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Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

WCU to feature live music, outdoor movie at Valley Ballyhoo

Western Carolina University will host two bands and screen the horror film “Cabin in the Woods” on Saturday, Aug. 18, as part of the university’s annual outdoor Valley Ballyhoo event.
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

An evening of music with Liz and AJ Nance

The Marianna Black Library will present an evening of acoustic music with local singer/songwriter team Liz and AJ Nance at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9. Weather permitting, this program will be presented on the front porch of the library; otherwise, it…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Concert series features Flack, Elderly Brothers

The Summer Concert series at Fontana Village Resort will feature The Elderly Brothers from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, in the Events Hall at Fontana Village Resort. The Elderly Brothers play classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s. There will…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Kellie Pickler to perform Aug. 18

Kellie Pickler, a small-town North Carolina native who competed on NBC’s American Idol, will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18.
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Put on dancing shoes for Sylva event

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be from 2:30-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12, in the community room on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva. Jennie Wakefield will call the…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Civil War and chaplains topic of lecture

“Answering the Call: Religion and Chaplains during the Civil War” will be the topic of a lecture by Ronald Vinson at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Macon County Public Library. Vinson is a graduate of Georgia Tech and…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Kiwanis Club of Waynesville to revive Spelling Bee

The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville is reviving the very popular Spelling Bee fundraising event that was run, for many years, by the Haywood County Literacy Council. The event is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville.…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

All things wood featured at Folk Art Center

The Folk Art Center will host its annual celebration of woodcrafts at Wood Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug.11 at The Folk Art Center’s auditorium. Demonstrations include carving, wood-turning, broom-making, and furniture design and construction. Southern Highland Craft Guild…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Macon library to host family art workshop

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free “Back To School” ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Aug. 11, in the children’s area of the Macon County Public Library. Make-and-take projects include personalized book…
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Stroll the Sylva art scene Aug. 10

Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JVCAA) is sponsoring the Sylva Art Stroll in historic downtown Sylva starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10.
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Learn from metal artist at Shelton House talk

Metal artist Grace Cathey of Haywood County will display her work and talk about her artistic journey from 7 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 in the barn behind the Shelton House in Waynesville.
Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

Pair of preachers put ‘picking’ talents to the test in Picked Off competition

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent Two Western North Carolina preachers were chosen for an episode of the new Picked Off television series, pitting their talents against other “pickers” searching for items they hope will bring the best price. The Revs.…
Wednesday, 26 September 2007 00:00

Funny guise: Ventriloquist extraordinaire Jeff Dunham to appear at WCU on Oct. 4

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The problem with trying to interview a ventriloquist is that he — in this case Jeff Dunham — represents not just himself but multiple other personalities — in this case five — and in…
Wednesday, 26 September 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Ugly Truths Has the entertainment industry really crumbled to such a sorry point that rather than attempting to make the best music they possibly can, the current “superstars” are more interested in making bets on whose outrageously hyped, fancily packaged…
Wednesday, 26 September 2007 00:00

Blessed, demented genius

By Chris Cooper The picture you see when you flip open the new Moolah Temple Stringband CD shows singer/guitarist/found-sound alchemist Jonathan Wertheim whacking some hapless little synthesizer to bits with a mallet. That’s almost all that needs to be said…
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 00:00

Giant Van Halen rock lands in NC

By Armando Basulto • Guest Writer There is something vaguely depressing about watching your nostalgia for your adolescent years transformed into a VH1 “We Love the 70’s-80’s” special. Realizing the years of high school memories you hoped to keep precious…
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 00:00

Where pots (and a cat) are thrown: The Flying Cat Studio is one of 20 Haywood County art studios that will host open house events this weekend

By Michael Beadle If you’re lucky enough to visit the Flying Cat Studio just off U.S. 276 in Jonathan Creek, you might get a glimpse of Spike, the mischievous mixed breed cat who’s been known to paw on the switch…
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Raising Sand Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player for days now. A co-worker left Raising Sand on my desk Friday, and I’ve been listening to the collaboration between…
Wednesday, 03 October 2007 00:00

Hoss: clawing their way to the top

Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one whose “tour” constitutes a weekend long stand at the two or three bars populating the local main drag, giving in…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Haywood arts council seeking artists

The Haywood County Arts Council invites artists to submit work samples for consideration in its art in business program, which places artists’ work for sale in area businesses. Original works in oil, watercolor, and acrylic are sought as well as…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Writing workshop offered in Waynesville

