rockford springsteen’s sugar bear re-enactment birthday...

S1

March 2012 Vol. VIII, Issue 3Serving Ashe, Alleghany, Boone, Blowing Rock, Wilkes County and Mountain City, TN

Rockford Re-enactmentPage 2

Sugar Bear BirthdayPage 4

Springsteen’s ‘Wrecking Ball Tour’Page 3

S2

HigH Country Loafer MarCH 2012

Civil War returning to RockfordFor the seventh year, the sound of battle cries will ring

out across Rockford during this weekend’s Civil War Bat-tle and Living History event.

This year’s free event will follow the same general sched-ule as previous Civil War encampments and will feature battles, skits, a worship service and food.

The reenactors, who will travel from Surry, Stokes and Yadkin counties as well as from Virginia, will begin as-sembling in the town Friday night. They will camp out in preparation for the main events Saturday and Sunday.

There will be three battle re-enactments this year. On Saturday, March 3, the battles will start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. while the Sunday, March 4, skirmish will occur at 1 :30 p.m. This year’s battles will include infantry, cavalry and artillery.

“It just gets bigger and better every year,” said Carolyn

Carter, owner of Rockford General Store, last year before the event.

“We’ll have a minimum of 75 reenactors and there will be a cannon this year.” When they are not participating in the battle, the reenactors will be around town and in their encampment orchestrating skits and talking to visitors about life during the Civil War.

James Mills will be at the event on Saturday with his surgical tent. He will be talking to people about the medi-cine available during the Civil War and how battlefield sur-geons did amputations and treated wounds.

The general store will be supplying food for the week-end including pinto beans, chicken stew, cornbread and homemade pies.

On Sunday, there will be an outdoor church service at the Rockford Amphitheater, which is behind the store, be-

ginning at 10 a.m. To accommodate the crowds expected at the event, the town will be running a shuttle service from Rockford Baptist Church.

The shuttle will leave every 10 to 15 minutes to take pas-sengers to the center of town. Carter hopes the weather will be nice for the event so people will turn out to enjoy it.

While the battle on Saturday starts at 10 a.m., Carter said events leading up to the battle will start earlier and she encouraged people to come out before 10.

“The store opens at 8 on Saturday and things generally start up around 8:30 or 9. If you get here at 10, by the time you park and get there you’ll have missed part of the battle,” she said. “It gets kind of crazy during battle time.” For more information about the weekend, contact the Rockford General Store at 374-5317.

Pressing the attack. Charge!

Ready…aim…FIRE! The infrantry holds it line while taking fire.

S3

March 2012 high country Loafer

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s playing in GreensboroTour kicks off 17th Springsteen studio album

Venue: Greensboro ColiseumDate: March 19, 2012Showtime: 8 p.m.Tickets: $46.05-$113.35To purchase tickets: Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call

800-745-3000Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launch the

first US leg of the 2012 ‘Wrecking Ball’ World Tour on March 18 in Atlanta and head north to Greensboro for its next show.

Bruce Springsteen’s 17th studio album ‘Wrecking Ball’ will be released on Columbia Records on March 6, and fea-tures 11 new Springsteen songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of ‘Wrecking Ball’ will also be available and include two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.

“We Take Care Of Our Own,” the album’s first single,’ is “classic Springsteen” with “anguish and challenge [that] run thick and fast” (Rolling Stone); a “richly orchestrated Wall of Sound… that nods to the ‘Born to Run’ era” (Bill-board).

The E Street Band’s members are: Roy Bittan - piano, synthesizer; Nils Lofgren - guitar, vocals; Patti Scialfa - guitar, vocals; Garry Tallent - bass guitar; Stevie Van

Zandt - guitar, vocals; and Max Weinberg - drums; with Soozie Tyrell - violin, guitar, vocals and Charlie Giordano - keyboards.

Springsteen draws on many musical influences from the reservoir of traditional American popular music, folk, blues and country. From the beginning, rock and roll has been the dominant influence. On his debut album, Greet-ings from Asbury Park, New Jersey, the folk-influence is clear. An example of the influence of this music genre to Springsteen’s music is his song “This Hard Land” which demonstrates a clear influence of the style of Woody Guth-rie.

He expanded the range of his musical compositions on his second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.

Elements of Latin American music, jazz, soul, and funk influences can be heard; the song “New York City Sere-nade” is even reminiscent of the music of George Gersh-win. These two records prominently featured pianist Da-vid Sancious, who left the band shortly into the recording of Springsteen’s third album, Born To Run. This album, however, also emphasized the piano, the responsibility now of Roy Bittan.

