This must be the place: Staring out at nothing, listening to an old dog bark
I’m currently sitting at the old kitchen table in my parents’ 1840 farmhouse in Upstate New York. Our family dog,…
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This must be the place: Ain’t it funny how you feel, when you’re findin’ out it’s real?
Much like New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July is one of those holidays that everyone you know will definitely…
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Don’t know where I’m going, all I know is where I’ve gone: Isaac Gibson of 49 Winchester
Hailing from the Southern Appalachian backwoods of Castlewood, Virginia (population: 2,045), 49 Winchester is a rapidly rising alt-country/rock act. For…
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Artist grants now available
Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a partnership…
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Concerts on the Creek
Presented by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the 11th season of Concerts on the Creek will return with Summer…
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Nurturing the creative flame: Haywood County Arts Council holds steady during pandemic
Back in January, the Haywood County Arts Council was setting itself up for another year of growth, creatively and financially.…
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This must be the place: ‘Don’t let ‘em pick guitars and drive them old trucks’
Sitting in the back den of my parents’ Upstate New York farmhouse last week, I could hear the familiar sounds…
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Hear the sounds that carry you: A conversation with Andrew Scotchie
At just 27 years old, singer-songwriter Andrew Scotchie has already become a beloved fixture and voice of reason in the…
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This must be the place: Acadian driftwood gypsy tailwind, they call my home the land of snow
It’s been a wild and wondrous thing to be able to wander around my native North Country right now: to…
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Groovin’ On the Green canceled
The Village Green has announced that the Friday night summer concert series, Groovin’ On the Green is canceled for the…
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Frogs Leap Public House celebrates 10 years
Coming into this spring, Executive Chef Kaighn Raymond was looking forward to his restaurant hitting the 10-year mark. What he…
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This must be the place: Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go
Somewhere between finishing my column last Tuesday morning and lunchtime, it was decided by my mother that she and I…
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Open call for volunteers
The historic Shelton House in Waynesville is currently in need of volunteers for an array of upcoming events.
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BearWaters welcomes Grey Eagle Taqueria to Canton
BearWaters Brewing in Canton has announced a new partnership with longstanding Asheville taqueria and music hall The Grey Eagle this…
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This must be the place: Home is where I want to be, pick me up and turn me around
It started with a text message. While making a sandwich for lunch in my parents’ Upstate New York farmhouse the…
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Folk school offers ‘Local Standby’ program
Western North Carolina residents are now eligible for half-off tuition for all 2020 classes at John C. Campbell Folk School…
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Appeasing the melodic sweet tooth: The Get Right Band unleashes ‘Itchy Soul’
For a group whose core mission is to promote positivity and compassion, The Get Right Band has found its ideals…
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Asheville’s soul threatened: Artists and musicians hit hard
By Ilana Fiorenza • AVL Watchdog | The pandemic that left thousands of Asheville workers unemployed has been particularly hard on the…
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Take a chance and build a boat, some will sink and some will float
On Monday morning, I woke up in a big, cozy antique brass bed at my parents’ 1840 farmhouse up near…
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This must be the place: Time and time and time again, circles break and lines they bend
I awoke to the sounds of tractor-trailers zooming by on the other side of the motel parking lot. It was…
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BearWaters Brewing expands to Maggie Valley
If you had told BearWaters Brewing founder/co-owner Kevin Sandefur eight years ago that some day he’d be at the helm…
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Frog Level Brewing reopens
In a highly-anticipated relaunch of a beloved Waynesville business, Frog Level Brewing has finally opened its doors following renovations and…
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Mountains to sea: Wicked Fresh Seafood & Meat Market
When Richard Gray was 9 years old, he would get up at 3:30 a.m. and ride his bicycle down to…
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This must be the place: The questions of a thousand dreams, what you do and what you see
It’s been exactly two months since I remember what it felt like. You know, “normalcy.” It was a Tuesday and…
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In search of the song: Jon Stickley Trio releases latest album
Sitting on his side porch in West Asheville last Thursday morning, guitarist Jon Stickley strums his 1958 Martin acoustic. Sunshine…
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This must be the place: It was the work of the quiet mountains, this torrent of purity at my feet