Teachers Curt and Julie Cloninger will lead a writing seminar designed to help teachers and parents teach writing to their children from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Vine of the Mountains Church on Depot Street in Waynesville
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Glass blowing class at the Green Energy Park

The Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will host a glass blowing classes on Aug. 4. The classes will be split into 45-minute slots from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. With the assistance of one of the resident glass artists, participants…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

WestCare supporters vie for ‘Disco King and Queen’

Six professionals are hoping to be crowned Disco King and Queen, based on donations they collect for the MedWest-Harris & Swain Foundation as part of the Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year – “That ‘70s Gala,” an evening of dancing,…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show comes to Franklin

Franklin will be hopping with all things barbecue when the fourth annual Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show comes to town Aug.10-11 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center located on Georgia Road in Franklin.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Bryson City library to host community jam

The next community music jam at the Marianna Black Library in downtown Bryson City will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 in the library auditorium or, weather permitting, on the library’s front lawn. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle,…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

WCU to offer stained glass course

A course in “Creating Stained Glass” is being from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays for the month of August at Western Carolina University. Participants will learn about the Tiffany method of stained glass, which involves each piece of glass being…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Russian pianist to perform in Waynesville

Russian pianist Margarita Shevchenko will display her chops at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Performing Arts Center on Pigeon Street in Waynesville. The evening’s program will include: Two Scarlatti Sonatas, Handel’s “Chaconne in G-major;” Tchaikovsky’s  “Dumka op. 59;”…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Shady Ladies ‘Pushing Tradition’ with Gallery 86 show

The Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will host an exhibition of art quilt pieces by the Shady Ladies quilting group called, “Pushing Tradition” Aug. 2-25.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Visual arts series hosting open house, fundraiser

The public is invited to Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design at 1 p.m. Aug. 3 for an open house for the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS Summer Visual ARTS Series.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Mater Fest returns to Canton Aug. 3-4

The town of Canton will host the ninth annual Mountain Mater Fest from noon on Friday, Aug. 3, to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the recreation park on Penland Street.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Friends of the Rickman Store celebrates its fifth anniversary

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) will host festivities on Aug. 4 to celebrate its purchase of T.M. Rickman General Store five years ago.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Stanley slated for Franklin Aug. 11

Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys will bring traditional bluegrass music to the stage of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Aug.11.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Country music legend Ray Price to perform

Ray Price, a country music singer, songwriter and guitarist who has often been praised as one of the best male voices in country music, will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Guitarist Pete Friedman to play at Sylva library

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a free concert by local guitarist Pete Friedman at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the community room.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Calvary Chapel hosts Messianic singer Aug. 10

Joshua Aaron will host an evening of Messianic worship and singing at 7 p.m. Aug. 10 at Calvary Chapel in Waynesville.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Family, friends of Popcorn Sutton tell the ‘real’ story Aug. 3-4

Friends and family of Popcorn Sutton are holding a reunion from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Aug. 3-4 at the Stompin’ Ground in Maggie Valley.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Popcorn Sutton festival returns to Maggie Valley

Maggie Valley will celebrate one of its most infamous moonshiners with the third annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam Aug. 3-4.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

The rich history of an award-winning wood carver

By Shannan Mashburn • SMN Intern Wood carver Cliff Hannah is deeply rooted in Western North Carolina. The internationally renowned artist is from Sandy Mush and has family ties to Cataloochee, the pioneer community in Haywood County that is now…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Happy to be here: David Holt headlines Oct. 14 Bridge Park Project fundraiser

By Chris Cooper David Holt is a happy guy. In a recent phone (cell phone, no less) conversation as he strolled down the streets of San Francisco, he let me know one of the reasons why. “I just played the…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Art for all ages: Studio 598 in downtown Sylva offers on-going art classes for youth and adults

By Michael Beadle Making a mess never looked so fun. It’s Friday morning at Studio 598 in downtown Sylva, and art instructor Norma Smith is guiding several young students through a fresco workshop. These Jackson County home-schoolers range in age…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

The Green Book Looking for more ways to help save energy costs and be more environmentally responsible? Check out this helpful book from Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. It’s chock full of easy-to-follow tips for helping save the planet…
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Ex Tempore: Impromptu excellence