Earlier in his career, Springsteen has focused more on the rock elements of his music. He initially compressed

the sound and developed Darkness On The Edge Of Town just as straightforward as concise musical idiom, for the simple riffs and clearly recognizable song structures are dominant.

His music has been categorized as heartland rock, a style typified by Springsteen, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp. This music has a lyrical reference to the U.S. everyday and the music is kept rather simple and straightforward. This development culminated with Springsteen’s hit album Born in the U.S.A., the title song of which has a constantly repeating, fanfare-like key-board riff and a pounding drum beat. These sounds fit with Springsteen’s voice: it cries to the listener the unsen-timental story of a disenchanted angry figure. Even songs that can be argued to be album tracks proved to be singles that enjoyed some chart success, such as “My Hometown” and “I’m on Fire,” in which the drum line is formed from subtle hi-hat and rim-clicks-shock (shock at the edge of the snare drum).

In recent years, Springsteen has changed his music fur-ther. There are more folk elements up to the gospel to be heard. His last solo album, Devils and Dust, drew rave re-views not only for Springsteen’s complex songwriting, but also for his expressive and sensitive singing.

S4


Join Sugar Bear for his birthday at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort

Sugar Bear’s birthday celebration set for March 4

Join Sugar Mountain Resort’s resident mascot Sugar Bear and his friends for a fun birthday celebration on Sunday, March 4.

There is a full day of activities planned to celebrate Sugar Bear’s birthday.• From 8:30-10 a.m., Sugar Bear will be available to meet and greet the children who

participate in the days activities.• From 10-11:30 a.m. Sugar Bear will be skiing and riding the lift with Sugar’s guests.• At 11:45 a.m., the Great Bear Fun Race will be held.• Lunch will be served at noon for the participating guests.• At 12:45 p.m., ice cream and cupcakes will be served.With 16 slopes, five lifts, an average snow depth of 20 to 44 inches, three tubing lanes,

snowshoeing and ice skating, there is plenty to keep parents busy during the birthday celebration.

Ideal snow making temperatures and clear skies throughout this winter season have provided the opportunity to expand available terrain and increase the average snow depth, often leaving snow conditions fluffy, light and forgiving. Couple that with clear, Carolina blue skies, pleasant winter temperatures and things are perfect on Sugar Moun-tain.

For a complete list of Sugar’s events and specials browse www.skisugar.com/calendar.For more information, call 800-SUGAR-MT or visit www.skisugar.com.

Moulin Rouge – The Ballet is sure to be a kick at ASU

Venue: Farthing Auditorium on ASU campus

Date: March 22, 2012Showtime: 8 p.m.Tickets: $20 for adults; $11 for students

6-18; $10 for ASU students: and $5 for chil-dren five and under

To purchase tickets: Call 800-841-2787Along with a rousing French soundtrack,

Moulin Rouge – The Ballet features high-kicking choreography and a passionate story of love, ambition and heartbreak and will be performed at the Farthing Audito-rium on the campus of Appalachian State University on March 22. This ballet has been seen by close to 60,000 people across North America and has elicited cheers and ovations wherever it tours.

Turn of the century Paris…a city of ex-quisite contradiction. The heady elixir of personal freedom bred lifestyles both reck-less and addictive. Drawn to Paris by the city’s passion, a flame fuelled by the hearts of lovers and the souls of poets, Matthew and Nathalie tempt fate as they seek love and destiny at the infamous cabaret – The Moulin Rouge.

“Moulin Rouge - The Ballet is a triumph … stunningly beautiful … it’s moments like this that make ballet fans out of people who think they don’t like ballet.” - Atlanta InTown, Nov. 5, 2010 (Atlanta Ballet)

The ballet is sponsored by the ASU Of-fice of Arts & Cultural Programs and Char-ter Communications.

00492928

S5


S6


Ben Folds returns to N.C. Symphony for two Raleigh dates, March 22-23

Venue: Meymandi Concert Hall, RaleighDates: Thursday and Friday, March 22

and 23Showtime: 8 p.m.To purchase tickets: Visit www.ncsym-

phony.org or www.ticketmaster.com or call 877-627-6724

Alt favorite Ben Folds rocks out in Ra-leigh this March in a two-night return to the North Carolina Symphony. The North Carolina-native and popular music guru as a judge on the hit reality television show The Sing-Off joins the Symphony and As-sociate Conductor Sarah Hicks for two dif-ferent concert programs on Thursday and Friday, March 22-23.

