Dazzling Urbanites

The hottest "absurdist folk-punk collective" band in town, Sirius.B, will rock this Saturday, May 3rd at The Rocket Club in west Asheville. They were voted "Best Unknown Band" by the readers of Mtn. X last year, and the gig is to announce the release of their new CD "Dazzling Urbanites". You can buy tickets here (special deal if you order the CD and ticket at the same time). To get a feel for the band, you can check out the tunes at their website, or read what Mountain X reporter Alli Marshall had to say:

"Absurdist folk-punk collective Sirius.B may be fairly new to the Asheville music scene, but their sound harkens back to an earlier era. Or eras, perhaps."

The group is a scene unto itself, for starters. They packed their Saturday, Oct. 13, appearance at Bobo Gallery with a collection of punk street musicians, belly dancers, arty types in granny dresses and well-coifed fashionistas. Booties were shaking. Exotic dance steps were being executed. It was rather what one would imagine Athens, Georgia’s 40 Watt Club to have been like in the early days of R.E.M.

Only with more gypsy leanings. And Pancho “Chris” Bond’s sometimes snarling vocals would likely have frightened shy ‘80s Michael Stipe."
[...]
"I have to say it. There's a certain sense of unpredictability (perhaps staged, but palpable, nonetheless) and an undercurrent of righteous anger to Sirius.B's songs. Take the raucous, irascible "Francophile": emotive, danceable and fiery."
[...]
"Sirius.B, it’s worth noting, is far prettier than the Pogues. Or Gogol Bordello. On the whole, they may well deserve some sort of prize for being Asheville’s most aesthetically pleasing band — that is, if everyone could just get past their impressively irreverent, combustible, three-ring circus of sound."

This band is the hottest thing in town, and their opening act, Bootstraps Burlesque will undoubtedly warm up the room most salaciously.

"Bootstraps Burlesque is dedicated to the proposition that Burlesque Arts are created wild. We are endowed by our own sheer guts to the inalienable right to have a sassy good time.

Dinah Might is the cultivar of the field of flowers known as Bootstraps Burlesque. Bringing skilled dancers to the stage for creative explorations of the wider world of endertainment, she strives for quality from the pasties up."

Buy your tickets before you come to save a couple of bucks, and bring your dancing shoes.

Save Our Slopes Rally Saturday May 3

Friends, if you're concerned about poor development practices, lack of enforcement of environmental regulations, and the clear-cutting of mountains to make way for McMansions, then please come march with other concerned citizens this Saturday May 3 in downtown Asheville. State representative Ray Rapp will be on hand to speak about his proposed steep slope safety legislation. Let's show our support!

Click on poster below to see just one of the many examples of why we're marching:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 25, 2007

CONTACT: Elaine Lite, 273-1781

info@mvalliance.net www.mvalliance.net

Mountain Voices Alliance to host a “Save Our Slopes” rally

ASHEVILLE -- Mountain Voices Alliance (MVA) will host a march and rally to gain support for a pause in building large scale developments to give us time to plan what we want Western North Carolina to look like when our grandchildren grow up. The event will take place on Saturday May 3 from 2-4 p.m. in downtown Asheville. The group will meet at Pritchard Park and march to City/County Plaza to hear speakers and music.

“Last year, Jackson County Commissioners adopted a temporary building moratorium to give their planning department time to write stronger ordinances to protect their community from poorly planned developments,” said MVA Chairwoman Elaine Lite. “It’s simply a pause to plan – a temporary, legal tool to get a grip on unbridled growth. It’s not the final solution, but it’s a start on creating a regional long-term growth and land-use plan.”

Local governments around the state have increasingly turned to building moratoria as a planning tool in the face of rapid, unplanned growth. “We’re growing without any kind of regional plan,” said Lite. “Our infrastructure, social services, and natural resources cannot sustain the pressure. This pause to plan will help us save our slopes and mountain culture from further devastation.”

MVA is also asking for a short halt on level II and level III (large) projects in the city of Asheville until the Downtown Master Plan is finished. The group also urges Buncombe County Commissioners to enact a temporary building moratorium on large-scale subdivisions and to commission a panel of scientists to complete a survey of water availability in the county. In addition, this would give the planning department time to write policy using that data.

“It only makes sense to stop clear cutting the trees and grading the mountains until the N.C. Geological Survey completes their landslide mapping of the county, after which, public policy must be adjusted to protect residents from future landslides,” said Lite.

Speakers at the May 3 rally include Rep. Ray Rapp of Madison County who sponsored the North Carolina Steep Slope Construction Act (NC House Bill 175); William Shelton, one of the Jackson County commissioners who championed the temporary building moratorium in that county; and Garland Galloway of Laurel Valley Watch (LVW) in Madison County. The event will also feature an old-time music jam, so bring your instruments and clogging shoes.

