Calendar of Events

A Charlotte Comic Takeover!!!
It’s Another Great Comedy Show at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co, Theater 2! Jan 21, 6:30p, 18+, Get Dinner, Drinks & Laughs with the areas best standup comics. Featured and Open Mic Comedy. [Performing comics get 3-5m, FREE entry and pizza. ]
Morgan Marie is guest hosting, in from Charlotte with some great comic features in tow, Matt Hammy, Thomas Heynan & Christine McLennan!! Get Your Tickets Now!!

Join The Watchdog and a Panel of Experts to Discuss Possible Solutions for Restoring Quality Healthcare to Western North Carolina

Mission Health used to be one of the premier hospital systems in America, a magnet for top physicians and nurses, a provider of caring, quality care for patients, and a source of pride for the community.

Five years ago, Mission’s board of directors sold the system to HCA Healthcare of Nashville, promising that the sale to the hospital giant would lead to higher-quality, more accessible, and lower-cost healthcare for the people of western North Carolina.

Now, after five years of HCA management, there’s a broad consensus that the exact opposites have occurred. The question now is:

What can we, the citizens of western North Carolina, do to once again have the best-in-class, accessible, and affordable healthcare we used to expect?

Please join Asheville Watchdog and a panel of experts for a public discussion focused on solutions.

Confirmed panelists (L-R): State Sen. Julie Mayfield; Dr. R. Bruce Kelly, MD; Karen Sanders, MSN, RN; City of Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof. Moderator: Asheville Watchdog Exec. Editor Peter Lewis

Note: Executives of HCA Healthcare, Mission Health, the Dogwood Health Trust, and MAHEC all declined The Watchdog’s invitations to participate in this event.

The event is free, but all attendees are requested to register in advance. Space is limited. There will be no microphones on the floor; submit your question in advance.

Join us at 6:30pm for this free hybrid event. When storytelling, native wisdom and nature’s intelligence converge, something beautiful can arise. That’s the theme of the new film Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes by award-winning documentary filmmaker David Weintraub and the Center for Cultural Preservation. Weintraub will be joined by Cherokee elders Davy Arch and Mary Thompson for a screening Thursday, January 25 co-sponsored by Asheville Museum of History and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNCA. There will be time for audience questions at the conclusion of the film.

More information and tickets: https://www.simpletix.com/e/history-hour-natures-wisdom-thru-native-ey-tickets-153780

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Pruning techniques are essential for promoting the health and productivity of plants. Different techniques can control diseases, stimulate new growth, and maintain aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Join us as horticulture expert John Murphy teaches the basics of pruning.

Music Movie Mondays:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Widely hailed as the greatest concert film
ever made, the 1978 Martin Scorsese-directed film The Last Waltz is a
landmark in history. Documenting the farewell concert of The Band, The
Last Waltz boasts a who’s who list of musical co-stars A special February
12 creening as part of the Music Movie Mondays series at Grail Movie
House will be hosted by Asheville author and music journalist Bill Kopp.
The Canadian-American group known as The Band were among the most
important acts of their time. Getting their big break as the backing group for
Bob Dylan, The Band would pioneer in the creation of the style of music now
known as Americana. But their music has always transcended genres. Their
vivid lyrical imagery, passionate vocals and sympathetic instrumental work
created a raft of classics.
But the group was always fraught with internal tensions, and by 1976 – just eight years after releasing their
groundbreaking debut Music From Big Pink – they decided to call it a day. But The Band went out in style, mounting a
concert event that included an all-star lineup of special guests. Though it wasn’t promoted at the time as a farewell
concert, The Last Waltz (as it came to be known) signaled the end of the group. But that concert extravaganza featured the
band at its peak, along with performances by a staggering lineup: Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ringo
Starr, Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Dr. John the Night Tripper, Eric Clapton,
the Staple Singers and more, individually and collectively serving up a cross-section of American musical forms.
The whole ten-hour affair was filmed by director Martin Scorsese and a team of cameramen. When the finished movie
was released to theaters nearly 18 months later, it was a box office success. The Last Waltz quickly gained status as one of
the greatest concert films ever made, a reputation it maintains to this day. A contemporary digital restoration – sharpening
sound and imagery – has only improved it.
As part of the Music Movie Mondays series, Grail Moviehouse in Asheville hosts a special one-night-only showing of the
film. Presented by Asheville-based speaker, author and music journalist Bill Kopp, the evening will include a screening of
the film followed by an interactive discussion.

