Chris Smither looks back at a 50-year career
Chris Smither has maintained a steady presence as an underground folk icon for the past five decades. His unassuming delivery offers rustic comfort, as he sings in a relaxed, weathered tenor that’s accompanied by front porch foot-tapping and blues-rooted finger-picking. Smither grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana but he left home in 1965 to join […]
Catching up with Americana pioneer David Bromberg
David Bromberg doesn’t take interview calls until 5pm. That’s when the work day is done at his violin retail and repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware. It’s a humble existence for a guy who was once Columbia Records’ second-best recording artist behind Bob Dylan, but a few minutes on the phone with Bromberg reveal that he […]
Interview: The ongoing innovation of jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter
Like most great jazz musicians, guitarist Charlie Hunter never gets complacent in his craft. Since emerging from California’s Bay Area in the early ’90s, the innovative ax slinger has defied convention by expanding the parameters of a guitarist’s role. The versatility starts with the ingenuity of his instrument, a custom-made, seven-string guitar that allows Hunter […]
Interview: Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn bring the family
Restless musical innovator Béla Fleck is known for taking the banjo on a wide range of sonic journeys. The 15-time Grammy winner brought his instrument to the outer limits of improvisational jazz with his lauded outfit the Flecktones and explored its roots in Africa through the documentary Throw Down Your Heart. These days, Fleck is […]
Celebrating New Year’s Eve with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
It’s not likely you’ll find another band that’s opened for both Lionel Richie and Widespread Panic, in the same year no less. Call it a perfect example of the high-energy celebratory versatility of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a four-decade New Orleans musical institution that’s well known for delivering good time horn-driven grooves. “We just […]
Interview: Rob Barraco discusses Dark Star Orchestra’s grateful groove
Like many Grateful Dead fans, Rob Barraco has been a devoted Deadhead since his teenager years. It’s safe to say the versatile keyboardist has found the perfect gig as a member of Dark Star Orchestra. Since forming in 1997, the lauded tribute act has earned its own legion of fans for spot-on re-creations of entire […]
Interview: SOJA brings a distinctly American voice to reggae tradition
The success story of SOJA sounds improbable: An all-white reggae band from the Washington, D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia gains global acclaim. But after more than a decade of hard touring and developing a catalog of roots reggae tunes, the band (formerly known as Soldiers of Jah Army) has headlined shows in 20 different countries […]
Interview: JJ Grey brings his high-energy, Southern-flavored swamp jams to The Festy
JJ Grey’s voice is unmistakable. It soars with soulful howls and digs in deep with gritty growls, propelled by Grey’s backing band Mofro, which churns out body-shaking swamp rock. Earlier this year Grey released This River, his seventh studio album dating back to 2001 and the latest in a consistent line of Southern-fried stompers that mix […]
The new newgrass revival: With bluegrass on top in Nashville, two local bands look to break through
It’s Friday night at Starr Hill Music Hall on West Main Street and the people are packed so tight it’s amazing they can get their feet off the ground to stomp the beer-slicked floor. But they can, and they do, and it feels like an earthquake, like the second story might just collapse onto the […]
Schools in session: WSP bassist gets prepped for Lockn’
Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools is a Virginia native. When reached for a recent phone interview he sounded genuinely enthusiastic about his old home state hosting the Lockn’ Festival, a high-profile jam band bash taking place at Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington this Thursday through Sunday and featuring Grateful Dead offshoot Furthur, Trey Anastasio Band, the Black Crowes and the String Cheese Incident, among many others.
Down on the Bayou: Anders Osborne’s evolving New Orleans Sound
Through a two-and-a-half-decade career, Anders Osborne has consistently proven to be one of New Orleans’ most versatile musicians. Since releasing his debut album in 1989, Osborne has become a Crescent City mainstay, able to vary his sound from edgy Bayou blues (2001’s Ash Wednesday Blues) to introspective soulful folk-rock (2007’s Coming Down). He’s collaborated with […]
The voice: Joan Baez gives old songs new life
Joan Baez still possesses the unwavering ability to make any song her own, even when she didn’t write the lyrics. It comes from her voice, an unmistakable soaring soprano with nightingale soul that took her to the stage of the Newport Folk Festival at the tender age of 18 and still carries a music career […]
ARTS Preview: 5 bands to catch at Tom Tom Fest 2013
Last year, the Tom Tom Founder’s Festival debuted with a bold music line-up. While Josh Ritter delivered a spirited performance to a full house at the Haven, scattered shows by national acts, like the Walkmen and Futurebirds, were underattended. This year Tom Tom organizers are shifting the focus to local and regional bands, and beefing […]
East side story: Nashville anti-hero Todd Snider goes electric
Todd Snider lives on the other side of the tracks from the Music City establishment. It’s in his attitude as much as his address. With a reverence for Americana in its many forms, and a delivery that can mirror the wry wit of early Dylan or the earnest twang of John Prine, Snider tells humorous tales of sketchy characters and uses thought-provoking wisdom from the dive-bar underbelly to rail against what ails him.
