Pick: Spider Mites of Jesus
Heart of an icon: If you have connections to Richmond or know your Virginia history, you’ve probably heard of Dirtwoman. He had an eventful life, suffering from spinal meningitis as an infant, working as a drag prostitute as a teenager, and defecating in the back of a police car to earn his nickname. Having screened […]
Pick: The Mousetrap
Agatha twistie: The Mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play for a good reason. It’s an Agatha Christie original, set in a manor house that’s isolated by a blizzard—a perfect setup for a thrilling plot of deduction. The play has a famously secret and surprising twist, one that Christie herself took pains to keep under wraps. […]
Pick: Nightcleaning
Zest for life: You’ve probably seen Denise Stewart around town. Sometimes she’s sporting a big bouffant and a sequined leotard as one-half of the bawdy comedy duo the Tip-Top Twins. She’s also glanced sideways at a scandalously unclothed Ken doll as she plays a younger version of herself in Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales. […]
Pick: Swing Into Spring
Swing by: An all-star lineup of local musicians joins the Albemarle High School Jazz Ensemble for Swing Into Spring, an annual evening of jazz standards and pop and R&B hits that includes Terri Allard, 14 Stories, Charles Owens, and Michael Elswick, and will have you cutting a rug in the aisles. Money raised from this […]
Getting real: CHS students join Robert Shetterly in truth-teller exhibition
By Charles Burns arts@c-ville.com In this age of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” there are few values more precious than complete honesty. Robert Shetterly, an American artist, realizes this more than most. Years ago, Shetterly embarked on an ambitious project: a portrait series of citizens committed to addressing pressing issues with the kind of remarkable […]
Through the music: Shagwüf gets darker and heavier in response to local traumas
By Sean McGoey arts@c-ville.com The section of Fourth Street Southeast that bears Heather Heyer’s name still invokes painful memories of August 12, 2017. Shagwüf bassist and vocalist Sally Rose was among the throng protesting against the Unite the Right rally that day. “There’ve been few times where I’ve been scared like that in my life,” […]
In Brief: IMPACT takes on ICE, infiltrators at SURJ, City Manager fires back
Making an IMPACT “It has been almost four years since the father of my kids was deported to Mexico due to his stay in the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail,” said Fanny Smedlie, reading a statement from her friend Karla Lopez. Smedlie, a member of the Executive Committee of the Church of the Incarnation, addressed a […]
Arm’s length: Hug man goes on hiatus over coronavirus concerns
To the community: Due to the approach of the coronavirus, the hug-man will be suspending hugs on the mall until further notice. Because of what I do, I cannot take precautions between each hug to prevent spreading or catching the virus, and it is an ideal way to spread it. And I don’t want […]
Pick: New Works Festival
Fresh perspectives: Student playwrights, screenwriters, choreographers, musicians, and more get their chance to have the fruits of their creative labors appreciated in UVA’s The New Works Festival. This year’s plays feature ruminations on the risks of first dates; a fantasy written from a child’s perspective; a therapizing Uber driver; and a quest for workers’ solidarity. […]
Funny words: Expanding how we learn about sexuality
By Lisa Speidel What is the right way to talk about human sexuality? This debate is as timely and fiercely contentious as ever. Whether sex education is coming from parents or schools, many disagree on what is appropriate content. In the United States, each state mandates what is acceptable for sex education curricula, which means […]
Arts Pick: Ian Rynecki
Rolling in dough: Get your hands on some dough under the guidance of executive chef Ian Rynecki as he teaches the art of pierogi making. The traditional Eastern European dumpling can be stuffed with savory or sweet filling, and you’ll get a couple drink tickets to accompany the rolling. Participants are invited to sit down […]
Arts Pick: Bubbles, Brews and Barbecue
Be there: Bouncing, bubbly, beers, barbecue, blues, and Boar’s Head Resort meet in a family-friendly event around the lake behind the hotel. On the docket for Bubbles, Brews and Barbecue? Nearly 30 craft beers, a selection of sparkling wines, and a smoker full of slow-cooked meat (started the day before). Just ease back with a […]
Arts Pick: Men on Boats
New territory: Men on Boats tells the story of four explorers’ heroic quest to chart the whitewater rivers that make up the Grand Canyon. Set in 1869, the play calls itself the “true(ish)” story of Civil War Captain John Wesley Powell and his brave crew’s attempt to map out one of our most magnificent national […]
In brief: Fire fighters fight the budget, Barracks bikers, and more
Money talks City Manager Tarron Richardson presented his proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 at the City Council meeting on March 2. If that sentence made you yawn, we understand—but the tail end of the hours-long council meeting represents the beginning of the end of the budget cycle, some of the more important city business […]
