So you’ve heard the saying, “Nothing goes together better than a brew and a beard?” No? Not a saying? Nevertheless, one local Asheville group is living by that creed. The Beer City Beard and Mustache Club is a group of beer loving, facial hair enthusiasts with the goal of promoting facial hair in the greater Asheville area, and having a few pints along the way.

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Laugh Your Asheville Off 2014 starts tonight! 

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When Josh Siegel confided to one of his Berklee professors that he was dropping out to move home and start a band, that professor had one response: “don’t procrastinate.” A Craigslist ad went up immediately upon Siegel’s return to Chicago:

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Troubadour Seth Walker was born and raised here in North Carolina. Currently residing in New Orleans, Walker’s music has a NOLA influence, with gospel soaked fervor and gritty guitar in a funky melting pot flavor. The driving delivery and infectious down-home style of Seth Walker’s voice and songs resonate with Blues and Roots music. Listening to the intricate fretwork displayed in his music, it’s hard to believe that Seth’s first instrument was cello, learned at age 5. We could go on and on, but instead we encourage you to grab a beer, sit down, and check out his music for yourself. We met up with Seth at the release for his new album Sky So Blue at The Grey Eagle, here in the River Arts District. Check out the acoustic session we recorded in the Grey Eagle Green Room. This soul soothing song is called ‘Trouble’.

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Crazy Tom Banana Pants has over the past few months became one of my favorite local bands to see live. Our videographer, Wes introduced us to Caleb Hanks and his lively band of miscreants a while back when we recorded them for Asheville Sessions. I was hooked. From their catchy guitar licks, amazingly talented horn section, and absolutely fantastic Whitney Houston cover (plus a ton of groovy originals), they have left me more than pleased.

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A staff writer and local photographer were able to get a behind the scenes look at what kind of fashion Asheville Outlets will be bringing to the area upon opening in 2015. Asheville Outlets, formerly the Biltmore Square Mall, is currently undergoing renovation and is slowly morphing into a destination shopping point. This will be the first outlet mall located in Asheville and are poised to provide a number of affordably priced stores, ranging from local vendors to national chains. With 325,000 square feet of shopping, there will be 75 stores offering a variety of product and affordability.

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Meet Ferrari! This beautiful, petite lady came to Asheville Humane Society nursing four kittens - all orange! She and her babies were cared for in a loving foster home until it was time for adoption. Ferrari is shy and timid, and prefers to find a quiet spot to observe the activities going on around her. She enjoys gentle petting and needs a quiet home to come out of her shell. Earning her trust will take a little time, but we know this stunning mama is worth it! Ferrari does like the company of other kitties. All cats and kittens are FEE-WAIVED through August 2nd, to make room for **over 200 kittens** who are currently in foster care. We would love to see Ferrari out of the busy Adoption Center and into a peaceful, forever home! Is this blue-eyed girl the one for you? 

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This weeks musical session is local band The Moon and You. Rooted in the rich music scene of Asheville, NC, Ryan Furstenberg and Melissa Hyman began playing together for fun when both were part of successful bands touring the Southeast. When those bands went their separate ways, Furstenberg and Hyman chose to join forces rather than get a job. The result of this collaboration -- between an impossibly sassy cellist from New York and a whimsical fingerstyle guitarist from Eastern North Carolina -- is hard to forget, but easy to fall for.

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Stray Boots and Asheville Local Expert Bring you a Mobile Scavenger Hunt Adventure

Local expert and tour guide from Asheville Food Tours, Chris Ortwein, has worked with Stray Boots to bring a mobile adventure to Asheville: Downtown Asheville (https://www.strayboots.com/locations/asheville/asheville-downtown/). While exploring downtown, urban explorers are introduced to some of the coolest locations and stop into some of the quirky spots and local merchants that give Asheville its unique charm.  

Part scavenger hunt, part tour, the Stray Boots app guides players around Asheville to solve a series of challenges and trivia questions while earning points, taking fun photos, and learning about the culinary history and culture Downtown Asheville has to offer. Start with champagne and literary history at the Grove Arcade before indulging your sweet tooth at one of Asheville’s tastiest artisan chocolates shops. 

Through their iPhone and Android app, Stray Boots offers over 80 self-guided tours, in over 25 cities in 3 different countries (US, UK and Israel). The tours play out like a scavenger hunt; customers liken it to doing your own private Amazing Race. Until recently, all tours were created by the Stray Boots team, but they have now launched a tool for local experts to create their own tours, privately or publicly. One of their first locally generated tours is in Asheville, where local Chris Ortwein will receive 50% of the revenue from any of his tours sold.  

To participate in the fun:

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Today at 5 PM Cinebarre showed their last movie. Drinks were discounted 75% off, and the parking lot was full as locals packed into the theater, selling out every single showing available today. A mere week ago it was announced that Cinebarre would be closing down their Asheville location, currently in the Biltmore Square Mall/Asheville Outlets. The report was that it was not feasible for the theater to stay open during the renovation of the mall, and that they were considering re-opening in 2015 when construction was finished. It was mentioned that perhaps the theater would scout additional locations in Asheville to rebuild. Now, that all appears doubtful.

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