Page 4
The Banner
February 13,1997
Features
Februai
Blues to explode in local bar
By Adrien Sanders
staff Writer
New York’s Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion are coming to
Asheville for a live performance.
The Blues Explosion will play at
Be Here Now on Thursday, Feb.
13, at 10:00 p.m., with opening
act Speed Ball Baby. The Feb. 13
show marks the Blues Explosion’s
first time in western North Caro
lina, but the band has played in
Charlotte and Chapel Hill.
The trio formed in 1991 when
Jon Spencer became friends with
drummer Russell Simins and gui
tarist Judah Bauer. The band has
drums and dual guitars, but the
absence of bass defines the Blues
Explosion sound.
The band does not describe its
music as traditional blues. The
Blues Explosion’s music is a com
bination of many influences,
from rock to country to rockabilly
to blues.
“They’ve got a great new al
bum,” said James Barringer, the
in-house agent at Be Here Now,
in reference to the band’s latest
critically-acclaimed release,
“Now I Got Worrry.”
The trio has recorded and
toured with R.L. Burnside, a
blues performer who also has a
bassless trio. The two acts do not
appear to be a likely match— the
band is white and from New
York, and Burnside is black and
from Mississippi. Nevertheless,
the combination has done well,
especially with their recent col-
t A
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN VELENCHENKO
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: (From left to right)
Judah Bauer, Jon Spencer, and Russell Simins. The
Blues Explosion plays Be Here Now on Feb. 13.
labo ration, A Ass Pocket of Whis
key.
Spencer started his musical ca
reer at Brown University playing
bass and drums. He played with
several groups in the 1980s, in
cluding punk band Pussy Galore
and the Honeymoon Killers.
Spencer has also recorded with
his wife, Cristina Martinez, un
der the name Boss Hogg.
Tickets to the Thursday night
show are available at Be Here
Now for $10.
Mother India serves Eastern treats
By Tracy Kelly
staff Writer
People with an appetite for In
dian food or for something differ
ent should give Mother India Res
taurant a try. Located at 1996
Hendersonville Rd. in Asheville,
Mother India serves a wide variety
of dishes, including chicken, lamb,
vegetarian, and many other authen-
Restaurant
Review
tic specialties.
Housed in a small, old, pinkish-
colored building. Mother India may
not look like much from the out
side, but waiting inside is a dining
experience not commonly found in
Asheville. With colored lights and
balloons hanging from the ceiling,
pictures and tokens hanging on the
walls, and music playing in the
background, the restaurant reveals
northern Indian culture.
At lunch or dinner, there is cer
tainly plenty to choose from on
Mother India’s extensive menu. The
inexpensive prices will only com
plicate the decision making pro
cess. Lunch specials average around
$5 and dinner specials around $8
or $9. Appetizers, soups, desserts,
and breads all average around $2.
If Indian dining sounds like a
daunting proposition, fear not. The.
staff is more than happy to help
diners select frorri its complicated
menu.
The house specials are available in
vegetarian and non-vegetarian ver
sions. Each includes a sample of
iBte
T
PHOTO BY ELISE FOX
Owner Jaqtar Singh serves up the beverages at Mother India
Restaurant on Hendersonville Road in Asheville.
about four dishes, along with rice,
dessert, and tea or coffee. Mother
India has an incredible selection
of breads to compliment their
meals. Choose from white or
whole wheat, mixed with pota
toes, onions, garlic, peas, cauli
flower, and spices.
The tandorri specialties feature
chicken cooked in a charcoal-fired
clay oven (an old-fashioned style
of Indian cooking). The desserts
are the most exotic items on the
menu. Aside from everyday soda,
tea, and water. Mother India also
serves a few authentic beverages,
such as lassi, a yogurt shake.
Mother India is a wonderful din
ing option for those who want the
best in authentic Indian food.
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Lexington Avenue offers shopping alternative
By Melinda Pierson
staff Writer
With all of the interesting shops
of downtown Asheville, it’s a
wonder the shopping malls get
any business. One afternoon of
shopping reveals that sterile malls
are poor replacements for the
character of downtown shops.
Shopping on Lexington Avenue
is a fine example of this alterna
tive character. On Lexington, the
clientele is a strange combination
of hippies and tourists, each look
ing the other over with the same
degree of skepticism as they walk
the avenue’s brick sidewalks.
The eclectic mix of people comes
together to shop some of
Asheville’s most famous and most
eccentric stores.
First and foremost on this list of
unusual stores is T.S. Morrison.