By Chris Cooper I first heard Johnny Irion years ago at a little venue in Charlotte. He was performing with his then quite pregnant wife Sarah Lee Guthrie, and the two of them exemplified everything that’s good about smart, latter…
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

A labor of love: Skipper Russell’s Cold Mountain Corn Maize raises support for cancer research

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Bright yellow sunflowers ring the edges of Skipper Russell’s Cold Mountain Corn Maize in Canton, a memorial to his wife, Frances, who lost her battle with renal cell and thyroid cancer this February.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Rock On: An Office Power Ballad Written by Dan Kennedy, this venture into life in the corporate music business isn’t available to the general public until Feb. 12, 2008. But that’s OK. That just means that you can go ahead…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Sharon Jones conjures up the heart of soul

By Chris Cooper Sharon Jones and her amazing band of funk/soul revivalists were responsible for one of the happiest musical misunderstandings I’ve ever experienced. Having seen her previous CD filed in the blues section of the local record shop, with…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Halloween recipes

Pumpkin Nut Bread 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon each salt and baking soda 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon each baking powder, browned allspice and cloves 1/2 cup of softened butter 1 cup packed dark brown…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Something Pumpkin this way rolls ...

By Michael Beadle Carve ‘em. Cook ‘em. Turn ‘em into glowing faces. There’s plenty you can do with this year’s bounty of pumpkins.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

“Away From Her” Based on the great short story “The Bear Came Over The Mountain” by the ever-amazing Alice Munro, “Away From Her,” adapted for the screen and directed by 28-year-old Sarah Polley, chronicles the devastation of Alzheimer’s without flinching…
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Brian Regan Live! Whether you purchase this CD or simply Google Brian Regan on your computer, you will find yourself listening to one of the funniest comedians to arrive on the scene in years. Brian Regan performs riffs on everything…
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Highlands sets the table for a fall feast: Inaugural gathering of gastronomes holds great promise for the plateau

By Michael Beadle Indulge in a seven-course meal that includes roasted pheasant, foie gras and braised wild boar. Sip award-winning wines from Tuscany. Savor sushi, soft-shell crab and sake. Tempt your tongue with rich chocolates.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Halloween Ramblings, 2007

There’s a connection between being a musician and Halloween that goes beyond the obvious skulls/pumpkins/fake blood/heavy metal stereotype, at least for me. It’s a holiday where you can be as nutty as you want; roll yourself in tinfoil and carry…
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Going to the movies Every now a then a great batch of movies is released, calling me to the movie theater to spend too much on an overpriced ticket, popcorn and a soda. This month you can refer to your…
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Island music in the mountains: Western Carolina University’s gamelan orchestra helps share the music of Malaysian culture

By Michael Beadle A few days before Halloween, strange sounds were coming from room 451 in the Coulter Building on the campus of Western Carolina University.
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Ever-evolving, always surprising

By Chris Cooper Mountain Heart released a fantastic album last year with Wide Open, demonstrating a remarkable ability to make modern, crossover friendly bluegrass without sacrificing one bit of musicality and soul.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Ski season Count me among those who continue to be like a kid at Christmas when it’s the beginning of ski season. It’s a freeing feeling, strapping on skis and just flying down a hill with gravity as your motor.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Faces of Neighbors: Photography exhibit focuses on the lives of local migrant workers

By Michael Beadle When nurse Josie Ellis set out to take pictures of Hispanic migrant families several years ago, she had no intention of creating an art exhibit. It was simply an attempt to share photographs of children with their…
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Krauss and Plant deliver no less than expected

By Chris Cooper It’s not such an odd pairing when you think about it; two voices as recognizable as these, weaving and twisting around each other, using their considerable interpretive skills on a set of songs written by the likes…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Omnivore’s Dilemma What should we eat for dinner? Do we buy organic? Do we grow our own food? Should we eat fewer carbs or curb our protein? The basic idea of what to eat now fraught with unprecedented choice and…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Surreptitious sounds

By Chris Cooper Every so often a few releases slip beneath the radar, or at least my radar. Massachusetts based Rounder Records released a few (honestly, more than a few) fine recordings over the last year, notably those by endearingly…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Films that change the world: Local activist movie club gathers people for education, discussion on a host of social, economic and environmental issues

By Michael Beadle For the longest time, Buffy Queen and John Buckley wanted to share their love of movies with other people. As avid film fans, they’d see an amazing documentary and say to themselves, “People need to see this.”
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

