Decades in the making: Reflections on film and reality with Menace II Society’s Allen Hughes
By A.D. Carson arts@c-ville.com I remember, now, waking up the night my aunt came to tell our mother about Tony. My brother and I were asleep in the bedroom of our small apartment. I thought it was a dream, a subconscious thought making its way to the fore, as these things do, taking away our heroes, […]
Getting schooled: County school board member questions existence of climate change
Science class was in session at the October 25 Albemarle County School Board meeting, when board member Jason Buyaki paused to question not only the existence of climate change but also the nature of fossil fuels themselves. Buyaki, who represents the Rivanna district, recently wore a tie bearing pictures of Confederate flags to a meeting […]
ARTS Pick: Mary Chapin Carpenter
On Sometimes Just the Sky, Mary Chapin Carpenter takes measure of her 30-year career through fresh renditions of songs from her original studio albums. Carpenter curated gems from her catalog that reflect her soul and trace the evolution of her songwriting, from award-winning country music to the intelligent folk-pop and orchestral collaborations that currently define […]
ARTS Pick: In the Forest, She Grew Fangs
Lucy knows about the sharpness of teeth and claws—years of high school torment have left her hollowed and unseen, even in the eyes of her concerned grandmother Ruth. After new friend Jenny rescues her from near-death, sudden dreams of howls and gore lead Lucy to a darkness she’s never known. Stephen Spotswood’s In the Forest, […]
ARTS Pick: Keith Urban
Keith Urban’s latest project, Graffiti U, is a versatile album, deeply rooted in the country music of his youth. While Urban is known for infusing guitar chops and hard rock into his music, this album stays stylistically true to the songs of Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, and Merle Haggard, which he discovered in his father’s record […]
ARTS Pick: moe.
Early to the jam band party, moe. rose quickly on the hippie festival circuit of the ’90s, firing up crowds with its intricate percussion and ripping guitar riffs. Three decades of touring and 24 albums later, the Buffalo, New York, quintet is still playing to massive audiences—in May, its 17th annual Summer Camp drew more […]
In brief: Pesticide problems, a POWF at the Pavilion, and a poll procession
Pesticide dangers with Pete Myers As a local biologist and founder of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences, Pete Myers clearly knows a thing or two about environmental health. On Thursday, October 25, from 9am to noon, he’ll join three other experts at the Paramount to give us “The Real Dirt on Pesticides” (spoiler: it’s worse […]
Arts Pick: Old School honors black educators everywhere
With Caruso Brown’s Old School, The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center gives a nod to Charlottesville’s black leaders, educators, and students. The play reflects Brown’s deep interest in Charlottesville’s black narrative and the lasting impact that these people, past and present, have had on the city. In the first act, an English teacher attempts to dissolve […]
Want a fun business trip? Become a wine importer
We’d imagine the life of a wine importer to be nothing but romance—all long nights, barrel laughs, and plates of beautiful food in good company. Turns out, we were wrong: It’s better than that. We asked Williams Corner Wine co-founder Nicolas Mestre to recount a recent wine-tasting trip to Spain. The CEO spends about 12 […]
Lucky seven: Septenary Winery opens with mature vines and historic style
By Robert Harlee How does one create a successful winery? Make delicious wines, promise an engaging customer experience, and site the winery in a beautiful place. The new Septenary Winery at Seven Oaks Farm has done just that. Todd and Sarah Zimmerman, who met in graduate school at the University of Virginia, bought the Greenwood […]
ARTS Pick: Death Cab for Cutie
Begun as a side project in Washington state over two decades ago, Death Cab for Cutie broke through with relatable, brokenhearted odes on 2003’s Transatlanticism, an album that landed songs on “The O.C.” series soundtrack and ratcheted up the group’s indie rock caché. On tour for its ninth studio album, Thank You for Today, Ben Gibbard and company still […]
ARTS Pick: Black Violin
What’s so unusual about an American hip-hop duo that has shared stages with Kanye West, Aerosmith, and Tom Petty, and collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, and Alicia Keys? It’s that Kev Marcus plays the violin and Wil B. plays the viola. Performing as Black Violin, the pair defines the genre they call classical boom […]
ARTS Pick: The Wolves
The Wolves are a prickly pack of teenage girls—sharp, smooth at the edges, competitive, and biting. This locker-room drama unwinds around the routines of nine soccer players as they chat and stretch before their weekly games. Social cannibalism ensues when a new member of the team introduces topics of moral conflict and her peers struggle with […]
ARTS Pick: Cliff Cash
There’s a lot to discover about stand-up comedian Cliff Cash, a self-declared explorer and lover of the outdoors. On his Blue Ridge Parkway Comedy Tour, the North Carolinian travels 590 miles from Greenville, South Carolina, to Fairfax, Virginia, stopping at seven locations where he takes his audience on an intense, emotional journey through topics of […]
