My performance schedule has had me tied up in Asheville and I&squo;ll continue to bounce up and down the mountain the rest of this month. Please continue to support your favorite local artists to keep them from stretching their gas dollars to find enough work. I was lucky to make it to Tryon to participate in Saturday&squo;s foolishness and experience the excellent work of the entire cast of Cuckoo&squo;s Nest last Sunday at the Tryon Little Theatre Workshop. As a special closer to the season, TLT will present the 1st Annual Morris Awards in May featuring and celebrating a variety of the talented volunteers who have graced the stage this season. Look for more details in the coming weeks for this exciting new event. Please don&squo;t miss out on two exhibits finishing up this weekend. At the Upstairs Artspace you&squo;ll find the final weekend of The Hannon Barbershop Project and Black Artists Show. If you feel like travelling a bit, see what local artists are doing down in Spartanburg and enjoy the final weekend of the work of Patricia Cole-Ferullo and Carol Beth Icard at MYST. This new gallery focusing on abstract and experimental art is located at 154 West Main Street. Call 864-585-3335 for more information. &bsp; Today Perhaps after a trip to the local galleries you&squo;ll sit back and enjoy the work of visual artists like Rich Nelson and Luke Lichterman while Susan Bennett plays the standards tonight at the Lilac Wine & Piano Bar starting at 7 p.m. &bsp; Take a scenic drive up to Saluda and relax with the &dquo;blues grass&dquo; sounds of songwriter Brian Ashley Jones&bsp;at the Purple Onion tonight at 7 p.m. &bsp; Friday John&bsp;Tyndal hits the keys at 6 p.m. and plays until 10 p.m. Play name that tune as John blends one old favorite into another.&bsp; Fred Whiskin entertains during dinner with everything from elegant Blues to intriguing Brubeck at the Purple Onion from 7-9 p.m. Weird Mojo will get your weekend rockin&squo; and rollin&squo; at Elmo&squo;s Too in Columbus. Support your local artists whose well polished musical talents pack big city fun into our local clubs. Susie Kocher pours her high energy vocals from the stage with Mikey Van Dusen on drums, Steve Whiteside on guitar, and Tom Hearn holding down the bass. If you&squo;re too tired for dancing on Friday, catch the guys Saturday night at Elmo&squo;s in Tryon. &bsp; Saturday The Purple Onion welcomes the musical bard from Florida Nick Annis. Mixing humor and bittersweet poetry with flowing guitar chords, Annis is a troubadour of award winning original songs and stories. Catch his set during dinner and then take your dancing shoes on over to the Saluda Mountain Jamboree and finish the night off cutting a rug to Kelly Road. Fred &dquo;the jazz man&dquo; Whiskin swings the Lilac Wine Bar starting early at 6 p.m. This will give you plenty of time to enjoy his set before walking down the block to grab a cup of coffee at the Gallery Coffeehouse to perk up just in time for the feature at the Tryon Movie Theatre. Or, stick around to visit with friends as John Tyndal provides continuous music from 8-10 p.m. To ensure seating for your party please call 828-859-5205. On the other side of the county you&squo;ll find Sword & Shield playing Christian rock music at the Ultimate Basement in Sunnyview from 7 p.m. until midnight. Blending a heavy metal sound with a positive message these fellows from Rutherfordton provide head banging fun for the whole family. For more information about this event please visit www.hightechheaven.net. &bsp; Sunday Happy Easter! No matter how you celebrate, a good brunch is certainly in order. Several local restaurants invite you to commune with friends and family over a special dining experience for the occasion.&bsp; Lilac Wine & Piano Bar opens at 11 a.m. with music from Susan Bennett at the keyboard. Easter Eggs Benedict are just one of the fun items on the menu with mimosas available after noon until 2 p.m. For reservations please call 828-859-5205. The Pine Crest Inn offers a special menu from award-winning Chef Amanda from 11 a.m. ‐ 3 p.m. with reservations available by calling 828-859-9135. Lake Lanier Tea House invites your whole family to enjoy a special brunch buffet from 11 a.m. ‐ 3 p.m. on the lake. The Easter Bunny will be making a guest appearance to entertain the young and young at heart. For reservations please call 864-457-5423.