The Ugly Sweater Show at Southern Appalachian Brewery encourages your best worst attire. PLUS See the Stipe Brothers and Dan Ruiz.
By December 19, some folks are already suffering from a serious case of carol fatigue and need a good rock show to brace up their blood. An event at Southern Appalachian Brewery this Saturday combines a number of fun trends — namely seasonal brew, campy attire, and food-truck fare.
Titled the “Ugly Sweater Show,” it’s a decidedly dressed-down affair featuring local act the Stipe Brothers (siblings Kevin and Derek, plus Dan Ruiz, Jeff Hinkle, and Kent Rector) — a band that specializes in self-described “guilty pleasure cover songs.”
This is the event’s fifth year, reports Brewery co-owner Kelly Cubbin. “At around 9ish, during a set break, we host the ugly-sweater competition,” she notes in a talk with Bold Life. Tacky holiday sweaters are such a thing now that even thrift stores recognize the craze, creating whole end-caps of sequined and reindeer-bedecked specimens for sale. But the brewery’s contest got so popular that coordinators had to go further and actually categorize the kitsch.
“We’ve had so many entries,” says Cubbin. Every ugly sweater gets its chance now, including garments that are Christmas themed, animal themed, food themed, and more. Winners get gift certificates to the brewery.
The Umami Bites food truck will be serve up beautiful Asian food to restore balance to the proceedings. (8-10pm, 822 Locust St. in Hendersonville, 828-684-1235).
David Childers brings some serious life experience to the table for a show with the Serpents at the Purple Onion (December 19).
Painting by David Childers
On the same night, down at the celebrated music venue The Purple Onion (16 Main St. in Saluda), David Childers and the Serpents play a show promoting their new album Serpents of Reformation. The Piedmont native and lawyer launched a side career as a singer-songwriter at age 37, and now, in his 60s, enjoys record-label presentation, a tight cult following, and major props from such nationally known acts as the Avett Brothers, who routinely cover Childers’ song “The Prettiest Thing.”
When he’s not defending clients in social-security cases or traveling the honky-tonk circuit, Childers paints. His folk-art/Southern Gothic-style canvases are widely collected, and the religious themes dovetail with his spiritual bent of recent years. Where Childers used to sing about living on the edge, now his songs (covers of gospel traditionals unite with his own gritty songwriting) address larger themes.
“I’ve always been spiritual, but I was very resistant to religion,” Childers explains to Bold Life writer Robin Tolleson in a story in this month’s issue. “As I got older and had some experiences that brought me a little closer to the next side, it made me very contemplative about what my life’s about, and why I’m here, if there’s any reason. I don’t want to be real public about it, but I do love the expression of that in music.”
Read the whole story at www.boldlife.com/lawyermusician-helps-the-oppressed-and-sings-his-soul-out/
Show starts at 8pm. www.purpleonionsaluda.com. 828-749-1179.
