Unprecedented, unexpected, insane…we could go on, but after months of living in a world with coronavirus, a presidential campaign, and a series of transformative social justice movements, well, you get the idea. To combat it all, we’ve been baking, we’ve been Zooming, we’ve been sitting six feet apart at social gatherings. We’re ordering takeout, enjoying […]
PICK: Penny Heart
Dinner where?: The Citizen Bowl space at the west end of the mall has been home to many restaurant concepts over the years, including Yearbook Taco, Sorry It’s Over, and 11 Months. Now, the space is Citizen Bowl during the day and Penny Heart at night, and is hosting a series of pop-up restaurants to invigorate […]
PICK: 9 Pillars Hip Hop Music Video Showcase
Stage to screen: For the second year in a row, the Virginia Film Festival is screening works by local hip-hop video directors and rappers during the 9 Pillars Hip Hop Music Video Showcase. Curated by Cullen “Fellowman” Wade, who compiles a wide variety of styles within the genre, the showcase connects some of the most prolific […]
PICK: Gallery of Curiosities
Urine for a treat: More than 40 contributors dug into the dark recesses of their art closets to assemble the “deep-dive into the most peculiar parts of our community’s collective wonder” that is the Gallery of Curiosities. In other words, you’ll be offered a peek behind the curtain, past the sensical and the visually accessible, […]
Carving out history: Leni Sorensen bridges the gap between kitchen and table at Monticello
Thomas Jefferson never wrote about the food at Monticello. His kitchens were stocked with ingredients from around the world—cinnamon from Asia, lemons from the Caribbean, brandies and fine cheeses from Richmond. But in his writing, Jefferson didn’t remark on the fine food that his enslaved chefs prepared for his table. He simply expected its consistent […]
Wisdom and love: Eduardo Montes-Bradley composes a tribute to Alice Parker
When Melodious Accord, Inc., reached out to Charlottesville-based documentarian Eduardo Montes-Bradley and asked him to craft a film about the life of musician and composer Alice Parker, Montes-Bradley knew he had to meet Parker before he said yes. He headed up to Boston, and the two drove together to Parker’s 17th-century New England cottage home, […]
The punks are alright
A punk rock arsonist is not the likely lead in a romantic comedy, but love has never been known to follow the rules. Dinner in America cheers for the underdogs and sees people for who they really are. Writer/director Adam Rehmeier’s twist on a boy-meets-girl tale starts with punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) setting a […]
Cast your eyes: Films to rally around at the 2020 VAFF
Many of us have found safe, socially distant ways to do the things we considered normal before the pandemic, such as drive-by birthday parties or outdoor, masked haircuts. When and how we might go to the movies like we once did is a tougher issue to resolve, because there’s no getting around the problem of […]
Growing up: Jason Tesauro Talks Virginia Wine for #VAWineMonth
Every October Virginians raise a glass to living in a state with the oldest wine month in the country (it dates back to 1988). We also celebrate the fact that Virginia has become the sixth-largest wine region in the United States, contributing well over $1 billion to the state’s economy, while the industry continues to […]
Souza’s shade: Documentary recalls a world not so long ago
Four years ago, former White House chief photographer Pete Souza wouldn’t have imagined he’d be the subject of a documentary and an Instagram superstar. “We hadn’t elected Donald Trump four years ago,” reminds Souza in a phone interview. Three years and 10 months ago, that had changed. Souza began posting photos of former President Barack […]
PICK: Lost Home, Win Home
For the win: Playwright Shelby Edwards explores the conflicting emotions attached to her native Charlottesville in Lost Home, Win Home. Through the intricate thinking of a chess master, Edwards reconstructs the trauma of the Unite the Right/Neo-Nazi rally that took place here on August 12, 2017. Her expertly delivered solo performance strikes at the heart […]
PICK: Fleabag
Biting humor: If you’ve been binge-watching TV over the last eight months (and really, who hasn’t?), you probably have a “Fleabag” story. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s clever, outrageous, sex comedy-drama had everyone talking about their own relatable experiences when it jumped from an award-winning one-woman play in London to an Emmy-sweeping Amazon Prime series in 2019. See the […]
