Drum Circle to receive new equipment

The Asheville Downtown Association will present several drums and accessories to the Asheville Drum Circle at 7 p.m. Friday.

“We are so fortunate to have this group of people who create this music in Pritchard Park,” said Byron Greiner, the president of the association's board of directors, in a statement. "The circle encourages participation and we are donating instruments to support their activities."

The association is donating a 55-gallon dun dun, two djembes, an ashiko, a cowbell, three sets of claves and three shakers.

The drum circle has been active since 2001 and takes place each Friday, weather permitting, in Pritchard Park, downtown.

Infuse Those Sunday Dol-drums

Are you up for it?

Brush off those winter blues by attending the Drum Circle at Pritchard Park on Sunday, February 8, 2009, @ 2:00 PM.

Forecast 62° and mellow.

Pritchard Park Friday

Concerning the usual Pritchard Park Friday night drum circle:

Friday & Saturday night from 8:30 to 10:00 there will be community drumming at the Main Stage on Lexington Ave.

On Sunday from 5:00 - 6:00 there will be drumming at the Drum Tent on Lexington and Walnut.

This week's Mountain Express has a Bele Chere pull-out section that covers all the rest of the drumming schedule at the Drum Tent. I hope this helps. Enjoy the drumming and Bele Chere.

Changes because of Bele Chere this weekend

Rites of Passage Council

An Evening with Malidoma Some': Drumming, Teachings and Discussion Saturday, June 21st at the Rites of Passage Council Medicine Lodge from 7pm-10pm.

Energy Exchange: $30.

Also, Private Divinations with Malidoma Some'will be available in 2008 on June 21st, 23rd and 24th. Private Divinations are $250.

To Register and Receive Details and Directions, contact Theresa at (828)777-1492 or Theresa@RitesofPassageCouncil.com

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Drum Circle at Pritchard Park

With Spring weather on our side now, drumming and dancing has started up again in Pritchard Park each Friday night at 5:00. I believe they have to stop at 11:00 pm. (Someone will tell us if that's the wrong time.)

Mantra of Bliss with Goa Gil and Arianne

It's getting to be that time of year when festivals are in their final planning stages. Lots of these Asheville area festivals are held at Deerfield's. Below is one that must not be missed from Those People Productions:



We welcome Goa Gil back to the southeastern United States. Join us in a regional gathering of the tribes as we celebrate Goa Gil's sonic transmission of cutting-edge psychedelic trance integrating in a galactic wonderworld near you! The space is once again the amazing Deerfields, with its lush green valleys and orchards to camp in and fresh water ponds for swimming after a long hot dance!

Goa Gil & Arianne (The Nommos, Avatar Records)

Friday May 16- Sunday the 18, 2008
All ages (under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)

Gate opens at 4pm, Friday, May 17, 2008

Drum Circle Friday Night !

NO RE-ENTRY - Bring everything you will need for survival
Primitive campsites are available in designated areas
No renegade sound systems
Carpool and leave no trace
Absolutely no dogs allowed
Buses and Rv's welcomed and offered discounts for more than 5 passengers (please email in advance).Pre-registered tickets $45.00 US until May 10th

$50.00 US at The Gate

Deco by Pyite and The Community
Sound by DS Audio
Flyer Design by ..iikah..
Visuals by Psyonic
More info and directions at:

www.goagil.com Goa Gil is one of the founders of the goa trance and psytrance movement in electronic dance music.

www.deerfields.com Deerfields is located 20 minutes south of Asheville, North Carolina in the Mills River Community (directions). The private retreat is a 940-acre family-owned tract of unspoiled wilderness offering camping, swimming, and hiking. Cascading through the Queens Creek Mountains of the Appalachia, the land is surrounded by ponds, apple orchards, and rhododendrons.

Triboriginal

Registration now open
September 18-21, 2008
Triboriginal: Tribal Dance, Music & Culture Camp

Triboriginal is an annual event in gorgeous Black Mountain, NC. In addition to workshops & master classes with national drum & dance artists, TribO provides classes in the circus arts, stagecraft & presentation, business training for artists, melody & culture, a full children's program with a scholarship fund, rustic country lodging, all whole foods catered meals, & a full weekend of parties and excellent performance.

Experience the Triboriginal Cultural Immersion. Performers, night owls, families, all together in a gorgeous mountain setting with four days of arts programming.

