You're invited to a book party

THE ROAD TO UNFORGETTING Book Launch

Let me tell you ‘bout a place…

Housed in the old Citizen-Times building in Asheville, North Carolina, Citizen Vinyl celebrates its second anniversary this week as a record-pressing operation. Since opening during the pandemic, the 1939 art moderne structure now includes a recording studio, the Session bar and café (whose chicken salad sandwich is the best in town), and CODA Analog Art + Sound, a purveyor of new and vintage LPs, screen printed artwork by local artists, and CV merch. One of my favorite features of the joint is their hand-picked daily playlist of vinyl records spun from turntables behind the bar. Accompanying the records is a detailed set of liner notes hung along one wall, listing the daily menu of LPs and music-related stories for the day. It’s like a daily liturgy of rock ‘n roll music along with appointed readings about the day’s sides. “The feeling is laid-back,” as the Diamond once sang of another place, where

palm trees grow and rents are low but you know I keep thinking about making my way back

I don’t know if they’re actually palm trees, but lush tropical foliage does fill the room, thanks to Rosarina Plant Shop, and on the rare occasions that I get out of the house, I think about making my way back to Citizen Vinyl. In other words, it’s a whole lot of awesome packed into one space, as even Esquire recognized this year.

But we’re gonna pack even more awesome into it—YOU—on November 10 at the official launch party for THE ROAD TO UNFORGETTING.

When THE ROAD became a reality, I knew immediately that I wanted to celebrate its birth into the world at Citizen Vinyl, because of its passionate commitment to analog art forms. The event will also feature my own hand-picked vinyl playlist and accompanying liner notes, featuring selections that have inspired A Deeper South tours, and some records we have discovered along the way. The playlist will run for the entire day at Citizen Vinyl, from opening at 9:00AM until close after the event around 7:30 or so. Doors open for the launch at 5:30; the discussion starts at 6.

The launch is totally free and open to all ages, but you can RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. Copies of THE ROAD TO UNFORGETTING will be available for purchase, along with framed prints of some of the images from the book.

(If you aren’t able to make the event, you can always order a copy here.)

I hope to see you there!

P.S. Coming soon to The DETOURIST: what two songs by the two artists mentioned in this piece (Sam Cooke and Neil Diamond) have to do with one another, and with the virtue of hope.