Better access: Supes mull broadband deal
By Jonathan Haynes Lack of high-speed internet access has been a big issue for rural areas of Albemarle County in recent years. In January, the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative submitted a proposal to incorporate fiber optic broadband cables along its existing infrastructure in Albemarle, which could benefit about 3,600 county customers. CVEC says it can […]
In brief: New monikers, old murder case, hot market and more
Goodbye, Robert E. Lee The statue remains in the former Lee Park, but the park’s name has changed—twice—in the past year. That trend is happening across the state, most recently last week in Staunton and Lexington. By name Lee Park is now Market Street Park. Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton will be renamed, […]
Arts Pick: Town Mountain
With six releases and a reputation for hard-driving jams, string band Town Mountain covers broad musical territory, drawing in fans of bluegrass, country, classic rock and boogie-woogie. The group cites the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter among its influences. Piece that together with talent in the vein of Nashville legends Willie Nelson, […]
Arts Pick: Just Loud
Vintage vibes abound with a stylish blend of ’80s pop, funk, and soul from debut artist Just Loud. His EP Episode I, which featured the single “Electrified,” racked up over 1.5 million streams on Spotify as the first step in his quest to bring back funk. He collaborated with Blondie’s Debbie Harry on his single […]
Arts Pick: The Lion in Winter
It’s 1183, and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine is in prison for raising an army against her husband King Henry II—except during the holidays. Written in 1966, the comedic and dramatic play The Lion in Winter follows the Plantagenet family’s fight for the throne during the Christmas season. Directed by Clinton Johnston, this adaptation magnifies the […]
Arts Pick: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
There’s probably not a movie that’s better suited for shadowcasting than The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The over-the-top musical about a haunted castle inhabited by “a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” is a cult classic that has kept costume parties going year-round for many generations, proving that we don’t have to “do the time warp […]
In brief: Diverging diamond, Way’s passing, educator arrested and more
Six road projects, one $36-million package The Virginia Department of Transportation has identified six upgrades for Albemarle roads, and will choose one contractor to design and build them for $35.9 million. Citizens can check out and weigh in on the projects from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Western Albemarle High School on Wednesday, October 10, and […]
Reeling it in: The Virginia Film Festival announces its 2019 lineup
By Adriana Wells The Virginia Film Festival (VAFF) returns to Charlottesville this fall with a lengthy list of standout films and special guests for its 31st annual festival, to take place November 1 through 4. Highlights of the event will include a tribute to the late actor Orson Welles, led by Welles’ friend Peter Bogdanovich. […]
Fajita heaven: Guadalajara celebrates 30 years of thriving business
By Caroline Hockenbury When Gilbert Lopez and his family opened the original downtown Guadalajara, named after Lopez’s hometown in Mexico, he had only 20 years of life under his belt and a pooled savings of $18,000 in his back pocket. The early years were synonymous with sacrifice, meaning 14-plus-hour shifts and tight circumstances. “My son, […]
New direction: Ragtime opens Live Arts’ season with real-life issues
By Leslie M. Scott-Jones Walking into the downstage theater at Live Arts, the sounds are familiar. Vocal warm-ups have begun, and musical director Kristen Baltes shouts from the balcony that this is “real life,” signaling to the actors to fill the space with their voices (not easy to do in that room). Seated in the […]
ARTS Pick: The Devon Allman Project
When your dad and his brother and most of his friends are musical legends, the pull of the stage is in your blood. Devon Allman answered the call with a punk band at age 13, and by the time he forged a relationship with his famous dad, Gregg, at 17, he was a skilled guitarist […]
ARTS Pick: The Festy Experience
It’s not often that you can learn about mushroom cultivation, experiment with the didgeridoo, get an acupuncture treatment, and take a yoga class while the Hackensaw Boys, Gillian Welch, and Ricky Skaggs belt it out in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Festy Experience is defined by three days of Americana music in a family-friendly, comfortable […]
ARTS Pick: Turnpike Troubadors
Evan Felker is full of stories, Southern twang, and soul. As frontman for the Turnpike Troubadours, Felker delivers tales of loss and love bolstered by the fiddling and electric strumming of his Oklahoman bandmates in tunes that swing from listening moments to dance-your-ass-off numbers. Playing bigger stages hasn’t changed the band’s accessible, laid-back approach to […]