Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The sold-out Unchained Tour arrives in Asheville on Sunday Sept. 16, in a 1972 Bluebird bus filled with writers and storytellers including author Neil Gaiman, the man behind Sandman and Coraline. A 9-city tour of the Southeastern U.S., its mission is to draw attention to and promote locally owned, independent bookstores.
Confirmed storytellers for Asheville include Gaiman, Savannah-born playwright Edgar Oliver, and Peter Aguero, a multi-talented artist currently hosting The Moth and leading NYC’s improvised storytelling rock band, The BTK Band.
From the group’s website:
Unchained believes that the art of the raconteur—the telling of unscripted, personal, porch-style stories—is one of the great arts, and that nights of storytelling are vital to any vibrant and healthy community. Our mission is to bring brilliant raconteurs, along with musicians and writers and other artists, to towns large and small across the South—and eventually across the continent. We’ll champion the local and home-grown: independent bookstores, community gardens, performing cafes. We’ll advocate getting offline and off the grid, and wherever we go we’ll celebrate the pleasure and inspiration of raconteuring.
Check out the group’s promo video culled from “two years of championing independent bookstores, storytelling, music, and the art of doing all things local.” Yes, that’s musicians Shovels & Rope (who just played the Altamont Brewing Company on Friday) on the stage and on the video’s soundtrack .
Unchained from Matt Perry on Vimeo.
“Support everything local, you know? Because those are the people you live with. So support them.”
