Blackberry Smoke returns to Harrah’s
Southern rock juggernaut Blackberry Smoke will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
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Peacock presents ‘Scribes on Stage’
Featuring four plays, the “Scribes on Stage” series will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the…
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Rash inducted into NC Literary Hall of Fame
With a list of novels, five books of poetry and seven collections of short stories, Ron Rash has garnered a…
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This must be the place: ‘If there’s a goal that everyone remembers, it was back in ol’ 72’
The title of this column is the opening line of the song “Fireworks” by The Tragically Hip. A cherished Canadian…
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An encouraging book about democracy
In the year 2020, we lived with a pandemic and a hotly contested presidential race. Strong feelings made their appearance,…
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Reggae, soul at Frog Level
The Natti Love Joys will perform during the “Bob Marley Birthday Celebration” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at Frog…
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Boojum goes Pleasantly Wild
Asheville-based rock/funk trio Pleasantly Wild will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at The Gem downstairs taproom…
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New lost ages: Tyler Ramsey to play Highlander Mountain House
At the core of any great singer-songwriter lies this inherent trait of stage presence, one where an entire room, no…
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This must be the place: Ode to Wild Kathy, ode to never slowing down, never growing old
My best girl (aka: my mother Kathy) turns 75 years young today (Jan. 21). Currently, it’s a cold, frigid Sunday…
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A Nordic escape for American snow days
With the winter season upon me, I couldn’t help but seek out a book to fit my longing for cold…
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Rock rolls into Unplugged Pub
Haywood County rock/country act Outlaw Whiskey will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Unplugged Pub…
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I am one of you forever: Remembering WNC literary icon Fred Chappell
In a November 2022 interview with The Smoky Mountain News, storied writer Fred Chappell, a Haywood County native who was…
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A life immersed in the written word: Questions posed to the late Fred Chappell
Editor’s Note: Over his tenure here at The Smoky Mountain News, Arts & Entertainment Editor Garret K. Woodward has had…
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Remembering Fred: Frazier, Rash, Burnette
Editor’s Note: A renowned Western North Carolina writer, Charles Frazier burst onto the worldwide literary scene with his seminal 1997…
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This must be the place: Ode to Styx, ode to being ‘born for adventure’
In the vast, rich musical landscape of 1970s/1980s rock-n-roll, few bands sold as many records and played as big of…
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War, persecution and manhood: three books
Cold weather means more time indoors, and more time indoors means more time for books. Here are three for the…
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WCU presents ‘Fantasia on Mysterium’
A special stage production of “Fantasia on Mysterium: The Epic Immersive Theatrical Recital” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Jan.…
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Ready to try theater?
The Haywood Arts Regional Theater in Waynesville is currently offering a wide variety of classes in the theater arts for…
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A portrait of an Appalachia upbringing
For those of you who don’t know her, Julia Nunnally Duncan is an award-winning freelance writer and author of 11…
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When the dance gets hot: Sublime tribute act Badfish returns to WNC
Back in 2001, while students at the University of Rhode Island, bassist Joel Hanks and drummer Scott Begin had been…
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This must be the place: “Sudden illumination, sudden awakening or simply kick in the eye”
Peering through the window blinds of the motel room, the sunshine felt yesterday afternoon was long gone and now replaced…
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An artist's legacy: New database contributes to study of George Masa's photography
Angelyn Whitmeyer might be the last person you would expect to contribute to ongoing research surrounding a Japanese photographer who…
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This must be the place: ‘Olden times and ancient rhymes, of love and dreams to share’ (Part Two)
Somewhere between the treadmill and the free weights of the complimentary fitness center, my mind started thinking on all the…
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Fun with weird data, poetry, and history
Suppose, like some of us, you find yourself needing a quick word fix. You’ve got the jones for something to…
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A year in review: the best albums of 2023
Editor’s Note: Since August 2012, Garret K. Woodward has held the position of arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky…
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This must be the place: ‘Olden times and ancient rhymes, of love and dreams to share’
At 7:12 a.m. Friday, the sun broke the horizon atop the Atlantic Ocean, its undulating waves crashing upon Wrightsville Beach,…