Now serving Tex-Mex and Turkish
Tacos in the sky As the season turns, the Downtown Mall is also seeing some turnover, starting with Champion Hospitality Group’s just-opened culinary venture, Passiflora, which offers Tex-Mex and Baja Mediterranean cuisine. While we are still mourning the loss of Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar, it’s good to see new openings on the mall. “We put […]
Delivering on decades of experience
Butcher Brown #KingButch (Concord Jazz) Butcher Brown has a lot to celebrate. The Richmond quintet was recently tapped by ESPN to record an updated version of Little Richard’s “Rip It Up” as the new theme song for “Monday Night Football.” On the heels of that opportunity, the group made its major label debut on Concord […]
Look again: Sanjay Suchak finds new views of the Old Dominion
In a year defined by wild new perspectives—on health, on risk, on human separation and connectedness—images have played a central role. Photos of people in crowds or isolation are newly fraught, and as we gather virtually, the visual appearance of other humans on-screen has become a startling, imperfect social lifeline. Sanjay Suchak’s photography show at […]
The long season of trees
My children have a library book right now that tells us trees appeared in the middle Devonian Period, over 350 million years ago. The drawings of these early specimens look strange to my eye, not as graceful as the trees out my window, but the proto-trees—Lepidosigillaria and Eospermatopteris—were doing important work. “Deeper roots and more […]
The 2020 Virginia Film Festival offers an abundance of virtual and drive-in programming
Due to our need for social distancing, the 33rd annual Virginia Film Festival looks a little different this year, but organizers say that shouldn’t deter anyone from exploring the 50-plus offerings of virtual screenings, conversations, and drive-in movies. UVA Vice Provost for the Arts and Director of the Virginia Film Festival, Jody Kielbasa says his […]
PICK: Moules Frites at Home
Mussel bound: Good things are bubbling up at The Happy Cook. The Barracks Road shop recently received props from Forbes for offering some of the “top online cooking classes during your homebound experience.” And now you can crack the mystery of preparing Moules Frites at Home with chef Tom Whitehead, who was classically trained at […]
PICK: Outdoor Film Series
Fresh air perspectives: As cooler temps make our time outside more tolerable, the Outdoor Film Series will enrich our minds with shorts, films, and documentaries by filmmakers of color in collaboration with Light House Studio, Vinegar Hill Theatre, and McGuffey Art Center. The theme of the second installment is Waiting for Answers: Meditations on Existence, […]
PICK: Writing a Song that Matters
Writer’s treat: Have some hot licks that need lyrics? Feeling all the feels but can’t articulate them in a song? With hundreds of credits on dozens of albums, folk singer-songwriter Dar Williams knows a thing or two about penning a tune. In the virtual workshop Writing a Song that Matters, Williams offers insights from the […]
Buckling up: Diamondback Toolbelts shine in a tough industry
Anyone who’s visited McIntire Plaza is familiar with its eclecticism. The businesses include Circa—in itself, a testament to variety—a Brazilian jiu-jitsu center, a tiny black-box theater company, and a furniture showroom enigmatically named Poem. Even those who frequent the plaza, though, might not know about Diamondback Toolbelts. Tucked into the far end of Harris Street, […]
Seen in C’ville: Live Arts alums launch online series that parodies local living
Ray Pile sings “The Good Old Song” as he drives. He gives you a verbal tour of his college glory days as you cruise past the Corner. He lectures you on Cavaliers’ basketball history while you’re stuck at a stoplight. He sounds like your everyday UVA-obsessed Charlottesville Uber driver. But in this case, he’s actress […]
Worth the struggle: The Glorias takes a long look at Steinem’s stalwart activism
Like the movement it depicts, The Glorias cares so deeply for its subject that it persists through all obstacles and missteps, because where it’s going is worth the struggle. It’s overlong but it’s passionate. It’s uneven but it’s determined. It ultimately ties itself too neatly to a specific moment in recent history, but it’s a […]