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To Asheville: A Beautiful Requiem to Eaties Cereal Bar

Thanks to all that made Eaties Awesome! Sadly we are closed for good. I truly wished to create a space for community to come together and I think that wish came true. But wishes don't pay the bills. As some of you may believe, my desire to move to California was why I closed Eaties. The truth is...Eaties just wasn't making it. The true reasons vary: It's hard to compete with fast food, its hard to have a weird location, its hard not to charge ridiculous prices and its hard to have a restaurant based solely on cereal alone. WE RAN OUT OF MONEY! That is the ultimate truth. The few that loved us were unfortunately too few and too infrequent.

Eaties was a last stand in my mind before Asheville turned completely into Aspen Colorado...a yuppy tourist town. It is my observation that the creative folks are fleeing in droves. Maybe not too far...say West Asheville for example, but my experience with Asheville so far has been priding itself on how "WEIRD" it is but doing everything in its power to destroy that creative spirit. The only "weird" thing left is perhaps the few poetic souls who display creativity on the streets. The buskers, street performers and even the homeless are the last stand. We are left begging the rich tourists for a buck.

On more than one occasion, a tourist would come in to Eaties and comment on how "Funky" and "weird" asheville really was based on my little restaurant. Then they would turn around and eat at one of the nicer restaurants down the street. If I could have charged for people to have peeked at Eaties I probably wouldn't have to be writing to you all right now and Eaties would be good as gold.

My hope is that the creative folks will fight back a little harder. Vote for city council, RUN for city council, protest when their city changes in ways they dislike. Practice random acts of art. Create REAL community. Create REAL industry so we don't have to all work service jobs! Take a stand! Join Arts2People, cooperatively buy commercial real estate, support local businesses, realize there is more to community than the drum circle (which IS very kick ass). Direct tourists to the River arts district. VISIT the river arts district. Make time to help a local non-profit. YOU ARE PART OF WHAT MAKES ASHEVILLE why people want to live here, visit here and be here. Reclaim that! Asheville is YOUR CITY!

This may seem odd coming from someone considering moving 3,000 miles away. But I haven't given up completely on this beautiful mountain city. When asked what it is I enjoy about Asheville the most I often say, "the people". That answer still holds true. All the amazing people that helped make Eaties what it was. Again I sincerely give thanks.

Becky Johnson

Danse Macabre II

Danse Macabre II Halloween Costume Party @ The Garage Friday


Halloween Costume Party @ The Garage
presented by Get Up and Trinumeral Productions

Fri. Oct 26th


With performances by:

Menage

GFE

Avec La Force Drum and Dance Ensemble

Jenny Greer from Jen and the Juice

Gavin McGowen

Unifire Theatre

DJ Bowie

DJ Aouel

DJ Par



Visual effects by 6 Helioglyphs


Photo booth by Curve Theory


Fashion show by More Than Mammal recycled clothing and costumes


French Broad Brewery draft beer for only $2!!


Costume contest with $100 cash prize and other prizes


Tickets $10 in advance and $15 at the door


Tix available at Malaprops and Ragtime Vintage Clothing





Location: The Garage
101 Fairview Rd #C
Next door to French Broad Brewery
more info call: 676-9431

October 5th Fundraiser: Spahgetti/Salad Dinner*Drum Circle*Live Auction

Stop by and buy a meal for a good cause before going to Pritchard Park!

River Guerguerian, Daniel Barber, Sunny Keach and Jerry Donoghue will be leading the drumming.

Starting 6:00 pm at Odyssey School in Montford (90 Zilicoa Rd.)

A new K-8 alternative school. The purpose of this event is to raise funds for Compassionate Communication class scholarships. This is one of the few school communities in the world that is making the commitment to train, parents, children, staff, and teachers in using Compassionate Communication (also known as Nonviolent Communication).

http://www.ashevilleccc.com/Sketty_Dinner.pdf

Tickets $12 adults, $8 kids (under 13), under 3 free.
To purchase tickets contact Ellie at
776-5514 or e-mail: Ellie100r@aol.com.