Beyond bluegrass: Punch Brothers defy genres through collaboration
“We’re always trying to strike a balance,” said Punch Brothers banjo player Noam Pikelny by phone. “We have a reputation for working up covers that surprise people. We love playing our versions of other people’s material and certain songs have become part of the band’s identity. But original music is still the driving force behind this band.”
Six reasons to see DMB this weekend
It’s been more than two decades since Dave Matthews Band emerged from Charlottesville and forever altered the pop-rock landscape with rootsy jams highlighted by the juxtaposition of fiddle and sax. While small gigs at Trax and frat parties were the launch pad, the band belongs to the rest of the world now—with 37 million albums […]
Two hearts, one beat: The love-tinged fury of Shovels and Rope
Fueled by the passion of young love, the wanderlust of the open road and the thrill of chasing the rock ‘n’ roll dream, Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent spend their days covering the highways of America in a Winnebago. At night the married couple takes the stage as Shovels and Rope and delivers raucous, stripped-down […]
Charlottesville Track Club inspires new runners
Working out before the sun comes up is never easy. But it helps to have the support of some like-minded friends. That’s the attitude of the members of the Charlottesville Track Club, who meet every Wednesday morning at 5:30 for group speed workouts at the University of Virginia’s Lannigan Field Track. It’s just one of […]
Drive-By Truckers frontman gets personal on new solo album
The songs of Patterson Hood often tell vivid stories, even if they’re not always about the brightest subjects. Over a decade and a half and nine studio albums later, the Drive-By Truckers frontman has tackled rural economic plight, cancer clusters, and killing a banker to avoid foreclosure. His modern gothic tales are usually enhanced by […]
Wilco cruises into Pavilion with good vibes
Wilco is in a good place. The band’s near-two-decade slog through the music world has had its fair share of adversity: addiction, line-up shuffles, and a gut-punch rejection from Reprise Records of what turned out to be its most successful album (2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). Now, the band has held the same crew together for […]
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Urban Outdoors: Conquer the course obstacles at Wintergreen’s Adventure Challenge
Like this spring’s Mud Warrior in Gordonsville, the Adventure Challenge at Wintergreen features a strenuous course. But, don’t worry—each obstacle is optional! (Photo by Billy Hunt) Lately, a growing number of running races are featuring more than mileage between the start and finish lines. Series like the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Muddy Buddy are […]
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Urban outdoors: Charlottesville Triathlon Club makes multi-sport training easy
Wet and wild: The Charlottesville Triathlon Club offers weekly swimming practices. (Courtesy CTC) If you’ve ever dreamed of fighting the vicious headwinds of Kona at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, the Charlottesville Triathlon Club can put you on the right road. As multidisciplinary competitions, triathlons usually combine running, biking, and swimming, and the amount […]
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Preview: From backyard bashes to multiple stages—10 festivals not to miss
The Festy Experience (Photo by Tom Daly) Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. (June 7-10) bonnaroo.com Brave the Bonnaroo elements—dust, heat and the crowd of 80,000—and you’ll be rewarded with an incomparable musical overload. The multiple stages on the grounds of the 700-acre farm in Manchester—about an hour southeast of Nashville—feature a range […]
Head of the camp: An interview with David Lowery
David Lowery wears many musical hats. He’s best known as the front man of Cracker—the popular alt-rock outfit that hit it big back in the early ‘90s with the platinum-selling album Kerosene Hat. But Lowery’s reach in the business is much greater than Cracker’s ubiquitous radio hits like “Low” and “Get Off This.” Before Cracker, he founded […]
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Interview: Luther Dickinson brings The Wandering to the Jefferson
Luther Dickinson (Photo by Brad Hodge) Luther Dickinson is best known as an electric guitar hero, whether he’s shredding hill country blues licks with his own North Mississippi Allstars or delivering gritty solos as lead axe man for the Black Crowes. Earlier this month, the Delta native decided to reveal his acoustic side in a […]
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Trail work is top priority for the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club
Happy trails: The Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club maintains and build paths for your riding pleasure. (Photo by Eric Kelley) Local fat tire fans have a lot to be excited about. Trails in and around Charlottesville have been multiplying in recent years, largely due to the hard work of the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club. […]
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Arts Preview: Tedeschi and Trucks bring big band to the Pavilion
“It’s something my whole family will always remember.” Blues songstress Susan Tedeschi is talking about her late February performance at the White House, where she played for President Barrack Obama during a tribute to her genre alongside Mick Jagger, BB King, Buddy Guy and her husband, slide guitar wiz Derek Trucks.