Ode to GWAR, ode to heavy metal integrity
Standing in the photo pit last week between heavy metal icons GWAR and a sold-out roaring audience at The Orange…
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This must be the place: Ode to Billy Strings, ode to breaking down musical barriers
Standing in a sea of thousands of music freaks at the Asheville Civic Center (aka: Harrah’s Cherokee Center) on Sunday…
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It will if we let it: MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger
In a modern world of meaningless priorities, constant distraction, finger pointing and incessant white noise, Hiss Golden Messenger remains a…
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This must be the place: Ode to being real, ode to the dude who felt otherwise
It was Saturday. Having just strolled into my neighborhood bar in Waynesville, I walked over to say hello to my…
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Rolling down that lost highway: A conversation with J.D. Pinkus
Hunkered down at a table in the depths of the cavernous DeSoto Lounge in West Asheville, J.D Pinkus takes a…
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Holt to receive N.C. Award
David Holt is one of nine North Carolinians who will receive the state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award,…
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Now it’s me who owns the night: Blackouts, Driftwood to play Water’n Hole
In an effort to bust out of her Virginia hometown and head for the bright lights of Nashville, rising singer-songwriter…
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Driftwood to make WNC debut
Nashville country/indie act Karly Driftwood will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at The Water’n Hole Bar…
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This must be the place: But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
By the time you read this, my folks will be motoring through Southwestern Virginia, probably deciding whether to just keep…
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In the shadow of the pines: Ty Gilpin of Unspoken Tradition
With a slew of chart-topping bluegrass hits, including the No. 1 “Dark Side of the Mountain,” Cherryville-based string quintet Unspoken…
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Taylor receives HART award
Following the curtain call for the opening night performance of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre’s current production of “Harvey,” the…
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HART play, painter combine forces
When the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) in Waynesville needed a custom-painted portrait of an actor with his six-foot invisible…
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Tale of two bands: J.J. Hipps, Gold Rose to play Apple Jam
Amid the rich, vibrant musical tapestry of bluegrass, Americana, blues and folk at the core of Western North Carolina’s storied…
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This must be the place: Some new light may be passin’, but it may never pass again
It was mid-afternoon Sunday and I couldn’t stand to be in my apartment another minute. I was done with all…
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Givin’ it the old college try: Daniel Womack of Futurebirds
On its new four-song EP, “Bloomin’,” Athens, Georgia-based rock outfit Futurebirds tapped Carl Broemel to not only produce the album,…
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This must be the place: Ode to the bluegrass awards, ode to a sea change
Finishing my beer and burger, I emerged from the depths of Jimmy V’s bar in the lobby of the Sheraton…
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Gunter wins two Josie Music Awards
Marshall native and country music performer Ricky Gunter walked away from the Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on…
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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…
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Moxie and Mettle: Balsam Range on new album, flood relief show
Situated on Pisgah Drive/N.C. 110 in the outskirts of downtown Canton is the WPTL studio, a Haywood County community radio…
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This must be the place: Ode to ‘Grit & Grace,’ ode to coming together
Putting the truck into park, I hopped out of the Tacoma in front of the legendary WNCW studios on the…
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Primus gets 'Closer to the Heart' of Rush
A few weeks ago I photographed Primus doing a tribute to Rush playing the entire "A Farewell to Kings" album. Anyone who…
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MerleFest returns, giving up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity
MerleFest has been the premier “traditional plus” music festival in the country for decades, launching the careers of many well-known…
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This must be the place: 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…
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Travelin’ this lonesome road: Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters
With its latest album release, “A Tribute to Bill Monroe,” The Infamous Stringdusters pay homage to the long gone, yet…
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This must be the place: ‘Tall building shake, voices escape singing sad, sad songs’
Sitting in a camping chair next to the small fire, I sipped a nightcap and reached for my phone to…
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This must be the place: Ode to Sylva Pride, ode to all the colors of the rainbow
Kudos to the town of Sylva for hosting its inaugural Pride celebration this past Saturday in downtown. A day filled…
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Kindness is my religion: A conversation with Oliver Wood
When the entire music industry shutdown for the foreseeable future in March 2020, many artists and bands didn’t know what…
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This must be the place: ‘And the drummer, he’s so shattered, trying to keep on time’
Oh, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Charlie Watts. Drummer of The Rolling Stones. The backbone of rock-n-roll. Gone last Tuesday at age…
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Ready for ‘YerkFest’?
