts Academy through Nov. 3 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Adult classes include directing, beginner tap, and musical theatre vocals. Kids classes include a wide-range of dancing, acting, singing, directing, and improvisational courses.
You can learn more about these opportunities and sign up for classes by visiting www.harttheatre.org, clicking on the “Kids at Hart” tab and scrolling to “Classes & Camps” page. Masks and social distancing will be required for all courses.
www.smokymountainnews.com
Hosted by Blue Ridge Books, there will be a special luncheon with beloved southern author Wiley Cash at noon Monday, Sept. 27, in Harmon’s Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Cash will be reading from, discussing, answering questions about, and signing his new book, When Ghosts Come Home — a story of a father and daughter, crime, forgiveness, race and memory.
Catered by Kanini’s, admission is $30, which includes your meal. Admission also includes a $10 coupon towards purchase of the book. Tickets can be purchased at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Reservations can be made by calling Blue Ridge Books at 828.456.6000. Space is limited.
Any person age 5 or older must wear a face covering at all times at the event except when actively eating or drinking.
Lecture on existentialism
Led by Clemson Professor Todd May, a discussion on existentialism will continue from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
May is Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of the Humanities at Clemson University in South Carolina. He is the author of 16 books of philosophy and was an advisor to the philosophical sitcom “The Good Place.”
He is currently advising “The Good Place” showrunner, Mike Schur, on a book of ethics that is due out next spring with Simon and Schuster.
May has the following to say regarding the series’ themes: “Existentialism is one of the most enduring philosophies to emerge out of the past two centuries. It asks deep questions about what it means to be alive and how to cope in a universe that seems indifferent to our existence. We will discuss thinkers like Dostoyevsky, Sartre, Beauvoir, and recent post-existentialist developments. Rather than simply a lecture, we are hoping for lively discussion of important life issues.”
The lecture will be in the Community Room. It is free to attend and requires no registration. Although, per Jackson County regulations, attendees will be required to wear a mask.
For more information, call 828.586.2016. This seminar is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).
Bringing her immortal words to the big stage, a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2425, 30, Oct. 1-2, 7-9 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and 10 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” These simple words written by a 13-year-old girl in the height of World War II have become an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest times in human history. “The Diary of Anne Frank” illuminates the coming-of-age of a passionate, funny, and complex girl in the face of religious persecution.
“Anne’s story leaves the audience with a lot of hope in a time when people are maybe feeling very hopeless,” said director Julie Kinter. “Anne is unbeaten by what’s going on in the world outside of the annex. She has nightmares, she knows her friends have been taken and died, but she finds in herself a resilience and a purpose in spite of it all.”
Frank’s true personality is fleshed out in this adaptation written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, which took unedited diary entries to show the true hope and spirit of Anne Frank. “The Diary of Anne Frank” has a little bit of everything with really funny moments, beautiful and sweet moments, and some dark times as well.
“If I could have the audience take away one thing from this play, it would be that finding that empathy and compassion for another person, despite our differences, is the key to mankind surviving,” Kinter said.
HART requires all patrons to wear a mask while at the theatre. Tickets are available by visiting www.harttheatre.org or by calling the HART box office at 828.456.6322 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. This show is suitable for all ages.