After browsing through the store,
it is difficult to pinpoint exactly
what kind of store T.S. Morrison
is supposed to be. There is a little
bit of everything, including ster
ling silver jewelry, wicker bas
kets, cookie cutters, and a huge
selection of toys.
“It’s primarily a kids store geared
mostly towards tourists. It does
have a wide variety of items,
though,” said Bratton Gelder, an
employee at T.S. Morrison.
Just down the street is Down
town Books and News, which not
only buys and sells used books,
including fiction, non-fiction,
kids books, and first edition
books, but also houses a large
selection of hard-to-find maga
zines and journals.
Although Downtown Books and
News does sell magazines of gen
eral interest, such as Rolling Stone
and Newsweek, they also have pub
lications such as Asian Martial
Arts on the shelves.
The store also carries the New
York Times, the Washington Post,
The European, and The Village
Voice.
Downtown Books and News is
a great place to earn a little extra
cash (or store credit) by selling
used books. Employee Gabrielle
Johansen warns that they don’t
usually buy textbooks, unless they
are novels or other books of gen
eral interest: “Vour basic 101
psychology textbook we’re not
really interested in. Although any
body can come in. You don’t need
an appointment or anything, just
walk in. It’s a very subjective
thing.”
Lexington Avenue also houses
more practical shops. The most
visible example is Tops For Shoes,
which is a staple of Lexington
Avenue shopping. Tops For Shoes
does an excellent job of combin
ing old ideas with new merchan
dise, something its competitors
in the large chain stores have failed
to do. Tops offers new styles in
shoes, belts, and purses, but still
gives great attention to the indi
vidual customer. Salespeople at
Tops will measure people’s feet
and look in the storeroom to find
their sizes. Although the store it
self is huge, Tops’attention to cus
tomer service gives the feeling that
the store is nothing more than a
friendly hometown shoe store.
Buying items for the home on
Lexington Avenue will lead not
only to the street’s many antique
shops, but into stores such as
Throwing Clay Pottery and The
Natural Home. In Throwing Clay
Pottery, artist Julie Payne makes
works of art right in the store
window, while her customers
browse through the pottery within
the store. The Natural Home is
like Pier 1, only not nearly as
mass-marketed, with functional
and decorative objects for the
home that are unlike any other.
For a quick bite to eat, stop at
Max and Rosie’s Cafe. Max and
Rosie’s serves nine varieties of both
vegetatle and fruit juices, as well
as natural fruit smoothies to drink
while eating such items as the It
Takes Tuna Tango dolphin-safe
tuna salad, all for around $6. On
Saturdays the deli offers live pi
ano music, although in the spring
and summer there is live music
daily.
“On Sundays we have psychic
readings. We have three readers
and its called Psychic Sunday. It’s
really great,” said Max and Rosie’s
owner Deborah Beeby.
For a little spiritual upliftment
drop into Just As You Are,
Asheville’s Christian coffeehouse.
Just as You Are offers run-of-the
mill deli food in an alcohol and
smoke free environment. In ad
dition, the coffeehouse offers an
open mike night on Thursdays,
booked engagements on weekend
nights, and a non-denominational
worship service on Sunday eve
nings.
“Our purpose here was to have a
presence of Jesus Christ here in
Asheville. We didn’t pick Lexing
ton Avenue, God picked it. We
just sort of followed suit,” said
Just As You Are manager Stuart
Robbins.
Lexington Avenue offers such a
wide array of stores that carry a
smorgasbord of merchandise, all
in a two block stretch. With stores
like T. S. Morrison and eateries
like Max and Rosie’s, Lexington
Avenue is the place for a one-of-a-
kind shopping experience.
3^
PHOTO BY BONNER BUTLER
T. S. iVlorrison’s stock runs the gamut, from candles to doilies.
PHOTO BY BONNER BUTLER
Max and Rosie’s: a place to eat before buying antiques
The UNCA Cultural & Special Events Committee
presents
TH{ PHIUDELPHIA iUMC{ COMPiNY
'The dayicers are a m iracle of skill and energtj.
/f
Tuesday, February 25 • 8 p.m.
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
$4 UNCA students
$12 Faculty and staff, College for Seniors members, alumni
For ticket information and to charge by phone,
call 704/251'6584. Tickets available at UNCA
Highsmith Center.
WCQS
Awitmhtr of i}%»
111 ASSOCIATION
I I lofPEBI’OCMmG
^AR^S
PRESENTERS
The UNiviasm' cf Nc'rth Carolina at AstitviiLE