Celebrating the life of the late Erica Waldrop, the inaugural “YerkFest” will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday,…
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Qualla Arts and Crafts turns 75
The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual will be celebrating its 75th anniversary with an Open Air market, exhibition, and a…
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There in a dream: A Conversation with Bill Frisell
In the world of electric guitar, few stand taller than Bill Frisell.Frisell is to jazz and fusion music as Jimi…
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Complementing the community: New restaurant brings Mediterranean flare to Sylva
Since they set up shop in Sylva just about three and a half years ago, Don and Cecelia Panicko have…
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This must be the place: Ode to the green peppers, ode to the people of Haywood
The green peppers. All of those damn green peppers. Throughout the coverage of this devastating flood from Tropical Storm Fred…
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This must be the place: I don’t want to look at the past and be sad, there were plenty of good times and more to be had
Like clockwork, the garbage truck shook me awake at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. Picking up the dumpster from the pizza joint…
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Knight celebrates ‘75+1’
A special 76th birthday performance by beloved folklorist, storyteller and musician Lee Knight will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday,…
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Good times around the bend: Keith Moseley of The String Cheese Incident
A potent blend of rock, bluegrass, folk and electronica, The String Cheese Incident remains an innovative, intriguing force of nature…
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Folkmoot director to return to Louisiana
Folkmoot Executive Director Glenn Fields has announced his plans to return to Louisiana in a memorandum to the Folkmoot Board…
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Summer at Lake J
Lake Junaluska’s Summer Activities Program, which offers free and low-cost activities that celebrate faith, recreation, arts and education, is now…
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I’m floating in the blimp a lot, I feel the feeling I forgot
I knew it was going to happen. But, I just didn’t know when it would.
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Time machines, remembered scenes: Dave Schools of Widespread Panic
What started out 35 years ago as a handful of students at the University of Georgia getting together for the…
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Fine Art Museum receives national honor
The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance…
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This must be the place: It all comes back to you, you’re bound to get what you deserve
Opening up my email inbox last Friday morning, there was a press release from an entertainment publicist making note of…
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The melodic bridge of that ‘high, lonesome sound’: A conversation with Del McCoury
When it comes to the preservation and perpetuation of bluegrass music in the 21st century, Del McCoury is the leading…
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Cosmopolitan country: Sylva restaurant combines fine Italian, Appalachian culinary delights
For several years, the small building at the corner of Main and Mill streets in downtown Sylva has sat dormant.…
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This must be the place: Rolling on from town to town, been so many places, still don’t know where I’m bound
With my feet dangling out of the back window of the truck, a cool morning breeze rolled through the Tacoma…
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This must be the place: The heart has its seasons, its evenings and songs of its own
Stepping into the lobby of the Days Inn just north of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, last Wednesday evening, I was immediately hit…
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The way love goes: A conversation with Brian McKnight
For the last 25 years, few R&B/soul performers have risen to height of success and level of mainstream talent as…
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This must be the place: By now you took what was to take, tear it apart and start again
Emerging from the beer line along the top of the hill with a Fiddlehead IPA, I heard the slight sound…
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We could leave them behind in the sparkle and fade: A conversation with Art Alexakis
If the old adage, “obstacles are opportunities,” rings true, then Art Alexakis might just be the definition of an opportunist.
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New heritage center launches in Maggie Valley
In an effort to preserve and perpetuate the heritage arts and lore of the Great Smoky Mountains and greater Southern…
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