Saturday May 7 "Planting by the Signs" Liars Bench Show at City Lights Bookstore

Come one, come all to the "Planting by the Signs" Liars Bench show at City Lights Bookstore this Saturday May 7 at 7pm. Storytelling, great old-time music, maybe some mountain poetry, and maybe, just maybe some drama for you theater people. You're going to love it folks.

With special guests, authors and master gardeners Jack Pyle and Taylor Reese!

Hope to see you there!

April 9 Liars Bench at City Lights a Success!

Folks,
I apologize for not posting sooner (been a little under the weather for a few days). The Saturday April 9 "Creeks , Rivers, and Ridges of the Great Smokies" Liars Bench show at City Lights was a success!  Here's the pictures to prove it.

Thank you to our special guest Jim Casada.
Thank you to our creator and executive producer Gary Carden. Thank you to our host Dave Waldrop. Thank you to our great performers Barbara Duncan, Steve Brady (& Steve's daughter), and Paul Iarussi.
Most of all, thank you to our great, supportive audience.
Hope to see you Saturday May 7 at 7pm at City Lights Bookstore for "Planting by the Signs" with special guests Jack Pyle and Taylor Reese
More photos at www.facebook.com/LiarsBenchBunch

Saturday April 9 "Creeks, Rivers, and Ridges of the Great Smokies" Liars Bench Show at City Lights

Hey folks,

I just wanted to remind you of the next Liars Bench show in Jackson County.

On Saturday April 9 at 7pm The Liars Bench returns to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva for "Creeks, Rivers, and Ridges of the Great Smokies" with special guest and award-winning author, outdoorsman, and Bryson City native Jim Casada with hunting and fishing tales.

Gary Carden, creator of the Liars Bench and master folklorist and storyteller will entertain and educate with authentic and culturally accurate stories about 'who we are.'

Barbara Duncan brings her unique perspective to Southern Appalachia Americana with her haunting ballads and well researched folklore.

Lloyd Arneach, Cherokee storyteller--need I say more?

Steve Brady, a skilled dramatist from Macon County brings a new and exciting perspective to memorable orations.

Paul Iarussi, claw hammer guitar musician soon to be featured on national television, plays ‘old time’ mountain music.

Dave Waldrop, The Liars Bench Master of Ceremonies, song writer and singer of songs, and mountain humorist ties this "Creeks, Rivers, and Ridges of the Great Smokies" Liars Bench presentation into something you'll not want to miss.

Showtime is at 7pm but please come early to get a good seat Saturday April 9 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Thank you to all our loyal fans for making The Liars Bench Western North Carolina's only authentic traditional Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, dramatic, and folk arts live variety show.

http://www.facebook.com/liarsbenchbunch/

Overflow Audience for "White Lightning" Show, March 12, City Lights, Sylva

Wow. What a night with the Liars Bench at City Lights this past Saturday night! Thank you ladies and gentlemen for making this "white lightning" show an overwhelming success.

Paul Iarussi and Benny Messer of the "Sweet Tater Band" entertained everyone with their foot-stomping old time claw hammer guitar and "upside down and backwards" banjo music and singing.

Marion Jones and Jack Parris described in detail how Smoky Mountain 'dew' was made in Marion's genuine moonshine still. The audience learned how to become amateur distillers of the finest 'medicinal' spirits.

Lloyd Arneach entertained us all thoroughly with his authentic Cherokee stories.

Steve Brady gave a detailed (and sometimes personal) and very entertaining history of the earliest beginnings of the very close association between NASCAR and moonshine bootlegging giving new meaning to "drinking and driving."

Gary Carden, despite technical difficulties with the a/v equipment, had everyone laughing and clapping with his stories of 'Major' Louis Redmond, Jackson County's most famous (and successful) moonshiner.

Thank you Paul, Benny, Marion, Jack, Lloyd, Steve, Gary, Dave; and, most of all, thank you our audience and loyal fans for being our special guests at The Liars Bench--the region's only authentic traditional Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, dramatic, and folk arts live variety show.

Our next presentation is at the Chautauqua Andrews, Friday April1 at 7pm at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center where the cast of The Liars Bench takes our unique brand of Southern Appalachian entertainment "beyond the Iron Mountains and into the West." Go to http://www.chautauquaandrews.org/ for more details.