“The Santaland Diaries” If you’re reading this, you may already be too late — get thee right now to a phone and call the Asheville Community Theater to reserve tickets for David Sedaris’ short story turned play, “The Santaland Diaries.”…
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Trischka doubles the pleasure with modern banjo greats

By Chris Cooper It hardly needs to be said that the banjo has taken major leaps in the hands of certain talented players over the years. It’s job as the “rhythmic glue” in traditional bluegrass continues, but has also evolved…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:47

Audition for upcoming HART production

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its October production of the hit Broadway musical “The Light in the Piazza” at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5-6. The production is being directed by Charles Mills and opens on Oct.…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:47

Kathy Griffin slated for Harrah’s Aug. 11

Two-time Emmy winning comedian, Grammy nominee and best-selling author Kathy Griffin will appear at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 11. Griffin is a multi-faceted performer with rapid-fire wit. She has been making audiences laugh for years discussing…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:46

Benefit performance for Haywood County Democratic Party

Local actress Barbara Bates Smith will star in a one-woman benefit performance titled “Go, Granny,Go: A Walk to Washington to Set’em Straight,” at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the HART Theater. The play is the memoir of Doris “Granny…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:45

Macon County Gemboree opens July 26

Gem and mineral dealers and rock hounds from across the country will converge on Franklin for the 47th Annual Macon County Gemboree July 26-29.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:43

‘Stories of Mountain Folk’ records WNC’s vanishing heritage

The hour-long radio show “Stories of Mountain Folk” airs every Saturday at 9 a.m. on Jackson County’s WRGC Radio at 540 AM.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:42

Learn more about modern roller derby

Krista Robb of the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will give a program and slide show presentation on modern Roller Derby at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:41

Two workshops planned at Franklin library

The Macon County Library in Franklin will hold two programs on July 26. Avid coin collector Paul Biery will present a program on American Coins at 11 a.m. in the meeting room. Biery has been collecting coins for more than…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:41

Learn the art of faux finishing Aug. 4

A class teaching beginning faux finish instruction will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the Leapin’ Frog Gallery in Waynesville. Instructor is Teir Siewert of Wallchemy, and the cost is $75. Siewert was trained in designer…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:40

Join a community art show in Bryson City

Local artists and artisans in Swain and surrounding counties are invited to submit up to four original works of art for the annual community art exhibit at the Swain County Center for the Arts. Artwork for this nine-week exhibit will…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:40

Lifelike drawing taught in Swain

Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Swain County Center for the Arts. The DVD “Lee Hammonds’s Lifelike Drawing,” will be shown. Learn how to draw a simple vase, furry dog, layered…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:38

Sarge’s Dog Walk returns Aug. 4

The 7th annual Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk hosted by Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:37

Voices in the Laurel members make an appearance in Spain

Members of Voices in the Laurel Children’s Choir recently returned from the Kingsway International Children’s Choir Festival in Spain.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:36

Texas Tenors take the stage July 28

The Texas Tenors, a phenomenal trio who has been entertaining sold out audiences around the world, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $22. Fans of…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:36

Feel the beat of the tambourine Aug. 3

The ABBA tribute band Arrival from Sweden will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3. Tickets start at $22. ABBA was a Swedish pop/rock band who reached great…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:35

Summer music series continues in Bryson

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City continues its Summer Music Series with Carolina Dusk, fronted by Dusk Weaver, at 7 p.m. on July 26. The Summer Music Series at the library has become a local tradition, and this year’s…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:34

Natalie Grant coming to Franklin Aug. 4

Natalie Grant, an award-winning singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, will be in concert Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.  Showtime is set for 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $10. Grant has received the…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:33

WCU brass quintet takes music to Jamaican schoolchildren

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, quintet-in-residence at Western Carolina University, made a seven-day educational tour of Jamaica this summer to inspire the teaching and learning of brass instruments in the public schools there.
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Our secret places: Phenomena exhibit honors personal stories and Lee Smith novel

By Michael Beadle So many of us have what Waynesville librarian Kathy Olsen calls “thing stories.”
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

An artist’s journey: Landscape artist Craig Forrest brings his love of art full circle

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer It’s almost as though one can hear the creaking sighs of the old, hand-hammered barn boards in Craig Forrest’s paintings. His brush strokes evoke the weathered wood with its gentle warps, many knotholes, and…
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead I’m a little surprised that this gem of a movie is not getting more attention, but I was able to catch it last week at the Fine Arts theater in Asheville, and it is…
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Sounds like Christmas ...