Mountain Voices Alliance (www.mvalliance.net) works to preserve and protect the environment, including the natural beauty, abundant resources, quality of life and cultural heritage of our communities. This all-volunteer group actively opposed the Progress Energy oil plant in Woodfin last year and helped raise awareness of policies to protect the area from overdevelopment, especially the dangers of steep-slope building.

Heavens to Betsy - Hoist the Jolly Roger!

I am not gruntled. A casual peruse of Mountainx.com revealed Joli Rouge has capsized. (Probably because Robbie left.) :

Bye, Joli Rouge. It's not you, it's me.

Gluten-Free Food and Information Fair

If you are or are going gluten-free, here's an event you might want to check out this weekend.

Ingles Supermarkets, Carolina Day School, Asheville and Hendersonville Gluten Intolerance Support Groups are sponsoring a Gluten-Free Food and Information Fair for those with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance this Saturday, May 3, 1-4 p.m. at Carolina Day School's Lower School Gymnasium (1345 Hendersonville Road).

• Find out more about gluten-free products and local resources and support groups for children and adults.
• Sample gluten-free foods from local and national vendors like World's Best Carrot Cake, Veg-In-Out, Chebe, and Dietz and Watson.

Schedule

• 1:15 - Cooking Demonstration by Shayo Yohan of Amy's Kitchen
• 1:45pm - Presentation by Denise Mollenkopf, MSN, FNP-C (Family Nurse Practicioner) Mission Hospitals Children's Outpatient Clinic, Gastroenterology - "Could it be Celiac Disease?"
• 2:30pm - Cooking Demonstration by Chef Athena Penson for Springer Mountain Farms Chicken
• 3:00pm -Presentation by Laurie Steenwyk M.Ed, RD/LDN of Pardee Hospital on "Finding Gluten-Free Products in the Supermarket"

For more information contact: Leah McGrath, Ingles Dietitian - 800-334-4936/828-669-2941x470 or lmcgrath@ingles-markets.com

Asheville Blog Gets International Attention

From The Guardian:

This week, the ethics of anonymity. A debate has arisen on the North American blogosphere about whether or not people should be able to post reviews of shows without making it clear who they are. It all started over on Asheville Reviews - a blog dedicated to reviewing theatre in the town of Asheville, North Carolina. After a disgruntled and unnamed critic posted a very negative review of a show called The Tempest Project, Dr Scott Walters of the University of North Carolina responded by saying: "how dare you post a slam like this without the courage to use your own name. If there is 'arrogance, disrespect, and incompetence', it is in your review."

Walters' anger has prompted a fair degree of soul-searching on behalf of the blog itself. And while some consider anonymous posting cowardly, others argue that it can give people room to be far more honest than they might otherwise be. In a comment on Walters' own blog about the subject Ben argues that: "As an actor, I can't post a review that is even a little bit negative without risking the black ball effect. People want to work with those they like, and they might not like me if I write a poor review of their work. It's too risky to not do this anonymously." And of course, this principle that anonymity equals honesty is not confined to blogging. After all, would William Mark Felt Sr have been as candid back in 1972 if he had not been able to hide behind what is possibly the most famous pseudonym in history: Deep Throat?

Citizen Camera

Okay, so y'all are aware that last weekend was DITLOA and the judging is going on and all that good stuff, but do you know about CITIZEN CAMERA? Citizen Camera, the bright idea of BlogAsheville's Own Ashvegas and DITLOA's Own Clark Mackey, is a flickr photostream of photos taken by, well, citizens. Citizens who happened to be walking by one of the several stations where disposable cameras had been tied. Each camera was left in place for at least 24 hours with attached instructions to take a picture and leave the camera there. The project was a huge success and great fun for everyone involved. And, no, there don't seem to be a whole lot of butt pix, despite what everyone immediately thinks. Can we get a comment on the total number of butt pix submitted, guys?

Anyway, now the cameras are being developed and the shots are rolling in. And the shots are, frankly, amazing (the above is from a Citizen Camera) and also totally fun and also, hey, this is Asheville, you will probably spot some of your friends. So check it out and tell everyone else you know so that they too can look for the late night antics of their friends.

The Chamber

Ashvegas found this video on the YouTube. It's an orientation video for new members of the Chamber of Commerce done in the style of the hit show, "The Office". They got some pretty good writers for this, and it's really entertaining.

Recycle Your Crocs

Saw this on the Buncombe County government website. Sadly, the closest participating retailer is in Marshall (Madison Pharmacy & Gifts). Perhaps we can encourage some other Asheville area businesses to participate?

Even if you don’t own a pair of Crocs, you’ve seen them. They are the distinctive plastic clogs with the holes on top. If you have a worn-out or an outgrown pair, don’t throw them away. Instead, give them a second life by recycling them through Crocs’ SolesUnited program.