On Saturday April 9 at 7pm The Liars Bench returns to City Lights Bookstore in Sylva for "Creeks, Rivers, and Ridges of the Great Smokies" with special guest and award-winning author, outdoorsman, and Bryson City native Jim Casada.

Again folks, thank you for your support. We couldn't do it without you.
Cordially,
Carl Iobst
The Liars Bench
theliarsbenchpr@gmail.com
http://theliarsbenchgazette.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/LiarsBenchBunch

P.S. Bodine says 'hey.'

"White Lightning" Liars Bench Show at City Lights Sylva, March 12,2011

The Liars Bench

“An Authentic Traditional Southern Appalachian Storytelling, Music, Poetry, Dramatic, and Folk Arts Live Variety Show”

 

Host of The Liars Bench announces eleventh show at City Lights Bookstore, Sylva.

Liars Bench Southern Appalachian variety show to play a “moonshining in the mountains” presentation at local Sylva bookstore.

Celebrating “moonshining in the mountains,” The Liars Bench, Western North Carolina’s own Southern Appalachian live variety show plays City Lights Bookstore Saturday March 12 at 7:00 pm for the show’s eleventh time. Marion Jones, Jack Parris, Gary Carden, Lloyd Arneach, Barbara Duncan, Steve Brady, and Paul Iarussi will be performing at this March 12 “white lightening” show. Gary Carden, a noted local folklorist and storyteller, will give a special introduction to a short segment of “Prince of Dark Corners”, the story of Louis Redmond, a famous Jackson County ‘moonshiner.’ Marion Jones and Jack Parris will demonstrate with an authentic ‘still’ how the old timers made (some still do) “white liquor.” Steve Brady will relate, in story and song, the strong ties between the moonshining industry and the beginnings of NASCAR. Admission is free.

Dave Waldrop, The Liars Bench host, said “this show is definitely going to be a unique cultural event and an opportunity for the audience to learn about our southern mountain history. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised to see a revenuer or two.”

Regular cast members include Gary Carden, Lloyd Arneach, Paul Iarussi, Barbara Duncan, Dave Waldrop, Steve Brady, and the show’s mascot Bodine. The Liars Bench recognizes established artists and performers and encourages new talent also. The Liars Bench has been a crowd pleaser from the very first show in June of 2010 promoting any and all aspects of Appalachian culture.

The Liars Bench creator Gary Carden said “from the very first The Liars Bench has been on the cutting edge blending authentic traditional Southern Appalachian culture with entertainment for children and adults—no matter where they come from. The Liars Bench strives, and succeeds, in giving an accurate view of the people and their culture here in the southern mountains.”

The Liars Bench was started in the early summer of 2010 by Gary Carden to promote Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, drama, and folk arts.

Gary Carden, Creator & Executive Producer of The Liars Bench

Gary Carden started The Liars Bench in the late Spring of 2010. He is a recipient of the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Brown-Hudson Folklore Award. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Folklore and Theater by Western Carolina University. Gary has eight produced plays. He told his first stories to 150 White Leghorn chickens in a dark chicken house when he was six years old. Gary’s audience wasn’t terribly attentive and tended to get hysterical during the dramatic parts. Gary lives in Sylva with “Jack,” his faithful Jack Russell terrier.

Packed House at City Lights Saturday Night February 5th

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for making The Liars Bench show, "A Sense of Place in the Southern Appalachians," a rousing success this past Saturday night at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Gary Carden, Kay Byer, Lloyd Arneach, Brent Martin, Barbara Duncan, Steve Brady, Paul Iarussi, and Dave Waldrop thoroughly appreciate your participation at, and enjoyment of Western North Carolina's only authentic Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, dramatic, and folk arts live variety show.


Please don't forget our upcoming show on Saturday March 12 at 7:00 pm
at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva when we perform, "Moonshining in the
Mountains" with stories about moonshiners and revenuers, NASCAR and
bootleggers, and a real moon shine still complete with some of Popcorn
Sutton's "last run." Who knows, we might even see a revenuer or two! :)

Cordially,
Carl Iobst
The Liars Bench
Bodine Productions
Public Relations/Publicity
http://theliarsbenchgazette.blogspot.com/
http://hollernotes.blogspot.com/

Coming soon, biographies of our performers and other interesting 'behind the scenes' info about Western North Carolina's only authentic Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, dramatic, and folk arts live variety show.