By Chris Cooper There are folks that get into full holiday mode, displaying their favorite snowman and fir tree embroidered sweater with aplomb while decorating the house with enough twinkling Christmas lights to make it visible from Venus.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007 00:00

It’s Grammy season ... do you care?

We’re rapidly approaching that part of the year referred to endearingly as “Grammy Season.” This is the time when we all gather round our televisions, going through post-Christmas/New Year’s holiday withdrawal, ready for another up close and personal reminder that,…
Wednesday, 12 December 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Into Great Silence The Carthusian monks of Grande Chartreuse, regarded as one of the most austere monasteries in the world, considered German director Philip Groning’s request to film their lives for nearly 16 years before granting permission. The result of…
Wednesday, 12 December 2007 00:00

Hand-made history for the Christmas tree: Local potter helps Waynesville museum through sale of ornaments

By Michael Beadle Terry Painter and his wife Anita love collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree each year, but they found that fewer and fewer ornaments bore any connection to the actual holiday.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Flight Of The Conchords on DVD Two discs of complete silliness from Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, New Zealand’s “not quite best but pretty good” digi-folk satire band, Flight Of The Conchords. It’s an oddball blend of sitcom and musical…
Wednesday, 19 December 2007 00:00

Warren Haynes’ 19th Annual Christmas Jam — mostly

By Chris Cooper Before getting started, let me say that I completely missed Grace Potter’s performance at the Christmas Jam. Heard she was fantastic. Didn’t see Jackson Browne either — heard he was a little depressing. In fact, once I…
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

A Christmas Day playlist

By Chris Cooper Years ago I read an article in one of the many music and entertainment publications out there in which Elvis Costello laid out his ideal playlist for a 12-hour day. It was enlightening; reading the list of…
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

Recommended diversions

Christmas Eve dinner Not the particular food, per se, but the tradition. In our home it’s Lori’s homemade lasagna, and one pan probably weighs 10 pounds because it has so much cheese, meat and pasta. My pasta-loving children get all…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

Recommended diversions

Kinky Boots Start the year off on the right foot with this 2005 Brit flick starring Joel Edgerton as Charlie Price, the hapless inheritor of a shoe factory, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola, the charming drag queen who sets Charlie’s…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

A few notes on 2007

By Chris Cooper Looking back on the albums and/or shows (be they local, regional or major label offerings) I’ve had the opportunity to write about over the last year, two things struck me: 1) that I was lucky enough to…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

HART opens 2008 Studio Season with ‘Demons’

By Michael Beadle A lawyer battling personal demons returns to a small town near Pittsburgh where a sensational crime forces him to face up to following the letter of the law — even if that means letting a dangerous criminal…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Recommended diversions

Skinny Dip, Carl Hiaasen This 512-page novel is a fast read that unfolds like a movie, painting a vivid picture of crime and adventure in South Florida. The story itself isn’t deep — Chaz Perrone offs his wife in an…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Southern Comfort Food

By Michael Beadle Long before the days of microwaves and fast food meals, there was the slow-cooked stew, a Southern standard prepared in vast pots over an open fire. These stews included tender meats, fresh vegetables, secret seasonings and a…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

‘Rainbows’ plays as Radiohead should

There was an interesting coincidence on July 11, 2006. Thom Yorke released Eraser to mixed reviews, and the same day a band that still desperately wants to be Radiohead (that would be Muse) dropped their newest, Black Holes And Revelations.
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Stew recipes

Upcountry Carolina Beef Hash 5 lbs lean beef, cut up for stew 1 1/2 lbs large onions diced 1 lb butter 1-2 tbsp salt pepper for taste — York County, S.C., recipe Brunswick Stew of Brunswick Co., Va. 6 hens…
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

All that brass: WCU’s Trumpet Festival is quickly becoming an international affair

By Michael Beadle Brad Ulrich was 10 years old when he began playing the trumpet. He’d started with the guitar but picked up his brother’s trumpet to sneak a few notes here and there.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

Shine on you crazy Miners

By Chris Cooper A few years ago there was this gangly guy with a mop of shaggy blonde hair sitting on a bench reading Beneath The Wheel by Herman Hesse. I recognized the book because a friend of mine had…
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