“Going to the movies has always been a kind of communal
experience,” says Kopp, host of Music Movie Mondays.
“Especially in this post-lockdown era, the opportunity to not
only watch a film but then to discuss it with others is
something even more special. And music-related films lend

themselves remarkably well to this shared, interactive experience.”
Music Movie Mondays is a monthly series moderated by Bill Kopp, hosted by Grail Movie
House and sponsored by AshevilleFM. Music Movie Mondays presents a special screening of The Last Waltz on Monday,
Feb. 12 @ 7 pm. The program will feature a brief introduction. Then we’ll watch the film together; afterward, we’ll
engage in a moderated discussion.
The one-night-only screening of The Last Waltz is the latest in the ongoing popular series of Music Movie Mondays at
Grail Moviehouse. Every month, we’ll watch and discuss new releases, classics and cult favorites.

16-time Grammy^® award-winning musician, composer, and producer DAVID
FOSTER and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, KATHARINE
MCPHEE are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road.

Coming directly from the Living Room to the stage, this intimate show with
the powerhouse duo will be packed with David‘s hits from Chicago,
Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, etc. and Kat’s
biggest songs from American Idol, Smash, and Waitress. Plus some of their
favorites that they just love!

About David Foster
Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.

Foster is gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects including writing the music for a new musical about the iconic animated character “Betty Boop.” He is also writing the music for a musical based on the Amy Bloom novel and New York Times bestseller Lucky Us.

About Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series Country Comfort. Previously she starred as “Paige Dineen” on the CBS’ spy drama Scorpion and was featured in NBC’s award-winning musical series Smash, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Her other television credits include CSI: NY, Community, and Family Guy.

McPhee appeared on the big screen in Columbia’s romantic comedy The House Bunny. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on Season 5 of American Idol. McPhee’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008.

McPhee also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of Waitress.

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY^® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.

In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Perlman conducts the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Houston Symphony on Mozart’s Requiem, and is joined by an illustrious group of collaborators — Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet — in a special Itzhak Perlman and Friends program appearing in only three locations: Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, UMS Ann Arbor and Carnegie Hall. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements intertwined with performance, to Boston, Philadelphia, Long Island, Akron, Austin and Naples (Florida). He plays season-opening concerts for the Colorado Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Florida Orchestra, and recitals across the United States with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.

He currently serves as Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony in a partnership that commenced in the 2020/21 season and culminates at the end of 2023/24. He performs 9 programs across three seasons that feature him in versatile appearances as conductor, soloist, recitalist and presenter.

Mr. Perlman has an exclusive series of classes with Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds including Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster and Serena Williams, as the company’s first classical-music presenter.

James McMurtry is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor. A luminary in the Americana space, he weaves stories that resonate with gritty authenticity and emotional depth. His songwriting is celebrated by critics and fellow artists alike, with John Mellencamp raving, “James writes like he’s lived a lifetime,” and Jason Isbell lauding, “I don’t think anybody writes better lyrics.”

In August 2021, McMurtry released The Horses and the Hounds, his first collection in seven years. The album showcases his seasoned songwriting, seamlessly blending personal narratives with elegance (“Canola Fields”) and high energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”), and his ability to inhabit characters from various walks of life, as noted by critics who describe his work as subversive, funny, vulnerable and always poignant.

The release follows in the footsteps of McMurtry’s albums Complicated Games (2015), Just Us Kids (2008) and Childish Things (2005), all of which scored endless critical praise. Just Us Kids earned McMurtry his highest Billboard 200 chart position in two decades (since eclipsed by Complicated Game) and notched Americana Music Award nominations. Childish Things spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year, with “We Can’t Make It Here” named the organization’s Song of the Year. Other accolades include a 1996 Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where’d You Hide the Body and an American Indie Award for Best Americana Album for It Had to Happen (1997).

Touring year-round, McMurtry consistently throws down powerhouse performances backed by his band.

McMurtry will be joined by opening act BettySoo.

TWIN PEAKS DAY

Diane, 11:30 a.m. February 24th.
Entering the town of Twin Peaks.

Join us for Twin Peak’s Day! At DSSOLVR Asheville

Featuring:
Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt: (11:30 AM – 3:00 PM)
Complimentary Coffee
Mount Patisserie’s Pastries:
The Lynchpins Live Set (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM):
The Red Room Photo Booth
Limited Edition Merch!
Art Pop-ups
Release of Cherry Pie Coffee Donut Stout!

Dance Me is an exclusive creation inspired by the rich and profound work of Montreal-based poet, artist and songwriter, Leonard Cohen. Approved by Cohen during his lifetime, this riveting homage to the famed artist evokes the grand cycles of existence in five seasons, as described in Cohen’s deeply reflective music and poems.