Folds, along with the orchestra, put an epic twist on selections from his 15-year

career on the cutting edge of rock music. The concerts take place in downtown Ra-leigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall.

Tickets are on sale nowHaving earned a massive following for

his peerless stage presence, acerbic wit and versatile musicianship on multiple instruments, Folds is no stranger to a musical challenge. The bestselling singer-songwriter has performed with Tori Amos, “Weird Al” Yankovic, William Shatner and the Boston Pops. He pioneered a new mu-sic platform with the first live concert web-cast in 2006 and launched a nationwide re-cording tour for the 2009 album Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!

His most recent album, the career-span-ning retrospective The Best Imitation of

Myself, was released in October 2011. He will also reunite with his bandmates Dar-ren Jessee and Robert Sledge from Ben Folds Five for a new album and subsequent tour later this year.

Folds was born in Winston-Salem and has frequently performed in the Triangle, including a sell-out appearance with the North Carolina Symphony in March 2010. Hicks conducted that concert and has also collaborated with Folds for performances with the Minnesota Orchestra.

For more, visit the North Carolina Sym-phony website at www.ncsymphony.org.

Meymandi Concert Hall is located in the Progress Energy Center for the Perform-ing Arts, 2 E. South St., in Raleigh.

Music legend Diana Ross to perform at Harrah’s CherokeeVenue: Event Center at Harrah’s CherokeeDate: Saturday, March 3, 2012Tickets: $75 and $125To purchase tickets: Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call

800-745-3000Diana Ross has proven herself the consummate music

artist as well as one of the most iconic female singers of all time. Come enjoy your favorite Diana Ross classics that span a remarkable career of over 40 years of hits at Harrah’s Cherokee.

Ross performed a cross-country tour in the summer of 2010. The More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour featured an all-new set list, stage design, and costumes galore, and was dedicated to her friend Michael Jackson who died in June 2009.

The tour, which commenced on May 15, 2010, in Boston, earned Ross excellent reviews in every city in which she performed, and concluded in Saratoga, Calif.

An extended American leg of the tour began in Septem-ber, 2010, and is scheduled to continue until March 2011, in Stamford, Connecticut, after which, another American leg of her tour will begin on September 11, 2011, at Temecula, CA’s Pechanga Resort and Casino, & continuing throughout autumn, 2011.

In June 2011, Diana Ross was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame.

Ross received a Grammy Special Merit Lifetime Achieve-ment Award on Feb. 11, 2012.

In February 2012, Ross began the fifth US leg of her highly successful More Today Than Yesterday: The Great-est Hits Tour at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Hollywood, Fla.

S7


The music of Jimi Hendrix comes to life in ‘Experience Hendrix Tour’

Venue: War Memorial Stadium, Greens-boro

Date: March 7, 2012Showtime: 8 p.m.Tickets: $50.15-$89.15To purchase tickets: Visit www.tick-

emaster.com or call 800-745-3000Inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s unparal-

leled creative and musical influence, Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.—the com-pany formed by the late guitarist’s father, James “Al” Hendrix to oversee his legend-ary son’s legacy—has continued that in-novative spirit with its ongoing series of all-star tribute concerts held in honor of the late great musician.

Originally conceived in the summer of 1995, the Hendrix family’s first full sponsored tribute concert was born as the headlining attraction at Seattle’s an-nual Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival in September 1995. From its early begin-nings as the Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Festival, the wheels were clearly in mo-tion for this tribute concert concept to become something much bigger than just a single event.

Over the coming 12+ years since the

original Bumbershoot event, one addi-tional Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Fes-tival took place (1998), seven special one night only all-star tribute concerts in vari-ous cities throughout the United States and London, two installments of the na-tionwide traveling Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Competition, a four year running engagement of the traveling Jimi Hendrix Red House Tour; and most recently, two all-star tribute concert tours under the ex-panded banner of the Experience Hendrix Tour, which toured both the West Coast in 2004 with 3 dates in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, plus an expanded tour of the East Coast in 2007 featuring 7 individual engagements in cities includ-ing Washington, DC and New York City among others.

