Chuck Pinnell found his calling right out of high school, when his love of art and crafting drew him to leather as a medium. After learning the trade in a harness shop in Colonial Williamsburg during the Bicentennial, he later moved to Middleburg to take over a tack repair business, mending saddles and other pieces […]
In an ongoing effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com. Ivy Inn Restaurant The essence of fine dining lies just as much in the […]
Ridiculous history: Before there was Spamalot, there was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The British comedy film crossed the pond in 1975 to become a box office hit in the U.S., while entering ridiculous quotes (“It’s just a flesh wound”) into the pop culture lexicon. The wacky retelling of King Arthur’s tale launched the […]
Burning love: Since 1801 the life of poet Robert Burns has been celebrated with an annual meal on or near his January 25 birthday. Deemed a Burns Supper, the dinner consists of haggis (sheep or calf offal seasoned, and boiled in a bag made from the animal’s stomach), tatties (mashed potatoes), and neeps (mashed rutabaga). […]
Count to three: There’s never been a better time for a magic show. (Please Wes Iseli, make it disappear!) Iseli, a consultant for “The Carbonaro Effect” on truTV, has been wowing audiences with his magic since age 7, and gained local fame through his 24-hour fundraising shows. In Virtual Magic Show, he promises to teach […]
Cullen Wade considers himself a guest in the house of hip-hop. And he’s trying to make the most of his visit. Going by the name of Fellowman, the Charlottesville emcee recently dropped a new LP and performed it in its entirety during a late December Facebook livestream. The 12-track collection, Death of the Author, is […]
Cheesy goodness: In the intro to her cookbook Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes, Polina Chesnakova writes: “…something happens when you apply heat to curds: a setting of the stage. A bubbling pot of fondue, a half wheel of raclette as it blisters and caramelizes under a grill.” To salivate even more, break […]
Hot licks: It would be a disservice to call Jorma Kaukonen anything other than rock royalty. The Washington, D.C., native is on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list. He’s a founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, has performed with Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia, and still jams frequently with Phil Lesh. Kaukonen has […]
Whether they are willing to admit it or not, all documentaries make an argument. Michael Moore is never shy about voicing his opinions, while at the other end of the spectrum, Ken Burns frames his work as recording history. Some Kind of Heaven, the debut work from Lance Oppenheim, never shouts its thoughts from rooftops, […]
Two decades ago, Terésa Dowell-Vest embarked on a research project. After attending grad school in California, the actor and playwright set out to collect the oral histories of family and community members in her hometown of Charlottesville. The product of this research was 1999’s Vinegar Hill, a play named after the town’s once-thriving Black neighborhood. […]
Birthday Bowie: In the mid-’80s, a Jim Henson and George Lucas film collaboration was guaranteed to generate big buzz—tack on the casting of rock star/actor David Bowie, and the anticipation was palpable. The musical fantasy Labyrinth follows the journey of a teenage girl through a maze to rescue her baby brother. Other than Bowie and […]
Get out together: Some of the best aspects of the season are on display during a tour of Wildrock’s Winter Wonderland Trail. Track animals and learn their survival habits, get an up-close look at snowflake patterns, and play a woodland game to match gnome mittens. Small groups can make a reservation to enjoy this family-friendly, […]
Louisa native Stephen Canty’s documentary about adjusting to civilian life after Marine Corps deployment to Afghanistan was released in November. A lot’s changed since the UVA alum began working on the film, Once a Marine, more than seven years ago. For one thing, he is no longer a Louisa resident. Canty followed a girl to […]
She paints the same view day after day, recording the subtle and great changes of hour, season, and weather. Her subject is both profoundly familiar to her and constantly changing. Laura Wooten’s “View from the Ridge” at Second Street Gallery features 90 small paintings (8 inches x 8 inches) and nine larger works (30 inches […]
Bah humbug? We think not. This year, Dickens is going digital! Join Jacob Marley, the three ghosts, and Tiny Tim as Scrooge navigates his cranky journey and discovers the joy of Christmas—even in 2020. John Harrell stars in American Shakespeare Center’s annual adaptation of A Christmas Carol, viewable on-demand and at the Visulite Cinemas. And […]
Cullen “Fellowman” Wade (right) didn’t set out to create an album about loss during such a dark time in history. And despite its title, Death of an Author, which has been two years in the making, is rooted in creativity, catharsis, and enlightenment rather than morbidity. With a slew of covers and originals dedicated to […]
COVID-19 has taken an unfathomable amount of lives, and its reverberations have disrupted our most cherished industries—the music business included. The onset of the pandemic brought studio sessions, live performances, and large-scale concerts to a screeching halt, rendering musicians, promoters, and venue and tour crews without reliable income. But time off the road also afforded […]
Saying that this year has been an anomaly is a comical understatement. So much of our daily life has been uprooted and, to mirror our own bodies, movies were not immune from these changes either. Before we start writing eulogies for Cinema with a capital “C” and discussing the fall of the multiplex, it is […]
Staying home for the holidays doesn’t have to be boring, and a long list of local talent is out to prove it. Home for the Holidays: A Four County Players Musical Revue harkens back to a time of vintage television broadcasts that brought performers together in a variety show style. Directed by Edward Warwick White […]
It’s been a long year; a year many of us might rather forget. But reflection is important too, and plenty of important and weird stories stuck in our heads this year. So, do you remember… …the historic Black church? In May, we took a deep dive into the history of the church at the corner of […]
Elves ourselves: It’s a festive season in a bleak year, and now more than ever, presents should be thoughtful. But let’s face it: Online shopping has become routine and boring. With all those algorithms, who is shopping for whom? The Last Minute Gift Workshop is stocked with interesting art materials and guided by teaching artists who’ll […]
For those who celebrate Christmas, selecting a tree is an annual tradition. For George Cason, selling trees to the Charlottesville community is a way of life. George Cason’s father, L.E., began selling Christmas trees more than 100 years ago. Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Cason had seven boys and one girl, and as the children grew […]
Ammonites are fossils that are used to mark geologic time. Resembling the spirals that contain the golden ratio, they are ripe for parable and illustration. The film Ammonite, from writer/director Francis Lee, tries to capture that depth of meaning, but much like its namesake fossil, it is common and unexceptional. The film holds fossils at […]