For a long time, I thought Rock ‘n’ Roll was over; its time had come and gone. Of course, I was heartbroken. What could I do?
But then Dave Grohl came along and continues to remind me I was wrong. Grohl now knows Asheville is a great town for music following his appearance at Warren Haynes’ perennial famous fundraiser, The Christmas Jam, in 2018. Grohl had only complimentary things to say about Asheville. It’s great to be noticed by such a high profile celebrity.
But Grohl is just the latest creative human in a long, long list of visitors that espouse love for our town.
What is it about Asheville?
It seems these days that Asheville is always winning some award or recognition for being one of the most livable, music-friendly, dog-friendly, beer city, startup favorable, foodie town, or best places to live/retire/work/visit. Probably dozens more awards, lists, and recognitions are coming.
During the early 20th century, George Vanderbilt, the owner of the Biltmore Estate, invited Edith Wharton, an author he admired, to see his luxurious castle in the mountains. Wharton, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 1921’s The Age of Innocence, later described her Biltmore surroundings as “under a roof of blue Ionian weather”.
F. Scott Fitzgerald gave Asheville a fairly decent shout-out in the 1925 book The Great Gatsby, considered one of the greatest American novels. He speaks of how Jordan Baker’s face is familiar from photographs of “the sporting life at Asheville”. F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald would later spend time in Asheville for a lot of reasons that maybe we’ll cover in a different blog post.
Quite a coincidence, perhaps, because Gatsby was published still several years before author Thomas Wolfe put Asheville on the literary map following the publication of Look Homeward, Angel.
In fact, it was partly because of Wolfe’s famous hometown musings (which he called Altamont) that brought Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum to town during the late 1950s to film his high-paced moonshine-driving adventure “Thunder Road.” In Mitchum’s biography Baby, I Don’t Care by Lee Server, Mitchum had always admired Wolfe’s talent.
I doubt the area’s actual connection to moonshine hurt Mitchum’s choice either.
The Academy Award-nominated actor Woody Harrelson fell in love with Asheville during 2011 when he was filming the first installment of “The Hunger Games.” He returned a few years later to film “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” The rumor mill says Harrelson bought a home in the area. I cannot confirm nor deny that. Harrelson did fall in love with a locally-produced kombucha drink. That I can confirm. Sometimes it’s the little things, I guess.
O. Henry, the author of many short stories featuring ironic twists, moved north of town in 1910 with his wife Sara Coleman. He came to convalesce following a string of health problems. He tried to write stories in a secluded little cabin in the woods, but he was acclimated to writing in the commotion of a city. Easy fix. He rented an office in Downtown Asheville, above the bustling street trolleys and motor cars, to finish some of the last short stories of his short life.
Comedian-turned-bluegrass musician Steve Martin has had a long relationship to Western North Carolina, especially Brevard and Asheville. His sometimes-band, The Steep Canyon Rangers, are based here. Martin teamed up with former New Bohemians singer Edie Brickell in 2013. They wanted to tell the world about this city hidden in the mountains and collaborated on a little love letter, a song entitled “When You Get to Asheville.”
Then Martin and Brickell decided to outdo even themselves and write a whole Broadway musical about Asheville called “Bright Star.”
Granted, Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier was actually born and raised in Asheville. He’s technically not a visitor, but he does go out of his way to proselytize for his hometown. In a 2018 GQ article entitled “Asheville is the Coolest City You’ve Never Been To,” Frazier cited numerous haunts, including his favorite bookstores, restaurants, and shopping centers.
I’ll stop there, but the list could go on and on.
Grohl is not the first artist to come to Asheville and realize it’s a stupendous place, and he won’t be the last.
We sure do love the recognition though.
Why Visit Asheville?
There are many reasons to visit Asheville, NC. Asheville obviously has deep literary and cultural roots going back for decades. Every visitor and artist who comes to town finds something different to love. Some adore the scenery and the weather, others enjoy the supportive, creative environment and a dedicated arts district, the architecture, the proximity to outdoor adventures, or the do-your-own thing lifestyle.
I know it’s a cliche, but maybe there’s a little something for everyone here, including Nirvana’s former drummer.
Now that Grohl is a fan of Asheville, I would like to make a humble request of him: I think the world is about due for another great rock song about Zelda Fitzgerald. Zelda was a famous creative person who loved Asheville, too.
What do you say, Dave? Pull out a pen and pick up a guitar. You could make it happen.