SolesUnited began as a way to recycle manufacturing scrap but has now expanded to include worn-out shoes. Many retailers that sell Crocs will accept used classic Crocs-brand shoes for this recycling program. If there is not a participating retailer near you, you can mail your old Crocs to one of these addresses:

• Crocs Recycling – West
  3375 Enterprise Avenue
  Bloomington, CA 92316
  

• Crocs Recycling – East
  1500 Commodity Boulevard
  Lockbourne, OH 43137

SolesUnited takes the old Crocs, sorts them, grinds them up, and turns them into new shoes. These shoes are packed into large shipping containers and sent to non-profit organizations in developing countries. SolesUnited Crocs cannot be resold by the organizations and must be given away to those who need shoes.

To date, SolesUnited has donated 1 million pairs of recycled shoes, with a goal of giving away 2 million by the end of this year. For more information, visit www.SolesUnited.com.

West Asheville Walk-In Theatre 2008!

OK, Friends, its that time again. The good folks of Orbit DVD and the Bledsoe Building and whoever else organizes this thing have started the Walk-In Movies for this season! What does this have to do with my life in cake, you may ask? Well, Short Street Cakes sells cupcakes at the walk-in theatre, that's what. Which basically means: free bar nite for Jodi, yummy cupcakes for you. Exhibit A:

This photo features the rare cupcake-selling cameo of my husband and son! But anyway, anybody that buys me a makers on the rocks gets free cupcakes. A little background for those of you who may not know what I am talking about, the Walk-Ins are behind the Bledsoe (pub, coop, orbit building) in West A. Once a month the parking lot is closed off and a film is projected onto the side of a building, and folks can bring their blankets (but not their dogs, or their coolers) and hang out and watch a movie. Movies start at Dusk-ish-o-clock. You can buy popcorn and beer and cupcakes. This year, its happening on the SECOND FRIDAY of every month. So for April, it was Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was fun except that we had to stop halfway through because of the rain. But don't be discouraged! The possibility of the walk-ins getting rained out just adds that extra element of excitement to the whole thing. Anyway, without further ado, I will introduce to you the lineup for 2008, which is really, really exciting to me:
May 9: The Gods Must Be Crazy
June 13: Repo Man
July 11: Golden Blade III
August 8: Babe
September 12: Double Feature! Reefer Madness and Spinal Tap! Hell Yeah!
Come see me. Buy a cupcake.
xo
jodi

Hot or Not?

Carolina Mornings has a poll for Ashevillains.

Hot or Not?

For DILO Asheville Folks

Here's a list of some possibly picture-worthy stuff.

Welcome to BlogAsheville

Photography by Good Night Asheville


Once again it is time to welcome folks:


Asheville Seasons Bed & Breakfast
"A peak inside the window of our Seasonal Asheville Bed and Breakfast."

Mountain Mama
"Nothing else will ever make you as happy, or as sad, or as proud, or as tired, as motherhood."--Elia Parsons

Blue Ridge Dreams
"You could look out across that folded landscape and every sense you had told only that this was all the world there was."--Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

An Urban Plot
"An urban plot or how to grow food and change the world one city lot at a time."

URTV Forums
"the home of video innovation"

Tuesdays Frog
"A work in progress..."

Good Night Asheville
"The photography blog showcasing the mountain city at night"

Asheville Book Group
"Books to Treasure, Books to Inspire, Books to Inform, and even those to tickle your funny bone."

TMF Cook

Homeless Asheville

UPDATE: Please welcome Carolina Mornings, whom I inadvertently left out of our welcome!




Photography by Good Night Asheville


I'll go through the lists again soon, and try to cull some of our blogger brethren who have fallen by the wayside.

Spring is coming...time to clean the old sidebar a bit

Classic Asheville College Quad Photo: Spring Edition

John Coutlakis of the Citizen-Times captured this classic shot of a UNCA student in a tree by the grassy quad, reading a book. Click to enlarge. (It's Paul Davis, 19, hanging out in one of the two big trees in front of the college library.)

Note the low-slung cargo shorts, beard, and string anklet around right ankle. Classic young Asheville.

Thank heaven for college students. We should all live life so well.

From Drought to Drain

As I was riding my bike along the French Broad Sunday afternoon, I really enjoyed noticing the river at height, running at a merry clip. Brown and busy. Today's Citizen-Times has an article with more information about the turnaround since last summer/fall.

Brigadoon Opens at AHS

The Asheville High School Auditorium will be transformed into the Highlands of Scotland for April 10, 11, and 12 performances of Brigadoon. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. on April 10-12, with a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. on April 12. Tickets--$5 students, $10 adults, $8 senior citizens—will be available at the door.

