The Other Side of Barstools

by Porscha Yount

I’m on the guest stool for Lin this month. My lovely partner is so wrapped up in working on her piece about Dan Mathews, that she almost forgot to give you all the run-down for the women’s scene this month. I may not do this as well as Lin, but I’ll give it my best shot.

It’s May, and I’m still trying to figure out what to do for my mom for Mother’s Day. Her birthday is coming up soon, too, and this year, since she’s turning 50, I can’t just double up like I usually do. If y’all have any ideas, send them to me at porscha.yount@gmail.com, okay?

Speaking of mothers (or parents, more generally), PFLAG-Asheville will be screening a documentary called “For the Bible Tells Me So” on May 2nd at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville. Through the experiences of five families, the documentary shows how people of faith handle the reality of having a gay child. Seating is limited. The doors open at 6 pm for a 7 pm showing. The event is free, but donations are accepted. Donations will support PFLAG-Asheville, which has just gotten up and running again. Cat, President of PFLAG-Asheville, assures me that they will accept cash, checks, and spare couch change, so bring what you can. The money will be used for supplying resources to people in the community. One more detail: All children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

I have to take a moment to complain, but bear with me, because there’s a point, I promise. Have any of you driven on Riverview lately? You know, the windy road that goes up from the French Broad River Park off of Amboy? Have you seen the houses on stilts? Yeah, so have I, and oh my god(dess), what were they thinking? Lin’s dad saw them and asked if they came with a month’s supply of parachutes… I’m hoping they do. I bring this up because Mountain Voices Alliance is holding a march in downtown Asheville on May 3rd to raise awareness about a temporary moratorium on building in Western North Carolina. The Save our Slopes Rally – Pause to Plan will start at 2 pm at Pritchard Park, and will continue to City/County Plaza, where there will be speakers and music. I even heard a rumor that participants in the march should bring instruments and clogging shoes for an old-time music jam.

Moving along to my favorite part of the region’s entertainment – the music scene. On May 9th, Nikki Talley will make an appearance at the Acoustic Coffee House in Johnson City, TN. If y’all live in Asheville, trust me, the drive is worth it. Lin and I drive up there twice a week, and the drive is getting more and more beautiful every day. The trees are starting to turn green again, and the mountains are incredible right now. But, getting back to the music. Crooner Nikki Talley’s CD Telling Lies was released a short time ago, to rave reviews. Lin and I can’t stop listening to our copy. But, it doesn’t compare to seeing her live, so if you’re in Johnson City, get there, and if you’re not, remember the pretty drive is worth it – even with the price of gas. Did I mention gas is about 10 cents cheaper in Tennessee? It is, so fill up while you’re there.

On Friday, May 16th, The Barrel House Mamas will be at the Grey Eagle with No Strings Attached. The Barrel House Mamas are an Asheville trio consisting of Jane Kramer Edens, Molly Rose Reed, and Eleanor Underhill, who all began their musical journey at Warren Wilson College. If Lin were writing this month, she’d be sure to mention that it’s her alma mater. So I’ll save her the trouble and mention it myself. Beginning in a dorm stairwell, these women have mastered three-part harmonies and that Appalachian sound. You can check them out at barrelhousemamas.com, or at their show. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 the day of the show, and the show starts at 9 pm.

The biggest musical event of the month has to be Bushstock ’08 on May 16th-18th. If any of you have been following the trouble Camp Lickalotta has been having over the past few months, you know that the fact that this event is still happening is pretty amazing. Camp Lickalotta held the promise of being a socially and environmentally aware lesbian campground in the Piedmont of North Carolina, until the conservatives kicked them out of town. Claiming they were upset by the name of the campground, conservatives put pressure on the host campground for the Lickalotta gals and forced them out. Of course, being socially and environmentally aware are antichrist attributes to the religious right, so some backlash was to be expected.

Anyhow, the battle is over, the jerk-offs won, and the Lickalotta gals moved on. They planned a great event that will now happen in North Georgia. For all the details, check their website at bushstock08.com. Highlights include camping, music, and fellowship in an environment full of women. It’s a lesbian dream, so I hear. I guess I like my pillows and air conditioning too much to get the whole “camping” thing, but the Lickalotta gals assure me there is a hotel nearby (details about accommodations are also on the website). Bushstock ’08 has a full lineup of musicians, including Julie Schurr, the Cinnamon Girls, and Suzi of the Zen Monkeys. Dogs are allowed – so make it a pooch-happy weekend, and bring them along. And, though we all know it’s part of all lesbian events, no drama will be tolerated. If you cause drama, you’ll be asked to leave, and you won’t get your money back. So, if you see your ex making out at the campfire with the girl she left you for and the girl’s boyfriend, just move along, pretend you didn’t see it, and remember that you’re there for the fun women’s weekend. Leave the drama behind.

In late May, once the Memorial Day fun has fizzled out, try taking a breezy walk through the Arboretum. On May 28th, an Arboretum horticulturalist will be leading a walk called “What’s New in the Garden.”  Walk meets at the Baker Exhibit Center. Take a carload – save on gas, and pay $6 for everyone you can stuff in your gas-saving vehicle. It’s a cost-effective way to spend your morning. The walk starts at 10:30 am, before the sun starts beating down. About that time at our house, the blue jays are still begging Lin to throw down some peanuts (they’re our own living lawn darts).

That’s about it for this month. Lin will be back next month, when she’s not so enamored with a six-foot-five gay man in a bunny suit. Or at least when she’s not writing about him. We’ll both be seeing you around town, on the other side of barstools.

Until next month…

P*.