Walking out of my apartment this past Tuesday, the morning sun illuminated the mud plastered all over the side of…
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Haywood Arts Regional Theatre finds footing amid pandemic
It’s late morning and situated behind his desk in the back office of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville…
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This must be the place: It’s hard to frown when ukulele music is goin’ down
Stepping into the hotel room, my mother had an odd expression on her face when she looked at me and…
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For whatever ales you: Blue Ridge Beer Hub navigates beverage market during pandemic
While society continues to adapt to ongoing shelter-in-place orders, many folks would jump at the chance to be in the…
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This must be the place: It’s a good life that comes upon you now and then
While waiting for my coffee to be brewed in the back of the newsroom this past Tuesday, I stared blankly…
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Chatham County Line channels creative bliss on new album
In its 20 years together, Chatham County Line has organically grown and blossomed into one of the most distinct and…
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Top 5 distractions with Susanna Shetley
This week Susanna Shetley, sales rep, digital marketing guru, mom blogger extraordinaire, Smoky Mountain Living contributor, shares her top 5…
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This must be the place: Searchin’ through the fragments of my dream-shattered sleep
Last Thursday evening, I sat in my recliner, in my one-bedroom apartment in downtown Waynesville, and gazed over at the…
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Finding a better way: Cullowheegee Farms Handmade Natural Soaps & Crafts
About three years ago, Sarah and Eric Rehmann uprooted their lives in Raleigh and headed for Western North Carolina.
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This must be the place: The street heats the urgency of now, as you can see there’s no one around
So, probably like most of y’all out there, I’ve spent a lot of time during the continuing quarantine combing through…
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Local musicians turn to live streaming for performances
It’s the hottest show in town, but nobody is allowed in. Tucked in the depths of The Gem downstairs taproom…
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That ‘high, lonesome sound’ amid lonesome times
Darren Nicholson has played the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Association award showcase numerous times. He’s got…
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This must be the place: Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away
Sunday afternoon in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The date on my phone says April 5, but I really…
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This must be the place: Came to pass eyes that lost their vision, learned to see with sturdy intuition
It’s a crazy world out there right now, folks. And yet, it’s always been kind of nuts anyhow, just more…
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Takeout ordering the new norm for local restaurants
It’s Saturday evening at The Sweet Onion in downtown Waynesville. Normally during the time of year, the dining room and…
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This must be the place: Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore?
So, here we are, eh? What a difference a day makes, where now each morning we seemingly wake up into…
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Frog Level Brewing finds new owners
In a move that’s been a year or so in the making, 7 Clans Brewing has recently purchased Frog Level…
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This must be the place: Ode to Nashville, ode to rebuilding
Being the nighthawk that I am, it was around 3 a.m. on March 3 when I found myself listening to…
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This must be the place: What a way to ride, oh what a way to go
In March 2011, I was a 26-year-old freelance writer traveling down Interstate 87 in Upstate New York to one of…
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Another song, another mile: A conversation with Steve Gorman
In any rock-n-roll band, the unsung hero is the drummer. With a soaring singer and whirlwind guitar solos, the person…
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Big moves for Nantahala Brewing
Normally, when one hears the sounds of hammers and saws at 61 Depot Street in Bryson City, it signaled an…
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That path is for your steps alone: A conversation with Jay Blakesberg
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the images of Jay Blakesberg are worth a thousand notes. Initially…
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This must be the place: Some say you might go crazy, but then again it might make you go sane
Walking up to the Civic Center (aka: Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville) this past Sunday evening, the building was buzzing wildly…
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This must be the place: And no matter what may come to shine, the dream will always be mine
I awoke in the guest bedroom and it took me a few seconds to realize where I was. Tampa, Florida,…
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Can’t rock my dream face: Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee
For the better part of a quarter-century, Umphrey’s McGee has remained one of the most fundamental and innovative acts on…
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