Local Drum Circles

Feeling that primal urge? I have a special place in my heart for Drum Circles. It's not just the sensual, tribal rhythms that calm your soul. It's the whole spirit of good hearts surrounding the event. When my daughter was 15, some sweet soul at the local drum circle in Pritchard Park in Asheville, NC, gave her his beautiful drum. First he let her play it and when she was through, guru drummer dude bends over with his hands cupped prayer-like and said to her, "My child, you can have it. (a $200 drum) It's yours." Pritchard Park drumming is a little tourist-y, but what the hell? It radiates such a positive vibe so I can't complain one bit.

I've listed some area Asheville drumming events here for you.

* Tribal Beats - Drum Dance Gatherers - Asheville, FRIDAYS from 8-11pm at Pritchard Park, weather permitting. Free and open to all. Come play with us! Info: Larry at 828-670-7287 or Rita at 828-259-9121 or drumdance@att.net

* WildBodema - Women's drumming troupe in Asheville NC called Wild Bodema. We are a beginners semi-professional women's drumming troupe. We meet Thursdays in East Asheville. email Drumming at WildBodema.com for further info. A Troupe is different from a circle in that we learn specific rhythms and all play together (with some different parts). All drums and playing levels welcome including Djun-djun, etc. You can see them in action HERE.

* Drumming, Dancing & Toning Gathering - Asheville African Drumming Lessons:, and drum circle Mondays, 7:15-8pm – Movement and Learning Center upstairs at the French Broad Food Co-Op. Free with any co-op receipt, otherwise $2 per class. Afterwards, stay and join the drum circle from 8-10:30pm. Info: Larry, 828-670-7287, or info: fbfc.com/

* Folk School Drum Circle I get conflicting dates on this event so I'll list both of them:
-- is now held on the last Thursday of the month at 7p. It only runs from the last Thursday in April with the last circle for the year held on Halloween night. Info 828-835-4704 or email at kim@kimscreationsonline.com. John C. Campbell Folk School's Open House. Starts at 7PM, goes till... Open to all. Usually extra drums and other noise makers are available, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902. We will now be gathering year round. Check for locations and times.
--Folk School Drum Circle meets the last Tuesday every month at the John C. Campbell Folk School Open House. Starts at 7p, goes till... and is open to all. Usually extra drums and other noise makers are available, sometimes drums for sale. Just ask. 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902. Call Kim at 828-835-3506 email: smokeinthemountainspottery@yahoo.com for info and directions.

* Skinny Beats Drum Shop - located at 4 Eagle St, Downtown Asheville, The number is 828-768-2826, website is skinnybeatsdrums.com. Beginner hand drum classes twice a week and have drum circles periodically.

Drum Circle List - Find more events near you.

Asheville

Drum Circle at Pritchard Park

feel the power of the drum
Originally uploaded by onelungbreathin.

great shot from flickr on last weekend's drum circle at Pritchard Park in Asheville, NC. Would you say this guy is feeling it?

Solstice @ Botanical Gardens

WINTER SOLSTICE On Thursday, December 21 from 3:30 to 5 PM, all are invited to a celebration of the Winter Solstice. The event will be held at The Botanical Gardens at Asheville in Sunshine Meadow and will feature participatory music and dance, poetry, prayers and shared silence. Festive seasonal costumes, drums and rattles are encouraged! Also, wear warm clothing.

Music and dance and hot drinks at 3:30 PM Ritual begins at 4 PM. Ritual ends at 5 PM on this shortest day of the year The event is produced by Earth Celebrations, which for 2 years has been independently holding public gatherings at BGA on the Equinoxes and Solstices.

The intent of these seasonal celebrations is to inform our knowledge of who we are, where we are and what is our part in the great web of life. These are co-created events that charge no fees and occur "rain or shine." Donations are received on behalf of the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

For Earth Celebrations contact: Cathy Holt, 252-3054; Mary Stair 254-0943. No RSVP necessary _

Silver Drummer Girl & Andie MacD

Movie star and Asheville resident Andie MacDowell (left) enjoys a street performer who plays drums briefly and bows each time someone tosses money into the basket in front of her. The action occurred on a balmy afternoon last Friday on Haywood Street across from the Flying Frog Café. The day after Thanksgiving brought numerous shoppers to downtown Asheville. Staff Photo by KYM LUTZ

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Pritchard Park

People watching April 25, 2006, at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. (I found this photo at Flickr.)Sometimes there are bands playing, street musicians, jugglers, and on Friday nights a drum circle until 11:00.