Three internationally renowned choreographers were entrusted with putting movement to Cohen’s legendary songs: Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ihsan Rustem. Their powerful and profound choreographic world reflective of Cohen’s singular work is brought to life by 14 Ballets Jazz Montréal performing artists.

Surrounded by a team of celebrated designers, Dance Me combines scenic, visual, musical, dramaturgical, and choreographic writing to pay tribute to Montreal’s greatest ambassador. Dance, music, lighting, scenography, and videography all come together in this unforgettable show.

“Leonard Cohen’s art and soul shine on in this stirring tribute.”
– The Telegraph Review

“The beautiful technique and preciseness throughout the evening of excellence was so complimentary to Mr. Cohen’s visions and words, and gave voice to his beliefs and musings.”
– BroadwayWorld Review

Diana Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. To date, her albums have garnered two GRAMMY® Awards, ten Juno® Awards and have earned nine Gold, three Platinum, and seven multi-Platinum albums. Her 1999 release of When I Look in Your Eyes spent an unprecedented 52 weeks in the #1 position on Billboard’s Jazz chart, won two GRAMMY® Awards, and went Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. Her most recent release, This Dream Of You, has garnered critical acclaim from fans and press alike. Krall’s unique artistry transcends any single musical style and has made her one of the most recognizable artists of our time. As The New York Times recently noted, she possesses “a voice at once cool and sultry, wielded with a rhythmic sophistication.”

Learn about the basics of perennial and dahlia culture. What is a perennial and what makes them special in the garden? How can you get free plants from your current perennials? These questions and so much more will be covered. We will also have a demo on how to divide perennials. Presented by Isaac Wyatt, Agricultural Program Assistant with Henderson County Extension, will teach the basics of perennial and dahlia culture.

The story revolves around the close friendship between Jules (played by Oskar Werner), an Austrian, and Jim (played by Henri Serre), a Frenchman, who bond over their shared love for art and literature. Their friendship takes a fascinating turn when they both become infatuated with the free-spirited Catherine (played by Jeanne Moreau), an enigmatic and captivating woman.

What follows is a tale of love triangles, shifting relationships, and the consequences of desire. Set against the backdrop of Europe before and after World War I, “Jules et Jim” captures the spirit of the era and the evolving dynamics between its characters. The film explores themes of passion, freedom, and the inexorable passage of time, resulting in a bittersweet and thought-provoking cinematic experience.

Known for its innovative filmmaking techniques and unique narrative style, “Jules et Jim” is celebrated for its exploration of the complexities of love and friendship and its enduring influence on the world of cinema.

Standup Comedy featuring Allison Shelnut
The Orange Peel’s Pulp
When: Tuesday March 12, 2024.
7p-9p, doors at 6:30p
Where:
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! Free snacks while availability lasts!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley, featuring Allison Shelnut open mic is 3-5m each, comics get in free with free snacks!
Host Hilliary Begley-
Hilliary will make you cry with laughter. With her larger that life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” In Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o
Featuring Allison Shelnut-
Allison once stole a hamster from the mall in Greensboro, North Carolina. It bit her. She deserved it. Allison is now a stand-up comedian based out of Asheville. Allison is known to engage the crowd on a wide range of topics from contraceptives to 90s toys. Outside of comedy you’ll find Allison in the woods with her darling dog, Jacob.
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more info!

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City, as well as a renowned astrophysicist. He is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen.

He will speak about The Cosmic Perspective: There is no view of the world as emotionally potent as the one granted by a cosmic perspective. It’s one that sees Earth as a planet in a vast empty universe. It profoundly influences what we think and feel about science, culture, politics, and life itself.

The VIP post-show Q&A includes the following:

• One reserved seat ticket
• A private Q&A session with Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Standup Comedy celebrating St. Patty’s Day at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company with Ryan Cox Featuring
Jason Webb,
Cheney Goodson & Sarah Love with a comedy open mic. Get dinner drinks and laughs. Tickets at https://www.ashevillebrewing.com/buy-tickets
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more info

Standup Comedy celebrating St. Patty’s Day at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company with Ryan Cox Featuring
Jason Webb,
Cheney Goodson & Sarah Love with a comedy open mic. Get dinner drinks and laughs. Tickets at https://www.ashevillebrewing.com/buy-tickets

On March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room of UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Union, Natalie Baszile will present readings from her recent work. The event is free and open to the public.

Baszile’s debut novel, “Queen Sugar,” is a mother-daughter story of reinvention — about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana. “Queen Sugar” was adapted into a critically acclaimed television series directed by Ava Duvernay. Baszile’s most recent book, “We Are Each Other’s Harvest,” is an exploration and celebration of black farming in America.