“The Experience Hendrix Tour is a unique opportunity for fans to experience the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix in a way that CDs simply cannot offer,” said Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Ex-perience Hendrix, L.L.C. “We felt strongly that a live presentation of the music that Jimi Hendrix created and which inspired him would be an exciting and unique way

of conveying his relevance to today’s audi-ences.”

The opportunity to celebrate the legend-ary guitarist’s music and continuing influ-ence is welcomed by former Jimi Hendrix Experience bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox. Bassist Billy Cox, who first be-friended Hendrix when the two served in the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division and later joined him in both the Band Of Gypsys and the Experience, is extremely pleased with the tour concept and the work the Hendrix family has completed since taking control in 1995.

It’s through this modern collection of cul-tural influences that the expanded Experi-ence Hendrix Tour hones its direction, Not only does the touring production provide fans the opportunity to witness contem-porary artists (Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Satriani, Indigenous, Mike McCready) performing Jimi Hendrix’s unforgetable music; but also the chance to experience several artists that helped to influence Jimi’s own music vision (Buddy Guy, Hu-bert Sumlin, etc.) and fellow artists that were Jimi’s close associates and either per-formed with or hung with Jimi in the 60s

(Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Carlos Santana, Robbie Krieger, etc.).

It’s this fusion of classic Jimi Hendrix music combined with the unique pairing of practicing musicians that makes the Ex-perience Hendrix Tour such an uncommon musical treat dishing up night after night of unforgettable music and exciting stage performances, all in tribute to the musical legacy of the world’s greatest guitarist—Jimi Hendrix.

Welcome to The Pink Floyd ExperienceDate: 8 p.m. March 8, 2012Venue: The Fillmore Charlotte, 1000 NCMF Blvd.,

CharlotteDate: March 8,2012Showtime: 8 p.m.Tickets: $37.50To purchase tickets: Visit www.ticketmaster.com or

call 800-745-3000Pink Floyd is rarely discussed without using words

like “psychedelic,” “conceptual” and “provocative.” Their shows are described as being theatrical with mind-blowing lights and unsurpassed sound. Their music cannot be referred to without making mention of their record breaking status. Without question Pink Floyd remains one of the most influential rock bands of all time. No easy feat to bring such a story to the stage…

Annerin Productions has endeavored to bring fans the show they never thought they’d see. They searched the continent for committed and talented musicians who could really do it justice. This was a project that was not going to happen if it could not be done right.

The vision was not to produce a stadium show. In

fact, in an effort to create the true Pink Floyd experi-ence it would be just the opposite. Two key factors were at the core of the plan;

• Keep it intimate. Put the legendary combination of music, sound and lights in a theatre atmosphere.

• Ensure the sensual attack of Floyd. Give it top a priority along with the music.

They nailed it. They found the band, the lights and the sound to create THE show for the ultimate Floyd fan, and it’s called…The Pink Floyd Experience.

Formed in New Zealand in 1997 and touring inter-nationally since 2004, the Pink Floyd Experience have created a huge reputation for performing Pink Floyd’s music to the highest standard while consistently push-ing the boundaries in terms of production and perfor-mance.

“The Pink Floyd Experience accurately portrays the troubled souls that made the genius of Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour so outstanding. Long may it contin-ue!” – Dene Mackenzie, Otago Daily Times.

What started out as a crazy one-off idea has evolved and morphed into the behemoth it has become today.

Having performed in excess of two hundred shows with sold-out international tours, and never satisfied to rest on their laurels, The Pink Floyd Experience have con-tinually worked to create all-new shows based on vari-ous Pink Floyd albums and live performances, while constantly striving to wow audiences by making each show bigger and better than the last.

The Experience’s impeccable attention to detail, combined with their deep respect and passion for Pink Floyd’s music has won them critical acclaim with their production of “The Wall” as a dramatic stage show. d two entirely different Floyd shows with a third on the way.

Featuring 10 musicians, a dedicated crew of techni-cians and crew, the best sound system in Australasia, the latest lighting and video technology and humon-gous amounts of passion and energy, the Pink Floyd Ex-perience tour promises to be the biggest and best Pink Floyd Experience tour yet!

Remember, if you’ve never seen Pink Floyd live this is as close as you’ll ever get!

ASHE COUNTY FORD

409 East 2nd Street, West Jefferson, NC 28694

336-246-718324-hr Wrecker Service • (336) 877-7045

Daily Rental Cars

www.ashecountyford.net

LOAFING JUST GOT BETTER x 3

S8


rockford springsteen’s sugar bear re-enactment birthday...

Documents