Brood—more than just chickens
Though this book is, yes, wryly funny on occasion, there is longing and sadness clucking softy between the lines.
Angie Thomas: Writing to make a difference
As daffodil and crocus shoots push up through the mud in the places we walk and live, we may tend to forget that some blooms push up through pavement. Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, probably best known for her novel The Hate U Give.
Exploring sounds at sea with Joe McKee
With my cabin fever in mind, I spoke with Los Angeles-based Australian artist Joe McKee: musician, record label owner and creative wizard whom I admire for many reasons—one of which being that he traveled a great distance to produce his latest album,
Greetings from Los Angeles, hello to Francesca
It’s been a long time since I last wrote. I could say life got in the way of my column, but truthfully, I’ve been grappling with its format. This year has been tough on my music discovery—all of the world’s doom and gloom has encouraged me to revisit my all-time favorite sad-guy albums and stay inside.
Sara Nelson: Finding her artistic passion
Sara Nelson hoped 2020 would be her breakout year. She was making jewelry as a side business, and in 2019 she left the corporate world to make it a full-time occupation. She was booked at trade shows in New York, Atlanta and Florida, but then COVID struck and the shows were cancelled. Nevertheless, Nelson is confident that Elli Parr Jewelry business will survive the pandemic.
Fun for kids
Thanksgiving fun for kids includes dad jokes, a coloring page and a word jumble.
Painting on the farm
Lilyanna Mittelstadt made good use of her time at the end of a long summer by painting this mural of her neighbor’s farm—Holly and Mark Rochefort’s Haytumble Farm in Charlotte. Photos by Mark Rochefort
Live music at the library this month
Over the past couple of weeks, the library has hosted Wednesday late afternoon concerts. Performers have been on the porch and audiences scattered over the green, staying in marked circles and socializing from afar.
Music messages from messages
The act of missing people and places and friends and things is one of the many morose through lines of 2020, although the sentiment has spooled into my weird world of radio to create something good…or, at least, something I’m happy with.
Music from (and for) falling in love
Greetings from Los Angeles. Admittedly, it’s been a while—perhaps too long—although I hope you’ll forgive my absence since I last wrote. The last couple of months have felt like years in themselves.
Big news at the Charlotte Grange
Even though our entire world has turned upside down with COVID-19 and everything has either stopped, slowed down or totally changed, some things continue on their merry way. And at the Charlotte Grange, although our building is closed and we are not hosting any events, some things are still happening.
Playlists for parties we can’t have right now
Greetings from Los Angeles – where I write to you, floundering between violent boredom and mania-fueled productivity, tucked within the confines of my two-bedroom apartment. Maybe you too are spending far too long surfing the endless ocean of digital content.
A Tribute to Mike Walker and Three Young Musicians
Over the last couple of years, Mike Walker of Charlotte has been putting in a Herculean effort to promote and sustain interest in the live local music scene in Charlotte and nearby towns.
Traversing Global Grooves on your Lonesome
Greetings from Los Angeles – where I write to you in good health, albeit tortured by a strong case of cabin fever. A brief 10=word pandemic update: we’ve been on complete lockdown with no end in sight.
Jazz for love, whether you’re lonely or sparks are flying
Greetings from Los Angeles! I’m writing to you around Valentine’s day (although I’m sure you’ll read this after) and I’m afraid this year’s is a bit lonely for me. You may recall from my last letter that I recently became engaged to a wonderful woman and she fell down a well?
Indulgent distraction through music helps navigate tough times
Lucky for us, it’s award season here in LA which gives us the perfect excuse to get wrapped up in something outside of ourselves—and the perfect jumping off point to start talking about some new music.
A deep dive into a few gems you may have missed in 2018
I write to you from three time zones away. Even though I’m a quick phone call, or just one gross day of travel, from friends and family back home, the closer I get to visiting Vermont for the holidays, the more antsy and further from everything I feel.
A sonic chicken soup for the soul
I write to you while slowly escaping the grips of some sort of fluey virus. It seems to happen every time fall comes around the corner—one moment you’re in your office working in front of your computer, and the next moment you’re in your office working in front of your computer, coughing on your keyboard with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Life can change in an instant, and in this moment I find a strong kinship with some of the great trailblazers throughout history who pushed through their hardships to achieve greatness.
October at the Grange: Rummage sale, Charlotte History Day and music
It’s that time again …. time for the annual Fall Rummage Sale at the Charlotte Grange! The last day to drop off your items to donate to the sale is today, Thursday, Oct. 3, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please no humidifiers, dehumidifiers, electronics or textbooks; we will take only a limited number of clean books. Clean clothes, dishes, household items, toys are always welcome!
Cold funk, hot rhythms and red light jazz
Greetings from Los Angeles: a city of veiled glamor and stark contrasts, the crux of which is best epitomized by my office being located between an overpriced hipster coffee stop to the west and a strip club to the east, the median being where I write to you now.