ARTS Pick: Hoopla
Devilish details: While it has the best-loved components of most festivals—an extensive list of craft beer offerings and a groovy live music lineup (this one includes CAAMP, Ona, Larry Keel Explosion, Indecision, Gold Top County Ramblers, and Sarah White)—Hoopla goes beyond the party standards to bring all ages together for adventures between sets. A fun […]
In brief: New Hogwaller project, march on, cyberstalking arrest, and more
Hogwaller reset After City Council’s rejection of his zoning and permit requests earlier this year, Justin Shimp, developer of the embattled Hogwaller Farms project in Belmont, is back with fresh plans for a newly acquired parcel partially overlapping the site of his previous proposal. The name of the new project—Rootstock Farm Apartments—should be better received […]
ARTS Pick: Charming Disaster
Truly madly creepy: Charming Disaster’s storytelling songs have been described as macabre folk, but there’s light in the darkness for this Brooklyn duo. Racing through themes of love, death, crime, mythology, and the occult, Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris enchant listeners with a combination of folk harmonies, smart lyrics, ukulele, guitar, and a sly sense […]
ARTS Pick: Peppa Pig
Mudslinging fun: Back in July, animated anthropomorphic British icon Peppa Pig got into a friendly Twitter takedown with rapper/model Iggy Azalea. When Peppa announced that she’d be dropping My First Album on the same release date as Azalea’s latest, the Aussie singer at-replied, “It’s over for me now.” The Peppa Pig account responded with “Peppa’s […]
ARTS Pick: Willie DE
Building a groove: Willie DE may be the hardest-working musician in local show biz. As a determined teen he formed his first band, The Wave, at age 13, and busked on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and in the parking lots before UVA football games. Following his education in jazz guitar at VCU and extensive touring on […]
Keeping on: Umphrey’s McGee are still playing the long game
The first time Umphrey’s McGee played in Charlottesville—in 2002, upstairs at the old Starr Hill brewery on West Main Street—a few dozen people showed up. The band was in its barnstorming phase, with its six members, fresh out of college, charging around the country in a crowded van. The Starr Hill show was one of […]
ARTS Pick: Cville Sabroso
Dance together: Charlottesville’s annual Latin American cultural festival, Cville Sabroso, offers authentic food, music, and fine art, plus dancing from traditional to contemporary, accompanied by Grupo Folklorico Villa Sabrosa, Mariachi Garibaldi, La Maquina de El Salvador, MC Chris Hypnotyc, and more. All ages are welcome to join in the community celebration of different parts of […]
ARTS Pick: Way Down Wanderers
Sweethearts of the road: It can be tough to stand out in the field of bluegrass with all the talented players currently on the road, but The Way Down Wanderers have found a sweet spot in the mix. The Peoria, Illinois, band relies on exceptional musicianship and a family-like bond with fans to get heard […]
What’s in a name?: Behind the recommendation to rename Cale Elementary
By Ali Sullivan The final meeting lasted just a few minutes. After months of investigation, an advisory committee determined that Paul H. Cale Elementary School—named after a former Albemarle County Public Schools superintendent—should change its name. The recommendation comes nearly four months after the Cale Advisory Committee’s first meeting and almost a year since Lorenzo […]
In brief: UVA hospital makes amends, a yak on the run, and more
Kinder, gentler health care UVA Health System says it will revamp its financial aid guidelines and sue fewer patients after facing a massive backlash from a Washington Post story about the university’s proclivity to go after nonpaying patients. A Kaiser Health News report revealed that from 2013 to June 2018, the state-owned health system sued […]
Under fire: Pet Paradise blaze raises concerns about lack of oversight
By Spencer Philps Mallory Cypher’s husband dropped their dog, Teddy, off at Charlottesville’s Pet Paradise on August 26 before the couple went on vacation. The boarding facility operates in nine states, and Teddy, a regular at the Harris Street location, seemed to love it there. Cypher says the staff was great, and she never had […]
Case (almost) closed: Plaintiffs to receive attorneys’ fees, but not damages
In the final day of the Monument Fund’s lawsuit against the city, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore ruled that the plaintiffs won’t be awarded damages, but will receive a to-be-determined amount in attorneys’ fees that’ll be less than the original ask of over $604,000. Early in the three-day trial, the culmination of a case […]
Nina Frances Burke finds beauty in “Spare Parts” at McGuffey
Nina Frances Burke really hates titling her pieces. So when she had to settle on a name for her solo show at McGuffey Art Center, she turned to her tried and true method: “I’m an obsessive Radiohead fan. And when I need a title and I can’t come up with one, I just comb through […]
ARTS Pick: Tom Segura
Humor mill: Stand-up comedian Tom Segura dishes out deadpan takes on everything from family matters—the key to marriage is “intimidation and fear;” his “stupid cousin” wants to invent a way to drive his car with a cell phone—to getting older and “confusing words like conscious and conscience.” The Netflix and Comedy Central regular finds the […]
ARTS Pick: Riley Baugus
Lucky strike: North Carolina blacksmith Riley Baugus was a craftsman by day and a master musician by night, playing his self-made banjo with friends in old-time string bands, when he got the call from Hollywood. A friend assisting with music direction for Civil War epic Cold Mountain had recommended him to T Bone Burnett, who […]
ARTS Pick: Tim Summers
Digital strings: Reflecting on the 20 years since he co-founded the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, violinist Tim Summers hosts a discussion about the shifts that classical musicians and composers face in the digital age as streaming, electronic amplification, and computer-generated music take hold. Summers will play selections from Bach and Berio, and field questions about […]
ARTS Pick: “Welcome to Night Vale”
Live cast: The popular podcast “Welcome to Night Vale” launched in 2012 as “A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overheard while we all pretend to sleep…” Now with millions of downloads, and four illustrated published volumes, the show is on the road. “A Spy […]
Burning questions: Why hasn’t the county prosecuted the torch marchers?
