04.07.06—Warmest Day, Bonfires at Dunwell, BlueNumberNine

THE WARMEST DAY so far. We brought our cute, yellow birds and parakeets at the front door to enjoy the warm West Asheville breeze—facing the relatively quiet street. Me and Marta The Nicer planned to mow the lawn but The Indie’s April issue had to be picked up... Danzig Jr and Kelly The Younger Osbourne painted the entire living room, cream green—which is fine.
Indeed, each coming of The Indie, or any of these “tabloid soundboards” that I opt to shelter my oft-bloodied truths, is like a new lease on life. The feeling is so cool , it’s like having a new baby—straight from the womb of glory, moist and fresh and hopeful.
61 Dunwell Avenue—the “madness’” new abode is lookin’ good! I slowly but surely starts to feel the peace-and-quiet vibe again. I cleaned up the basement, dusted the ceilings, stuck a good number of Bonfires posters on the walls, situated wooden chairs on the porch. My office is also ready to rock—my first “office” visitors were Diuvei/Steve Rasmussen and Kevin Innes (and Nina Collins, briefly).
Financial distractions (that go with moving to a new residence), as usual, pose temp hassles but that is okay. I just cooked marinated chicken-on-garlic/onion on margarine over lo mein cum ramens, and Peter Paul & Mary are singing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” at this moment while I sip pineapple juice on Jose Cuervo, so damn! Life is still a gift.

MOST OF OUR days these past few weeks were mostly spent on doing errands (+ raising last-ditch money) for the forthcoming Asheville visit/performance of Haiti’s N a Sonje on April 14 (UNCA/Highsmith Union). As usual, Bonfires/Indie friends made sure that they contribute a big chunk of their beautiful hearts and a piece out of the bank-account to this sweet lunacy – Charlie Thomas, Bob Brown, Susan Sertain (Costume Shoppe), Karen Pierre (Cold River Gallery), Gerry Mahon (Mellow Mushroom), Monika (of Jubilee), Kevin Innes, Jim of True Blue, plus commitments/pledges from Greg Lucas (MAP), Tim Pluta (Veterans for Peace), Deirdre Wiggins (UNCA’s Cultural Diversity Dept), Cicada Brokaw (Peace Coalition), and a number of friends from out of town/state.
Never to forget those who donated creative energy, equipment, efforts – Matt Mulder for the awesome poster, John Staversky for the sound/PA provision, Monika for food and other intangibles/tangibles, Jackie Bowman/Nina Collins for poster dissemination...
The good GOOD news in the last two days (in re this particular project) is the confirmation of the co-sponsorship of UNCA’s Student Government Association (SGA) of the event. This means that apart from having instant “resident” promotions and publicity and volunteer staff on event day, our rental is waived. A cool high five to Marta The Nicer for the indefatigable spirit, and to the young man at UNCA’s Reservations Dept (name is Will).
Meantime, Wally Bowen (MAIN/WPVM head honcho) helps us find a film crew to document the event. Kevin Innes provides the film projector. Megan Hislop anchors/emcees the event, I will give a welcoming address. All the other production needs are procured by our current house (big mirror, cassette recorder, other props) but we may need some more (big pillows, white screen etc)... There are still last-minute chores, eg radio coverage/interview assurance (I should link up with Virato of Revolution Radio and WPVM by Monday).
At this moment, The Blue Sky God/dess smiles at me via a cool moonlight. Things will be great.
The “Bonfires for Peace” at Pritchard Park the following day (April 15) is pretty much taken cared of by Chris Johnson and the Touch Samadhi family. One of the reasons why we are booking the DJs on this weekend – our heads/bodies will be occupied by the N a Sonje project to worry a lot about the physical/technical preparation for the April 15 park event. Besides, the trance DJs do gather a lot of people at the park, a fitting start of the third year of the Bonfires for Peace outdoor events in Asheville.
Mellow Mushroom and/or Burgermeister provide/s food to the performers and staff; pastry and bread to kids from West End Bakery.

AS A THANK-YOU gesture to UNCA’s Highsmith Union (for the N a Sonje event), we will have a special FREE intimate singer-songwriter gig/poetry reading at the same venue on May 5—as a warm sendoff to the students’ summer vacation. Featured acts are John Staversky & Jenny Arch and Vanessa Boyd, plus poets Pasckie Pascua and Megan Hislop.
Meanwhile, UNCA student Hannah Seng designs/executes posters/flyers to upcoming Bonfires events this spring and summer. Check out the May 6 Bonfires for Peace poster... (NOTE: Hannah, after meeting her for the first time in person, isn’t Chinese as I previously suspected. “Seng” is German, she told me.)

BEFORE the May 5 show at UNCA/Highsmith – don’t forget, me and Walter Dinteman (of the Tues Writers Group), Matt Mulder and Megan Hislop will be reading poems at Malaprop’s on April 19, as part of the Poetry Month. On May 4, we welcome Brooklyn NY visitors Adrienne Nightingale and Malcolm Rollick via a gig at the New French Bar on Biltmore Ave – with Dashvara.
That weekend (May 4, 5, 6, 7) will also be a big Bonfires week. Apart from Adrienne and Malcolm, we will also welcome Marco Accattattis and the NJ-based funk/R&B band, BlueNumberNine, to Bonfires events. Joining them at the park are Vanessa Boyd & The Yes Men and Laura Blackley & Lovehandles. Awesome day in downtown Asheville! Don’t forget, that’s also Bob Dylan/Merle Haggard concert night at The Orange Peel. Parking will be a major issue... (then walk.)
We will also host BlueNumberNine in our Dunwell Avenue Abode. We might have a house-party/concert the following day, Sunday, featuring the band (three women, three men). We may have a garage sale, family barbecue, and neighborhood fun. Mark that in your calendars, and come out!

AS I PREVIOUSLY mentioned, 61 Dunwell Avenue is looking good. By late April, we will be starting the Fridays and/or Saturdays Film Nights—featuring rock documentaries, Hollywood classics, amateur shorts, and (like Martin Smith/Blotter) “silly movies.” The basement is pretty accessible and comfy. Kevin The K will provide the film projector. Some of our advertisers take care of food and drinks.
This activity will be punctuated by weekly/weekend garage sales. Please bring your old valuable-throwables/shareables, donate or sell them for profit for yourself. If you have some stuff that you may want to donate, let us know, we will pick them up. Patrons could rummage through the stuff for sale—then read books at the basement or watch a movie.
I am actually thinking of making this event as the launch date for “Blue Sky Asheville.” But I am not sure yet... Meantime, on May 11, we will screen for donations basis, the documentary “Imelda” about my kababayan who loves shoes. We might screen this in two other venues.
We still have some ongoing projects somewhere, but I am getting tired (yes, I do) so I may have to take a nap now or finish watching “The Constant Gardener.”

WHAT ELSE? Oh, okay—new Wander contributor from nowhere. Michael H Brownstein from Chicago (short fiction and couple of poems). So Wander is actually wandering beyond Asheville. Snail contributions just arrive...
My apologies to those who are awaiting their copies of Wander/Indie (esp. Gaither Stewart in Rome). It has been very crazy here but it’s not anymore. Mails will be sent out tomorrow and Monday.
So that’s it, for now... I think, I’ll go outside and watch the sky. Then start/continue doing the layouts for Wander #4 and Blue Sky #1.
Gracias et amore!
--Pasckie