Strategic voting: A guide to single-shotting
By Jake Mooney Seventeen years ago, when I was a reporter for The Daily Progress and Lloyd Snook was the chairman of Charlottesville’s Democratic Party, he accused me of writing an instruction manual for voters to elect Republican Rob Schilling. I was not perfect as a reporter, but I thought this was unfair because I […]
In brief: PACmen and women, Pharrell weighs in, Long checks out, and more
Special interests If you’ve got an agenda, you’ve gotta have a PAC. A political action committee is the device of choice for individuals, corporations, developers, teachers, and many others to further their interests by funneling money or other support to political candidates. While a PAC is limited by state and federal law on how much […]
ARTS Pick: Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock ‘N Roll
“Something happened here that wasn’t happening any place else,” says Bruce Springsteen in the film Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock ‘N Roll. “And that mattered.” The newly released rock doc looks at the origins of the significant music scene, dubbed the Songs of Asbury Park, in the New Jersey seaside resort, and its cultural influence […]
Last call for U-Hall
By Carroll Trainum On Thursday, May 16, at least a hundred people stood in line at the demolition site of University Hall—the former hub of UVA basketball—to get a brick. They all had their own memories of U-Hall, known to some as “the house that Ralph built,” and they wanted a piece of history. I […]
Beta Bridge’s tradition of expression
By Kate Granruth If you’re driving down Rugby Road on the way to Grounds, you can’t miss it. The bridge over the train tracks-—better known as Beta Bridge—somewhat resembles a Jackson Pollock painting. The walls and surrounding sidewalk are always covered in bright paint and an ever-changing selection of messages, from advertisements for club events—the […]
Now what? UVA-community working group outlines priorities
By Ali Sullivan After four months of surveys, conversations, community gatherings and focus groups, the committee formed by University of Virginia President Jim Ryan to evaluate the relationship between the university and the surrounding community released its final report in February. UVA faculty members, a UVA law student, and Charlottesville community leaders comprised the 16-member […]
On becoming a Hoo: Why Charlottesville’s best-known student activist said yes to UVA
By Zyahna Bryant Attending UVA in the fall is an opportunity for me to redefine what “home” looks and feels like. I initially did research about UVA when I was in 5th grade, and I knew then that that was where I wanted to go. It was not until 10th grade that I even considered […]
Another statue: UVA faces its own challenge in who to memorialize, and how
By Abby Clukey In all the debate over Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, one often-overlooked example has lasted since 1893, and it sits mostly unnoticed by one of the most populated places on UVA Grounds. “I tend to describe it as ‘hidden in plain sight,’” says history Professor Kirt von Daacke, of the looming statue in […]
ARTS Pick: John Shakespear
Literally literary: The first full album from Boston’s John Shakespear, Spend Your Youth (released May 10), is described as a coming-of-age record tinged by the times. Now making music in Nashville, Shakespear’s harmonies draw comparisons to the wistful pinings of Fleet Foxes and Elliott Smith, while his lyrics reflect the current political climate, his personal […]
ARTS Pick: Zen Mother
High attitude: According to the bio of Zen Mother’s Monika Khot and Adam Wolcott Smith, the trading of “avant-garde secrets” led to the duo’s formation (sometimes a trio with the addition of drummer Sheridan Riley). That seems fitting for a group that lends itself “to sonic focus and harnessing control of the mind.” Zen Mother’s […]
Hoos hype: DJ Ron Manila shares his in-game secrets and hits
By Robin Schwartzkopf Ron Manila knew he wanted to be a DJ as soon as he put his hands on the turntables at a family pool party in 2010. A few days later, he had his own set, and the beginning of a lifelong passion. “I’m in love with music and I always have been […]
ARTS Pick: The Royale
Ring true: Boxer Jack Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight champion, and at the height of the Jim Crow era he was “the most famous and the most notorious African American on Earth,” according to documentarian Ken Burns. Directed by multi-faceted artist and C-VILLE contributor Leslie Scott-Jones, The Royale, written by Marco Ramirez, […]
ARTS Pick: Nick Waterhouse
California roll: Before his foray into making music, SoCal native Nick Waterhouse listened and studied, learning from obscure masters of songwriting before launching his own unique style steeped in vintage R&B, jazz, mid-century rock ‘n’ roll, and a hint of bugaloo. His eponymous fourth album is a culmination of the purposeful songwriting and attentive production […]
Running strong: A few words with UVA’s president at the end of his first year
UVA President Jim Ryan, a law school alum and former faculty member, took office August 1, just before the anniversary of the Unite the Right violence. As the year went on, he announced a new School of Data Science and watched the men’s basketball team take home its first-ever national championship. A popular presence on […]
In brief: Capsized cop, jail board booed, and another Tar-jay?
