The Orange Peel

Here it is:
*

The legendary, Orange Peel - or as it is now known: The Orange Peel, Social Aid & Pleasure Club; attached to the equally renowned, Sronce Automotive - or as it is now known:
Sronce Carquest Auto Parts.

Or, as I like to remember it:
The Place Where Lionel Richie Rubbed My Mother's Stomach, When I Was In Utero.

Or:
The Place Where I Would Pretend To Be - Mary Lou Retton.




It is conveniently located adjacent to:
*


And here, again, is the man who once helmed the ship:



That's right. John Alexander Sronce! My Dad was very proud when he decided upon the white, with red and blue stripes, paint job. He had both the store and the Orange Peel behind it, painted in this palette; and was unfortunately summonsed by the city for it's being a "Visual Violation" to the historic, downtown Asheville cityscape. My Dad blamed all "Lesbians" for this insulting judgement, as it was two uniformed young women who issued the "RECALL ON: WHITE".

My Dad fervently assumed that all women in uniform, were lesbians.

As you can tell by the first photo, John Sronce was, in the end, somehow allowed to keep the store a soaringly patriotic "Red, White, and Blue".

We'll never know how he pulled it off, but it stands today as a legacy.

Not only did my Dad sell his very soul to the cause of - Car Parts (in exchange for a Pro Golf career); but we see here - that he also took his very first, singular, strident, and LASTING artistic stand.

Bravo!

My stepfather described paradox, in terms of my mother.

My father, too, was a rhapsody of paradox.

For you see, there is a certain endangered sample of Southern Man. He is marked, most colloquially, as a Good Ol'Boy. Unlike a Redneck, a Good Ol'Boy can generally maintain a typically functioning level of racism, while simultaneously holding many African Americans (the predominant variation on WHITE, in the South) among his dearest, and closest friends.

In other words:
John Sronce was VERY into being WHITE, but...almost ALL of his best friends were BLACK.

Paradox.

Julian Beasley, Lee Jackson, Big John...all the very best of friends my Dad could have had. They sure as hell helped him raise this particular daughter!


In order to provide the first cable service on record, in Asheville, to his beautiful family (pre-me):


(Heidi, John, and Jody Sronce)


He managed, nightly, the hottest ALL BLACK venue in the cosmos - The Orange Peel.

Back in the seventies - Percy Sledge, Gladys Night, Kool And The Gang, The Commodores...all played and stayed there.

So did Cats like this:








Now, acts like THOSE are definitely what I would call "Social Aid" and "Pleasure".

But, The Orange Peel is alive and in full bloom today. It's not necessarily the Black Cat Soul Lounge it used to be...but, it's still cool enough for GZA and DJ Muggs:



And, well, Son Volt's on the schedule. (Remember them?)

So.

There ya go.

Be sure to get your "Social Aid" on... if you're ever down there in Appalachia.

*The first two photos were found: WHO IS THIS GUY?!???