Marquee Blog

Marquee Mountain South Blog Takes A Gold For Designers
Posted May 7th, 2008 / by Emily

The one-year anniversary of the unveiling of Marquee Mountain South’s redesigned website and blog is just around the corner, but in the meantime, the blog has nabbed a Horizon Interactive award for its designers, n•tara, Inc. of Johnson City, Tenn. The Horizon Interactive awards, a prestigious “best-of-the-best” international prize considered the “Oscars” of the web design and interactive media world, announced Friday the winners of its 7th annual competition.
Along with their long reputation of excellence in the region, n•tara gained further distinction internationally with their gold Best of Blog award as well as winning the 2008 Best In Show award for their work on the Xerox Global Services XGS Tour application. To find out more about their award-winning design, visit: horizoninteractiveawards.com/index.htm or the n•tara website at ntara.com.


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The Man Behind the Music: Josh Kear
by Emily Sikora Katt
Posted April 30th, 2008 / by suzanne

You know a good song when you hear one. It’ll perk up your ears, get your spine loosened up, may even bring up some goosebumps. For Sulphur Springs, Tenn., native songwriter Josh Kear, though, a good song is a bit more complicated.

It’s his bread and butter. And going from nothing to hit recording is his specialty.

Kear has been working in Nashville since 1996, doing what he loves best—putting together a great song. His recording industry minor from Middle Tennessee State University and proximity to the Music City USA helped propel him from graduation to a position with Big Yellow Dog Music. He’s had his songs recorded by the likes of Jimmy Buffett (“‘Bama Breeze”), Hank Jr. (“How They Do It In Dixie”), Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, and Tim McGraw. “I don’t usually write for anyone in particular, though,” says Kear. “The idea is to find the best idea you can and write it as well as you can.”While Kear, 33, nabbed a Grammy this past February for Best Country Song (“Before He Cheats”), he’s been in love with music for far longer, cranking out songs even as a youngster. According to his father, Gary Kear, Josh made a pretty accurate—and ambitious—prediction as a 13-year-old: “I’ll have my first Grammy by the time I’m 30.”

So, give or take a couple years, young Kear had it right; that doesn’t mean, however, that he’s slowing down or letting it go to his head. “Personally, it’s very rewarding as a justification for a lot of hard work getting there…it’s nice to ring the bell, “ says Kear of his new Grammy. “Now the trick is ringing it again.” The ultimate goal, he says, is to be able to write songs for a living as long as he feels like doing it. “That means always recreating yourself,” Kear states. “Not getting caught up in past successes.”

He credits his wife, country singer Carly Goodwin, and the grounded approach to life his parents instilled in him as helping him continue to thrive in his career. His father, Gary Kear, confirms that success “has not changed him one bit.”

Kear’s parents still live in Sulphur Springs and look on Josh’s career with pride. “He knew what he wanted to do, set his sights on songwriting,” Gary Kear recalls. “We told him, ‘Go for it!’ And music has been very, very good to him.”


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Sixth Singles Video – What’s Sexy?
Posted April 9th, 2008 / by Emily

 

In our final 2008 Singles video installment, we asked our Singles just what precisely defines “sexy” to them—confidence, kindness, money, a great hairstyle?

We’ve had a great time getting to know these 14 Singles, and they’ve had a great time too. Our Singles have reported an outstanding positive reaction to the story. We, too, have gotten supportive emails from people wanting to know more about them. In fact, the Erwin Record recently ran a front-page story on our Unicoi County-native Singles Robin Lynch and Jan Parsley, celebrating in turn their community contributions as well as their inclusion into our ongoing feature on successful singles.

We’re already hard at work, collecting candidates for the 2009 class of Marquee Mountain South’s Sexy Successful Singles. If you know someone in our area who would make a great Single to feature, please let us know!


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Fifth Singles Video – Great Dates
Posted April 9th, 2008 / by Emily

 

Getting out and having fun isn’t hard in our area—and our singles have some good suggestions for how to do so with a special someone. Whether it’s a traditional visit to a great area restaurant, a leisurely hike to a mountaintop, or festival-hopping, there are a myriad of wonderful ways here to share time together. What’s your favorite “date”?


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Red, White and Oooh!
Posted April 9th, 2008 / by suzanne

April 10 – 13
Blue Ridge Wine Festival
Blowing Rock, N.C.
(877) 295-7965
blueridgewinefestival.com

Try a Blush in the full flush of spring, mellow out with a warm Cabernet Sauvignon, sweeten your buds with a smooth Reisling or simmer your senses in a Sparkling Red. Whether you’re a connoisseur or someone who thinks wine only comes in red and white, you’ll enjoy a stirring of the senses at the annual Blue Ridge Wine Festival, held in picturesque Blowing Rock, N.C.

Activities will flow as freely as the wine in Blowing Rock, with festival-goers being treated to four full days of sipping, dancing, dining and demonstrations. Celebrity chef Suzie Blanchard will be on hand before tasting events, offering classes in everything from identifying wine scents and flavors to coupling wine with chocolate and fruit. In a head-to-head battle among local chefs, things will heat up and then go down smooth with musical performances at the Mariam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center.