Another Tar-jay? Local mogul Coran Capshaw’s Riverbend Development has plans for the former Kmart shopping center on Hydraulic, now known as Hillsdale Place. The company went before the Planning Commission May 14 for entrance corridor approval (after C-VILLE went to press). The plans keep the existing footprint of the center that’s been closed since 2017. […]
Still active: Students work to change culture from the periphery
By Ben Hitchcock At 10:30pm on May 4, 1970, approximately 1,500 UVA students gathered on the Lawn to protest the murder of four student activists at Kent State University earlier that day. On April 28, 1983, a group of 100 students marched up to the office of Student Affairs Vice President Ernest Ern and presented […]
Commuting without cars
In honor of Sean Tubbs, C-VILLE Weekly’s edit staff tried to get to work without a car—and only half of us made it. Here’s a look at how our experiment shook out. No bus for you I failed. I live in an apartment complex on Sunset Avenue Extended, and though you’ll see a Charlottesville address […]
She’s got the power: Meet Monica Johnson, the strongest woman in Charlottesville
I’ve been doing strength competitions for just about a year and a half, so I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. My current national ranking is second in the women’s amateur heavyweight division. That’s according to the Arnold Corporation, the governing body for Strongman and Strongwoman events. I’m 32 now, and I feel […]
ARTS Pick: God of Carnage
Parental misguidance: When a pair of 11-year-old boys get into a fight at the park, one leaves with two less teeth. God of Carnage begins after the violent incident, when all four parents of the boys gather for a discussion of the matter over drinks. What begins as civil discourse devolves into a rum-soaked screaming […]
ARTS Pick: PJ Morton
Savory hooks: When he’s not on tour or performing at the Super Bowl with Maroon 5, keyboardist PJ Morton can be found playing his own gigs to promote the recent Grammy-nominated album Gumbo. Accompanying Morton (who is fresh from the 50th annual NOLA jazz fest) on his Keys & A Mic Acoustic Tour are Jakiya […]
ARTS Pick: Lowland Hum
A quiet place: Gentleness is a way of life for Lowland Hum, the highly successful duo that founded the #SupportQuietMusic movement. Daniel and Lauren Goans “maintain that among our society’s insufferably growing volume, quiet is the most powerful offering one can make.” New album Glyphonic (out May 10) is another masterful exploration of lyric and […]
ARTS Pick: MaySong
Promise to the world: The Oratorio Society of Virginia rounds out its season with MaySong featuring Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). The large-scale work is a “true choral blockbuster” says Executive Director Rowena Pinto Zimmermann. Christina Pier (soprano) and Trevor Scheunemann (baritone) appear as guest soloists, and an encore of The World Called, […]
In brief: City digs in, winemaker dies, rioters plead, and more
Truth in scheduling: Progress joins City v. Civilian Review Board fray A Daily Progress reporter was a topic of discussion during public comment at the May 6 City Council meeting, following Nolan Stout’s story earlier that day that police Chief RaShall Brackney’s calendar seemed to contradict claims that she was unavailable to meet with the […]
Warriors for peace: Charlottesville’s volunteers span the globe
By Karen L. Mulder What do Clinton’s secretary of health, the founder of Netflix, a prominent African American sculptor, and one host of “This Old House” have in common? Each served in the Peace Corps: Donna Shalala in Iran, Reed Hastings in Swaziland, Martin Puryear in Sierra Leone, Bob Vila in Panama—and don’t forget Jimmy […]
ARTS Pick: How-to Festival
Learning IRL: Want to learn how to build a robot? Would you like to jazz up your cooking prep with chef-level knife skills? Or maybe you’re interested in the medicinal properties of the herbs in your kitchen spice rack, learning to ride a unicycle, or caring for goats? The How-to Festival trumps YouTube, advice columns, […]
Arts Pick: Wild Common
Playing well with others: Genre is meaningless in the best way for locally based rock-soul group Wild Common. After collaborating informally for a fundraiser gig in 2017, the talented friends—including vocal powerhouse and former member of The Wailers Davina Jackson; Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention prodigy Nate Leath; accomplished reggae drummer Rob Hubbard; jazz bassist Dhara […]
ARTS Pick: The Glass Menagerie
Stark vision: Tennessee Williams arrived as a playwright when The Glass Menagerie premiered in Chicago in 1944, and then quickly moved to Broadway where it won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1945. Williams’ semi-autobiographical story of a struggling family, set in a St. Louis apartment, gets a stripped-down black box treatment by […]