What kind of message does failing to prosecute white supremacists send? By Anne Coughlin To mark the anniversary of the Unite the Right rally, commentators took stock of the successful prosecutions of white supremacists who committed violence and spread hatred in Charlottesville. Such prosecutions are a measure of law enforcement’s commitment to punishing violent offenders, […]
Killer obsessions: Rachel Monroe explores women’s attraction to true crime
By Benjamen Noble When Rachel Monroe began writing Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession, she had a driving question that fueled her—why are we, as a society, so enthralled by stories of true crime? “The book started with my own curiosity about myself, to be honest,” says Monroe of her literary […]
In brief: Not public domain, not homophobic, not best state to work, and more
Monticello not pleased The website of Ronnie Roberts, independent candidate for Albemarle sheriff, used one of the county’s most iconic images—Monticello—in its background. The only problem is, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns the mountaintop manse, does not allow images of the house to be used for commercial or political purposes. “Monticello does not endorse […]
Seeing racism: Classes examine blind spots and bias
By Caroline Eastham Cecilia Mills took a class to realize her own racism. “Some white people want to say ‘I don’t see race,’” says Mills. “Well, it’s there. To say you don’t see it doesn’t help fix it.” Mills is one of nearly 40 people who have taken a whiteness meditation-based class series through Common […]
ARTS Pick: Midsummer 90
Bite-sized Shakespeare: An abridged version of the iconic Shakespeare comedy, Midsummer 90 drops the Night’s Dream and retains all the humor and wonder of the original script without sacrificing its spellbinding storytelling. By packing the fairies, magic, and fantastical animals into a performance that clocks in under two hours, the play is perfect for children […]
ARTS Pick: Interpol
Rounding the corners: In the run-up to recording Interpol’s latest release, Marauder, drummer Sam Fogarino repeatedly asked himself: “How can I make shit swing?” The post-punk veterans were six albums and more than 15 years into their careers, yet had never strayed from the rock influences of their home turf in New York City. Consulting […]
ARTS Pick: Filmore
Fan favorite: He may be labeled a country singer, but Filmore’s music doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Whether he’s adding electronic beats or R&B elements, or picking up the occasional banjo, the young Missourian puts a fresh twist on country music traditions, and it’s garnered him millions of streams. The musician is also known […]
An opportunity to lead: Will UVA follow through on its promises?
By Richard Dickerson I am a native of Charlottesville. I attended all-black Jefferson Elementary School, Johnson and McGuffey elementary schools, Buford Junior High, and Lane High School, class of 1973. Many things have changed since I left Charlottesville, shortly after graduation. The University of Virginia, however, remains omnipotent in terms of academics, economics, and public […]
In brief: Beto’s back, Scott Stadium watering holes, candidate banned, and more
Beto shows up—again Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke made a second visit to Charlottesville August 31. O’Rourke, who is trailing in the crowded Dem field, hit Champion Brewing to support former School Board chair Amy Laufer, who is running to unseat state Senator Bryce Reeves. He visited the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and […]
‘You are not alone in this:’ Inside a local abortion clinic
By Sydney Halleman The waiting room of Whole Woman’s Health mimics that of a spa foyer. A selection of organic herbal teas lies on a back table, amid an array of fitness and mindfulness magazines. On the wall is a quote from Georgia O’Keeffe, in pale purple: “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my […]