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Come what may: poetry for the new year
In a recent online search, I came across “Good Riddance, But Now What?” by that master of light verse, Ogden…
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Over the hills and far away: Warren Haynes' Christmas Jam returns to Asheville
It’s been some 43 years since John Bonham, iconic drummer for rock gods Led Zeppelin, tragically passed away at age…
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This must be the place: ‘Are you reelin’ in the years? Stowin’ away the time’
The cell phone erupted to life on the nightstand in the pitch-black bedroom. It was 9:30 a.m. in North Carolina.…
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The true story of a teacher who defied Hitler
In 1933 Germany, headmistress Anna Essinger was ordered by the newly-elected Nazi party to fly a Nazi flag above her…
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This must be the place: ‘And when the world seems cold, you got to let your spirit take control’
Every-so-often, my girlfriend, Sarah, and I will find ourselves with an open Monday evening. A wild, rollickin’ weekend in the…
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What does it mean to be: A conversation with Joe Russo
When drummer Joe Russo takes a moment to reflect on his decades-long friendship and collaboration with guitarist Tom Hamilton, he…
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This must be the place: ‘Walkin’ in the starlight place in my mind, walkin’ on moonlight in the day’
Hello from Room 202 at the Holiday Inn Express on the outskirts of the small town of Lake Wales, Florida.
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A church in communion with all creatures
The Covid pandemic has produced many new books with many of them addressing the current situation in which we humans…
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Five strings of fury: New book spotlights Haywood banjo legends
In the mid-1960s, when Bill Allsbrook was a med school student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, he decided…
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Fingers like lightning: A Haywood County banjo retrospective
Editor’s Note: Since first rolling into Haywood County in August 2012 to start work as the arts and entertainment editor…
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This must be the place: ‘It’s hard enough to gain any traction in the rain’
Hello from the nearly empty bar counter of the Vail House Oyster Bar & Grille on the outskirts of downtown…
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This must be the place: ‘Night after sleepless night, I walk the floor and I want to know’
And so, we enter the whirlwind holiday season once again. Honestly, it feels like I was just in Knoxville, Tennessee,…
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Rash takes care of business in ‘The Caretaker’
Ron Rash’s new novel “The Caretaker” (Doubleday, 2023, 252 pgs.) is much different than his previous novels.
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Kaleidoscope of creativity: Haywood artisan offers her craft onstage, on the wall
Performer. Writer. Director. Instructor. Photographer.
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This must be the place: ‘Stop the bus, turn the radio up high and grab the first guitar you see’
Hello from Room 1029 in the Blue Valley Cottage at the Old Edwards Inn, situated near the intersection of U.S.…
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The unfailing connection of a classic novel
I have always been a fan of old books. There’s a comfort I find in between the pages of a story…
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This must be the place: ‘Remember when we got drunk that time in Ontario, listening to Warren Zevon on the stereo’
Hello from Room 6102 at the Sonder motel on the edge of Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s 80 degrees outside…
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This must be the place: ‘Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere’
It was at 7:27 a.m. Monday when the red ball of fire broke the horizon line at Wrightsville Beach.
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This must be the place: ‘And I thought that I’d found a light to guide me through’
A soothing mid-fall breeze floats across my front porch, through the screen door and into the apartment, ultimately swirling around the…
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This must be the place: ‘The universe begins immediately to your left’
It was an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening when my girlfriend started in on me once again that it was high…
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This must be the place: Ode to Anna Marie, ode to the kids of Smith Street (and beyond)
Stepping outside the small log cabin, I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Vast farm fields and ancient dirt…
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This must be the place: ‘It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work’
Somewhere around Schroon Lake, New York, just following a quick hike in the Adirondack Mountains, it was decided to head…
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Jim Avett rolls into Andrews
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Jim Avett will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Blue Stage in Andrews.
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This must be the place: ‘The questions of a thousand dreams, what you do and what you see’
It’s never easy to go home. And I think it only seems to get harder, perhaps more abstract and blurry,…
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