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 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.
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 check what time it was. The screen said, “12:24 a.m. Saturday, September 11.”
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 with activities, a parade and drag shows all in the name of showcasing and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community that lives and works (and thrives) in our mountain communities.
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 80. The engine in the muscle car that is (or was, sadly) the Stones. Teddy Roosevelt famously said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick — you will go far.” And I think that sums up Charlie Watts.
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 last Tuesday here in Western North Carolina, I keep seeing green peppers. Everywhere.
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 next door and flipping it up and over the roof of the massive vehicle.
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.
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 the 25th anniversary that very day of Sublime’s multi-platinum self-titled album.
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 and woke me up. The first thing I saw was the silent pond below the vehicle, a handful of small tents situated around the body of water.
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 with the faint smell of cigarettes. The sign next to the front desk of the lodging establishment said “No Smoking: $150 Charge.”
