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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This must be the place: Ode to Cousin Nate, ode to sharing the love of music
Nathan Manuel Arruda, age 42, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 28, at his place of residence in Rouses Point,…
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Setting the tone: Beloved Canton restaurant celebrates five years
Five years ago, when the Southern Porch opened its doors in Canton, it wasn’t hard to get a parking spot…
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The attitude of gratitude: Michael Reilly of Pure Prairie League
In the annals of country-rock history, a handful of acts were able to ride the line of mainstream radio success,…
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This must be the place: I awoke and faintly bouncing round the room, the echo of whomever spoke
The air was cool and the sleeping bag warm when I heard the early morning loon from across Buck Pond.
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This must be the place: White lace and feathers, they made up his bed, a gold covered mattress, on which he was laid
It was about 15 minutes into meeting Sailor Steve and Texas Jeff when I knew I’d met some of the…
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Scripting the flip: A conversation with Jon Stickley
A blend of jazz-fusion, bluegrass and avant-garde folk music, the Jon Stickley Trio is at the core of the current…
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This must be the place: Somethin’ keeps him driftin’, miles and miles away, searchin’ for the songs to play
I was already 10 minutes late to my niece’s seventh birthday party some 20 minutes away last Sunday afternoon.
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Diamond Rio to play Canton Labor Day
The CMA, Grammy winning, and six-time Vocal Group of the Year Diamond Rio will be headlining the 114th Canton Labor…
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This must be the place: Ode to 22 years, ode to being together again
It was exactly a week ago when it was decided as a newsroom to cleanup up our offices for The…
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Truer picture of me: Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers
It’s late morning at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville. Formerly the Citizen-Times Building, the historic structure is now home to…
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Mountain Heritage Day returns
Mountain Heritage Day, the festival of cultural traditions presented by Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, is again being planned as…
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In the journey: A conversation with Martin Sexton
Leaving his hometown of Syracuse, New York, in 1988, singer-songwriter Martin Sexton hit the road — in search of not…
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This must be the place: I feel summer creepin’ in and I’m tired of this town again
He walked into the bar, grabbed a seat next to me, and proceeded to order four shots of Jameson Irish…
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This must be the place: Racin’ with the wind, and the feelin’ that I’m under
My eyes shot open when the air-conditioning unit kicked on. It took me a couple of moments to realize where…
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Snowbird mural brings community together
Snowbird Cherokee artists and community members in Robbinsville recently gathered to launch the outdoor installation of a long-awaited 400-square-foot mural…
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Meet me where the music calls: Chuck Garvey of moe.
For over three decades, moe. has remained a pillar of the ongoing and ever-evolving jam-band scene — this melodic entity…
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This must be the place: Ode to Albino Skunk, ode to the spirit of ‘Fes-Taa-Vul’
It was just about 8:30 a.m. when I awoke in my pickup truck last Saturday.
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And I could not ask for more: A conversation with Edwin McCain
When the entire music industry shutdown last year, acclaimed singer-songwriter Edwin McCain wasn’t necessarily concerned with not being able to…
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Spring at the Rickman Store
The arrival of spring marks a new season of weekly festive gatherings at the Rickman Store in Macon County.
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Sweet heaven in my view: A conversation with Charley Crockett
Standing in a hotel room last week, Charley Crockett peered out the window onto the quiet morning streets of Amarillo,…
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