Asheville music tradition returns in a sign of hope after Helene [Video]

A well-known Asheville musical tradition returned Friday night in a sign of hopefulness a week after Helene battered the mountain city.The Asheville Drum Circle had its first regular Friday night session since the powerful storm blew in. The wind and flooding caused catastrophic damage throughout the mountains.Amid the poststorm chaos, the sound of drums echoed across Pritchard Park and through nearby streets in downtown Asheville.Drummer Mel McDonald said he hopes the smaller-than-usual gathering will spread cheer during the trying time.”Now is the most important time for people to see that it’s not over, there’s things to look forward to and enjoy yourselves,” McDonald said.He drove up from South Carolina with supplies to hand out and then joined the jam session.”We normally have a drum circle on every Friday year-round, and today seemed like a good day to do something positive, come out and drum, allow people to enjoy themselves, positive …