Change up: Nate Bolling says no to guitar rock in defining a unique sound
By Graham Schiltz When Nate Bolling started A University of Whales, he wanted the band to be different. After playing music in Charlottesville for 11 years, doing everything from metal to hip-hop, he wanted a change of pace. A pianist by trade, Bolling, who’s perhaps best known around town as a member of the rock […]
ARTS PICK: Albemarle County Fair
Fair play: Care to learn the ins and outs of weaving, snuggle up with a bunny, or test your skills in a cornhole tournament? In its 38th year of operation, the Albemarle County Fair will feature classes, demonstrations, livestock shows, and outdoor games for all ages, along with classic eats like fried dough and candy […]
ARTS PICK: Chris Isaak
Wicked ways: Chris Isaak performs from his 30-year career, including his mega-hit “Wicked Game” and songs from the critically acclaimed 2015 album First Comes the Night. Nicknamed the “Elvis of the ’90s,” Isaak can be an emotional storyteller or an edgy rocker, but he always woos the crowd with authority. Tift Merritt opens the show. Thursday […]
ARTS PICK: John Doyle
Step to it: John Doyle’s guitar talents have earned the Dublin, Ireland native credits on the recordings of several Celtic performers and an invitation to perform for President Obama, but he is best known as a founding member of the popular Irish band Solas. Grammy-winning Jeremy Kittel plays his violin with a devilish drive, and […]
ARTS PICK: Steel Magnolias
Care salon: The six women in the classic tearjerker Steel Magnolias dish out tough love and compassion at Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana. Based on the true story of creator Robert Harling’s sister, the play is a lesson in resilience, and a testament to the power of female friendships. This production stars Katy Sullivan, […]
In brief: UVA’s enslaved laborers memorial, SLAPP relief request, ECC hits reset, and more
First glimpse of enslaved laborers memorial On July 16—just as we were sending last week’s issue to press—community members got to peek behind the construction fencing of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at UVA, adjacent to the Rotunda and across the street from Bodo’s on the Corner. Made of stone and 80 feet in diameter, […]
Bridge builders: Charlottesville’s unsung heroes
By Kay Slaughter Each day, people cross the Drewary J. Brown Bridge on West Main Street oblivious of this memorial to Charlottesville’s history. Nothing announces the bridge over the railroad tracks as a special space. It was rebuilt in 1998 and renamed by City Council for Brown, a civil rights leader who had recently died. […]
ARTS Pick: Rick Price
A musical life: Growing up as part of a family band in rural Australia, Rick Price has spent his life in music. Early in his solo career, Price’s catchy pop songs were inescapable on Top 40 radio stations down under. In the ’90s he won Australia’s song of the year and appeared on “Good Morning […]
ARTS Pick: Erin & The Wildfire
Virginia grooving : Erin & The Wildfire has built a massive following in central Virginia since its formation in 2012. The charming, upbeat act has grown beyond club sets to performing regularly at music festivals such as Lockn’, Rooster Walk, and FloydFest. Led by Erin Lunsford’s strong and steady vocals, the group combines pop, rock, […]
Going once, going twice: Luxe restaurant auctions raise money for local food bank
By Meg Irvin Brewing a Charlottesville beer with Champion. A holiday party for 50 at Duner’s. The ultimate tailgate party from Maya. These experiences and many more will be available to the highest bidder in a series of restaurant auctions, which kicked off June 17 and benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Simon Davidson, […]
ARTS Pick: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Magic in midsummer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream in mid-summer, under the stars, among the ruins of an 18th-century mansion? You can’t get much closer to the spirit of Shakespeare’s most whimsical creation. The classic comedy is performed—complete with fairies and sprites, young love, and one wrong-headed decision after another—against the backdrop of Governor James Barbour’s […]
ARTS Pick: Tomato Jake
8-bit emotion: On an all-electronic bill, Richmond artists Plastic_Pyramid, In Fosa, and Gleam Utility support Pennsylvania musician Tomato Jake on his East Coast tour. His latest record, Commercial Album, features 41 bite-sized songs that seem to end as soon as they start, launching into the next track with little warning. Built around 8-bit synthesizers, the […]
Fitting room: Local artists invite you to try on empathy in “Walk in My Shoes Closet”
By Nina Richards To Micah Kessel, assumption is the enemy of empathy. Empathy is the realization that each person has different, and equally valid, experiences and emotions that inform our every move. Which is why Kessel, Kelley Van Dilla, Adrienne Dent, and Annie Temmink have created an immersive experience to prompt empathic thinking and choice-making […]
In brief: Lynching memorial installed, ICE threatens with fines, Jim Ryan’s big bucks, and more