Attendees to the open wine tastings can root for their favorites from over 100 local wines or pick up some sip tips as professional judges—including guest judge Jane Garvey—elect the best of the best in North Carolina regional wines at the Commercial Winery Competition. More than 20 area wineries will be sharing their best this year, including Biltmore Estate Winery, Banner Elk Winery, Childress Vineyards, Hanover Park Vineyard, Chatam Hill Vineyards, Rag Apple Lassie and many more.

After a day of heady education and epicurean competition, wine lovers can then take a leisurely stroll through the participating Blowing Rock art galleries before choosing where to settle in for a decadent five- to seven-course meal—served, of course, with festival wines. Participating restaurants include Ciao Bello, Crippen’s Restaurant, the Laurel Room, The Gamekeeper, Gideon Ridge Inn, Hound Ears Club and Blowing Rock Grille.

This festival promises to awaken all the senses with an abundance of food, wine and live music complementing nearly every event. Just in case the glass is only half empty by the end of the celebration, festivities will conclude with a classic Champagne Brunch.


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Fourth Singles Video - Who’s Famous Now?
Posted March 27th, 2008 / by Emily

 

Just for kicks, we asked the Singles what celebrity they felt they resembled—and were actually a bit surprised by the results. Some answered in the way we expected—in a reciprocal fun spirit joking about on-the-surface similarity to a particular superstar. But others, like Jan Parsley, truly felt a deeper connection to a cultural icon through similar actions.

It goes to show that sometimes celebrity is as celebrity does, and that our own definition of “American Idols” may sometimes need recalibration…although it’s certainly always funny to wonder if one might be mistaken for a Hollywood darling.

Now that I think of it, though, I’m reminded of a fun article idea: “Celebrity Look-Alikes of the Mountain South”! We have been wanting to see the practically-famous faces from our area and feature them in our next online exclusive.

If you routinely get asked if you are so-and-so-celebrity or if you know someone who could easily pass for a Hollywood double, we’d like to hear from you. Write to us at info@marqueemagazine.com with “Look Alike” in the subject line, and send along a picture while you’re at it. We look forward to hearing from you!


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Third Singles Video - Secrets
Posted February 27th, 2008 / by Emily

 

In our neck of the woods, there’s a lot of talk about secrets.
Because of our convoluted geography, there can be all kinds of places tucked away that only the immediate locals know about. One valley can be quite different from another, and secrets can range from nightlife to wildlife hotspots. The Mountain South is, of course, renowned as a good place, a safe place, even a place to hide away if you want to - it’s part of our strength to be secluded sometimes.
But, as we asked our 2008 singles in this third video installment, what Mountain South secrets need to be discovered and shared with the world? What secrets do you readers think need to be shared?


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Second Singles Video - Successful!
Posted February 25th, 2008 / by Mel

 

Can’t believe it has been a week since our big party at the Bank of Tennessee. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it, most recently from folks I saw at the Chamber breakfast. In addition to the great location, the people were such an interesting and eclectic mix. You had the bankers, the chamber business crowd, the singles and all of our creative writers, photographers and designers. It all made for a fun time!

Ever wonder who puts our magazine together? Our caterer Beverly Jenkins took this photo of most of our work group. That is Sales Director Wayne Dye, Advertising Art Director Suzanne Amelung, Account Executive Rose Anders, me and Marketing Director Richard Drummond in the picture.

Our series of Singles Videos is produced by Kyle Long at Digital Fridge. We’ll post new videos each week!


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Singles Video - Introduction
Posted February 25th, 2008 / by Mel

 

Kyle Long has once again delivered a superb singles video for Marquee Mountain South. It will debut at a party this evening. Be sure to check back at this web site to see portions of the video that we will post weekly. This year’s singles class is yet another dynamic, successful and interesting group of people who love calling the Mountain South their home. Meet these fascinating physicians, businessmen and women, outdoor lovers, broadcasters and that’s just to name a few!


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Good Food and the Good Life
Posted February 21st, 2008 / by Emily

Here in the Mountain South, we take our good food seriously. Where other parts of the country might talk mistily about locovores and slow food, we answer casually with a bushel of our neighbor’s tomatoes and a pot of long-simmered greens. Where some places feverishly tout “exotic” and “nouveau” as an endless rat-race, we share dining secrets as friendly gossip—whether it’s a posh wine bar visited with girl pals in the city center or a remote, tiny Thai cookery discovered while on a mountain motorcycle ride.
It should therefore come as no surprise that we here at Marquee Mountain South treasure good food in all its forms, enthusiastically digging up new culinary destinations for our dining guide and whipping up special recipes to spice up a home meal.
Which leads me to what’s really on my mind—the exquisitely fresh-tasting, stunningly colorful cherry salsa I sampled yesterday at the photo shoot for the upcoming Spring issue’s recipe cards. Of course, it’s a welcome treat to watch a master cook and a master photographer work their professional magic, but the real showstopper is always the food itself. The Mediterranean-themed menu features tender lamb (which we are fortunate to locally source either directly from the farmers or via Food City stores) as well as bright flavors of lemon and green herbs, so welcome just now when we are all hungry for a bit of vivid spring. Be sure to look for it in the upcoming issue.
Personally, though, I’m just eager to get my hands on those recipes now that I’ve had a taste because part of the art of food is the wish to share it. All of us here at Marquee Mountain South have got that one down pat.


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