Quick hits: Christmas Jam's charity aspect more important than ever, and country ham making a comeback

Christmas Jam expands to double duty
"The annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam has long been a major force in Asheville, drawing 7,000 or more fans to the Civic Center each year, many who fill local hotels, restaurants and clubs during their stay here," says the Citizen-Times. "It's the signature concert event at the Civic Center, with an international reputation for its strong musical lineup. And it's so far pumped $665,000 into the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, letting the organization build about 12 homes.

"But this year, with the economy in recession, the jam's financial punch could be more important than ever. Grammy-winning guitarist Haynes, an Asheville native, is expanding the all-star jam to two nights, Friday-Saturday at the Civic Center arena. ..."


Disappearing art of the country ham
"Salty. Leathery. The skin dried so hard, it can take a band saw to cut through it. Before cooking, you have to heft it into a sink and scrub off the mold. This is not most people's definition of food. But in the Carolinas, it's a good description of one of our most important contributions to the American food story: Slow-cured country ham," says the Charlotte Observer.

"It once kept people in this part of the world alive through tough winters. It added flavor and protein to meager plates of grits and greens. It was so prized, colonists made scarce cash by shipping it to Europe for the gentry.

"Today, slow-cured country ham is not much more than a lingering taste of Carolinas history. In supermarkets, you usually find mass-produced versions that use climate controls to hurry the process. ..."

Quick hits: Of Pumpkins, pork and a Parkway musical

Smashing Pumpkins Asheville shows sell out ... in five minutes
"They're gone.

"Tickets for a stretch of shows by alt-rock band Smashing Pumpkins at The Orange Peel sold out in just five minutes Monday night," according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.

"There were 8,478 tickets sold for the Pumpkins' nine-night engagement at the Peel, club spokeswoman Liz Whalen said.

"The club first tried to sell the tickets Sunday afternoon using the TicketWeb online service, but demand was so overwhelming they crashed the system, leaving many fans frustrated.

"Club management spent much of Monday working on a new plan to sell the tickets, this time using the much larger Ticketmaster system. ..."

Two kinds of 'cue to tango in Raleigh
"The state's oldest, fiercest, most fattening rivalry will end peacefully this October, slathered in Texas Pete," writes the News & Observer.

"Organizers announced plans Monday for the Tar Heel Barbecue Classic in downtown Raleigh, lining both sides of newly opened Fayetteville Street and drawing as many as 75,000 people and pork of both eastern and western persuasion.

"For too long, organizers said, the state has let eastern and western rivalries dominate barbecue culture while Memphis, Kansas City or Texas lays claim to the title of world barbecue capital. Raleigh is the fitting spot as the neutral ground between two traditions, they said, and for an end to the eternal vinegar- versus tomato-base squabbling.

" 'We're not here to perpetuate a war,' said Jim Early, founder of the N.C. Barbecue Society. 'We're here to perform a wedding. We've been shooting ourselves in the foot with this eastern-western thing. No other states fight within the state. Let's stop that. Let's fight somebody else if we have to fight. Let's unite as kin.' ..."

Blue Ridge Parkway-based drama premiers next week
"Next week, the musical drama 'Moses Cone: The Denim King' will debut in its world premiere in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

"To celebrate the world premiere, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is collaborating with the Blowing Rock Historical Society, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and Appalachian State University (ASU) to host one gala performance 'Denim and Cider' on Saturday, June 2. Tickets ($40 per person) are needed to join the evening's festivities, which include a reception catered by Café Portofino in Boone, music by jazz guitarist Andy Page from ASU, hard cider from Foggy Ridge Cider in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, and an exhibit by the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.

"Tickets for the gala evening can be purchased through the Foundation's office at (336)721-0260 or online. ..."