History of lynching acknowledged In Court Square, Albemarle County’s seat of justice, a memorial was installed July 12 to commemorate a historic injustice—the lynching of a black man on that date in 1898. A mob of white people pulled John Henry James from a train near what is now Farmington Country Club, and hanged him […]
Side effects: Cell tower emissions at Western still issue for some
By Caroline Eastham Aesthetics seemed to have gotten more discussion than health risks when Albemarle County approved a cell tower at Western Albemarle High last fall. The tower will provide sorely needed cell service to Crozet and internet access to over 400 homes and businesses, yet some say the health risks outweigh the connectivity benefit. […]
ARTS Pick: Pride and Prejudice
Game theater: In Kate Hamill’s reworking of the witty and romantic Pride and Prejudice, love is a game with rules and strategy, and played for high stakes. It’s still Lizzy and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, but this time the production includes modern song and dance, and some cynicism to boot. Each player is open about […]
ARTS Pick: Belle & Sebastian
Belles and whistles: More than 20 years on from the group’s formation in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle & Sebastian continue to make records cherished by its fanbase. B&S’ sound has ranged from intimate acoustic rock to synthed dance music over the course of its 10 studio albums. On the newest release, How to Solve Our Human […]
ARTS Picks: Maupintown Film Festival
Historic lens: Featuring over 20 films, discussions, and presentations over three days, the Maupintown Film Festival showcases the black experience in America. Topics range from the legacy of historic African Americans such as Arthur Ashe and Booker T. Washington, to lesser known events, like the 1921 Tulsa race riots. This year’s theme is “Back in […]
ARTS Pick: Camelot
Royal drama: The Charlottesville Opera’s Camelot is complete with suits of armor and ornate sets that pull you into the fantasy of King Arthur’s court. In this all-new rendition of the award-winning play, the principled and supremely honorable King Arthur must react to chaotic reality when Guenevere falls for Lancelot, a knight of the Round […]
In brief: VSP whites out, Queen of Virginia sues, Hoos win World Cup, and more…
State police redact—heavily Natalie Jacobsen, a reporter who has written for C-VILLE, has been trying to get the Virginia State Police to release its August 12, 2017, operations plan for almost two years under the Freedom of Information Act. She seemed close May 22, when a Charlottesville judge ordered the state police to produce the […]
ARTS Pick: Mental Attraction Band 2.0
Funkin’ up the coast: Providing music for the GoGo Indépendance crew, Mental Attraction Band 2.0 brings go-go from its native Washington, D.C., to cities along the East Coast. With 20 years of experience, the 13-piece band blends funk, R&B, and hip-hop to create an exciting live performance. The team of veteran musicians includes the bass […]
ARTS Pick: Pure Formalism
Celluloid hero: In defining its summer film series Pure Formalism, The Bridge PAI states, “In the spirit of Stan Brakhage, we stand face-to-face with the image itself—and absorb.” Brakhage was a highly influential experimental filmmaker whose career spanned five decades beginning in the ’50s. His six-minute short The Dante Quartet, a silent film of images […]
ARTS Pick: Six Foot Ceilings
Indie rewind: No longer confined to the house party basements that inspired its name, Six Foot Ceilings is moving up. The local band gives in to nostalgia but always with an indie tonal twist, offering everything from a moody “Hit Me Baby One More Time” to a haunting “Cry Me a River.” But don’t fret, […]
ARTS Pick: Chris Newman
Hip-hop hit: Chris Newman, aka VA DOE, has been a pillar of central Virginia hip-hop for over two decades. An experienced radio DJ who spins every weeknight on 101.3 Jamz, Newman started making music as a teen at Charlottesville’s Music Resource Center, and he was inducted into the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest’s hall […]
In brief: Vapers’ vapors, Bird scooters scoot, (a different) Bellamy joins race, and more
It’s the (new) law July 1 not only heralds the start of another hot summer, but it’s also when new laws go into effect. Things you were doing legally on June 30 (ahem, 20-year-old vapers) are now against the law. And sometimes vice versa (hello, happy hour). Nicotine users: Virginia bumps the legal age to […]
Happy Birthday to U.S.: A guide to area July 4 celebrations
From the mountains of Wintergreen to the valley where Scottsville sits, the Charlottesville area is exploding with Independence Day celebrations. Bonus: Since July 4 falls on a Thursday this year, party time stretches out over a long weekend. What this means is that, in addition to barbecuing in your local park or backyard, you can […]
ARTS Pick: Helado Negro
Art of the smile: Roberto Carlos Lange, aka Helado Negro, plays down-tempo indie that pulls as much from the electronic music he listened to in his teens as the Latin sounds of his Ecuadorian heritage. On his recent record, This Is How You Smile, Lange sings in both English and Spanish, ruminating about family pride […]