Brigadoon, which opened on Broadway in 1947, was written and composed by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Director CJ Breland says, “There are some really beautiful melodies, such as ‘Almost Like Being in Love.’ If you don't go home humming at least one song, we'll be very surprised.”



This production is a collaboration of various AHS Arts programs. Forty-four students are in the combined Theatre and Musical Theatre classes, forty of which appear onstage. Jennifer Todd serves as music director. AHS graduate Ami Pisano returns to choreograph her third AHS musical, while Rita Pisano serves as pianist. Emily Talley directs a pit band of AHS Band students.

The plot combines elements of fantasy with a couple of love stories. Two hunters, Tommy and Jeff (Cameron Gregg and Jon Speer) happen upon the village of Brigadoon while on a vacation. Despite being engaged to a girl in New York, Tommy falls in love with Fiona (Phoebe Stubblefield,) while Jeff is chased by a rather energetic lass, Meg (Robin Tynes.) Tommy and Jeff decide to stay for the wedding of Fiona's sister Jean (Paige Borden) to Charlie (Neil Blank) before leaving. But Brigadoon has a fantastic secret, and so the plot thickens.



The Technical Theatre class has provided support for the show by doing much of the design and construction of sets, including a forest curtain, and costumes.

Mr. Bill Sanderson, AHS Science Department, took the Technical Theatre students to the Scottish Tartan Museum in Franklin, where they did research on kilts and other Scottish wear. Mr. Sanderson also helped the students learn how to measure and pleat kilts, after which they made a dozen. “We did so much pleating that I would look at someone wearing a plaid shirt and start figuring out how to pleat it for a kilt,” says Kristin Lane. “But they turned out very well,” she adds.


----------------------------
Y'all get out there and support community theater and living artists!

Patton Avenue, 1950

Coming Soon!

To all those new bloggers who have emailed me about being added to the blogroll - it is happening soon, don't give up bloghope! I'll try to have it done this week.

For the Horror Film Buffs

UNC Asheville Hosts Talk by Horror Movie Make-Up Artist Tom Savini

Renowned master horror movie make-up artist Tom Savini will reveal his secrets for creating such gruesome movie characters as Jason Voorhees from "Friday the 13th" and Leatherface from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in UNC Asheville's Humanities Lecture Hall. Though the event is free and open to the public, this talk is not recommended for children or the faint of heart!

Savini, nicknamed "The Godfather of Gore," is an accomplished horror movie make-up artist, actor, director and stunt coordinator. Savini rose to fame with his grisly effects in the 1978 zombie cult classic "Dawn of Dead" and 1980's wildly popular "Friday the 13th." He went on to perfect the horror movie special effects genre in such films as "Maniac," "The Burning," "Creepshow," and "Day of the Dead."

Not content with just being behind the lens, Savini has appeared on The Simpsons and in dozens of films, including "Knightriders," "Dawn of the Dead" and "From Dusk Till Dawn." In addition, Savini runs the Special Effects Make-Up Program at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pa., and is the author of several books on special effects.

For more information, call UNC Asheville's Mass Communication Department at 828-232-5027.

A Day in the Life of Asheville, coming soon

Time to clean those cameras and get out to shoot some photos.

Obama's New Digs in Asheville

Barack Obama presidential campaign officially opens WNC office on Wednesday

from Press Release:

All local supporters invited to join in the festivities

Asheville, NC, April 1, 2008: Obama campaign staff members, local volunteers and other Obama supporters will gather tomorrow at 5:00 P.M. to celebrate the grand opening of the Obama for America Western North Carolina office at 107 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville.

Grassroots organizers have been active in the area for more than a year preparing for the May 6 Democratic Primary. Last week four staff members from the Obama campaign arrived to help in the run-up to the primary. Lukas McGowan, Obama for America field organizer for Asheville, is impressed with the response he’s received since his arrival: “At the organizational meeting last Thursday over 200 people showed up, and more than 600 have volunteered to do the hands-on tasks necessary to ensure a good turnout for Senator Obama on May 6. I’ve been involved in campaigns in a lot of states, beginning with Iowa, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”

Asheville City Council member Brownie Newman will speak briefly about why he supports Obama and his inspirational vision for America.

All Obama supporters and those who would like to know more about the candidate are invited to join the celebration. For more information, call the local Obama office at 828-225-5904 or stop by the office at 107 Merrimon Avenue.

Listen up!

Spring Fund Drive :

WPVM Needs Phone Volunteers


11 Apr 2008 - 18 Apr 2008

Please consider volunteering to answer phones during the forthcoming
WPVM fund drive.

This event begins on Friday, April 11th and ends on Friday, April 18th.

It´s lots of fun with free food and an opportunity to meet great people.

Just follow this link and fill in all relevant info:
WPVM Spring Listener Support Fund Drive 2008