Arts Pick: The Indie Short Film Series
Best short-timers: The Indie Short Film Series includes highly regarded festival selections as well as local productions such as The Devil’s Harmony, Best International Short Film award winner at Sundance. A disquieting tale of a bullied teenage girl enacting revenge on her enemies and abusers, the movie promises to stick with you long after its […]
Arts Pick: Dan Deacon
Circling back: Dan Deacon has been working his synth-pop magic for nearly two decades. From the self-released CD-Rs of his student days to the hyperactive live shows made legendary through audience participation, Deacon is an established trailblazer in electronic music. At a 2010 Charlottesville appearance, C-VILLE’s James Ford reported that the DJ/composer “led the sweaty […]
Arts Pick: Punk the Capital
Punk from here: When her family relocated from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in the early ’80s, Cynthia Connolly brought her camera and her passion for punk rock to the nation’s fledgling scene. Her documentation resulted in Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes from the DC Punk Underground (79-85), one of the first books on punk […]
In brief: New memorials, kayak commute, gaga for Wawa
Back to the drawing board Three weeks after the Court Square slave auction plaque was stolen in the middle of the night, the hole left in the sidewalk has been bricked in, leaving little evidence that any memorial ever existed. The city quickly removed unauthorized replacement plaques by local artist Richard Parks, but discussions are moving forward […]
Hello, goodbye: The Rooftop and The Flat bow out, while newcomers arrive
Farewells and silver linings The Rooftop in Crozet has shut its doors. The news came in a statement earlier this month from owners Kelley Tripp and Justin Van der Linde, who also own Smoked Kitchen & Tap. They announced that the restaurant—known for its Blue Ridge views, Parmesan fries, and an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch—was closed […]
Breakfast is served
From bagels to biscuits to burritos, we dig in to the best meal of the day (and where to find it around town). BY: Brielle Entzminger, Ben Hitchcock, Laura Longhine, and Erin O’Hare Best in biscuits Biscuits are a breakfast staple around here-—but which one is the best? We rounded up our favorites (with top […]
Arts Pick: Slam Dunk
It’s haiku season. Sling your wildest words out there. You could last longest. Wednesday 2/19. Free, 8pm. Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, 414 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 293-9947.
Arts Pick: Ross Martin and Adam Larabee
Adventurous Strumming: Ross Martin knows guitar, and his deep knowledge of the instrument has led him on explorations of jazz, bluegrass, country, folk, experimental, and classical music. Over the course of his many tours and projects, he’s perfected both the entrancing acoustic duet and the invigorating electric duel, and taught guitar workshops all over the […]
Arts Pick: Drive-By Truckes
Breakdown lane: The Drive-By Truckers are unapologetically political on The Unraveling, their first album in three and a half years. “I’ve always said that all of our records are political but I’ve also said that politics is personal. With that in mind, this album is especially personal,” says band co-founder Patterson Hood. “… Watching so […]
Arts Pick: Yamato
Heartening beats: With over a thousand years of cultural tradition, 400-year-old instruments, and 25 years of performing globally, the 12-member drumming group Yamato brings a dazzling exhibition of showmanship to the stage. Japan’s traditional Wadaiko drums serve as the foundation for tamashy—translated as soul, spirit, and psyche—which channels the basic elements of life into a […]
In brief: 1619 Project comes to town, Chase announces governor bid, and more
Get serious: Talking reparations, monuments, and more What does it mean to confront the truth? To not be complacent in an unjust system? To seek justice for those who’ve been oppressed by that system for over 400 years? Acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones grappled with these questions—and more—during a discussion with Times […]
Love at last: A mom of three finds a partner who’s all in
By Eileen Abbott When her physician husband lost his life to suicide in February 2011, “there were days it took everything in me just to breathe,” says Jocelynn Crum Helmbrecht, a Charlottesville resident and mom of three. “It felt like everything was broken—my heart…my children’s hearts, my entire world,” she wrote in a blog documenting […]
Arts Pick: Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House
Despite obstacles: Morgan McCoy, author and actor recently seen in the Oscar-nominated film Harriet, comes to town with a one-woman show, Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House. Depicting the struggles and triumphs of fictional and real African American women across numerous generations, the play combines comedy and drama […]