After 239 live gigs last year, it’s clear that William Walter & Company’s feel-good, high-energy rock resonates with fans across the map. Walter has picked up Best Emerging Artist accolades at Floyd Fest, international songwriting nominations, and national radio airplay on the road, and is returning to his loyal local fan-base at Fridays After Five, […]
The name and the lineup have changed since the band currently known as Culture first began laying down tracks with Joe Gibbs in 1977. But the group remains one of the most authentic and enduring acts in the history of roots reggae. Its extensive back catalogue, comprised of nearly 50 studio, dub, and compilation records, […]
Community events, activities, and other happenings in Charlottesville and Albemarle this busy spring weekend. Know of something going on that we missed? Add it in the comments section. Today is the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s annual Clean Commute Day! In partnership with local transportation agencies, TJPDC encourages you to walk, ride your bike, take the […]
They may have missed National Jazz Month by a few days, but Robert Jospé and The Inner Rhythm Band continue the celebration of all things swinging and polyrhythmic in a rollicking tribute to Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and the best of ’70s rock/jazz fusion. Jospé, who teaches jazz [...]
Roosevelt Dime is a sonic steamboat ride from the neo-folk filled streets of Brooklyn to the rollicking Big Easy, with banjo, electric, and washtub basses, trumpet, and woodwind beats. The jovial assemblage comes to make merry—and will take no sitting down. Not as sticky sweet as the name The [...]
The Drunk Tigers’ Zach Carter (left) and Matt Bierce are back for more at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar on Saturday, May 11.
Community events, activities, and other happenings in Charlottesville and Albemarle this busy spring weekend. Know of something going on that we missed? Add it in the comments section. Don’t miss this season’s first show in the Charlottesville classic Fridays After Five [...]
In 2011, Sub Pop, the indie record label that first signed Nirvana and almost single-handedly sold grunge to the world, released Black Up, the first full-length album from Shabazz Palaces, one of Seattle Hip-Hop’s biggest stars.
Spring is here and it’s time to put a little art into it.
Bachman’s crew-cut, corn-fed charm might lead you to initially mistake him for yet another singer-songwriter-type seeking industry validation, but even a cursory listen to one of his tunes should reassure you that his muse was grown on the true vine.
Former Outkast member turned solo artist, Big Boi says he loves playing the old hits, but ask him to reminisce about his days touring with Andre 3000, and he’s likely to give you the cold shoulder.
Still glowing With global warming now confirmed, the weather is sure to go straight to hot, with scorching beach-worthy weather breaking out any day now. Getting ahead of that first sunburn, The Embers are headlining Surf on the Turf, an inland beach bash complete with dancing, dinner, and [...]
Last year, the Tom Tom Founder’s Festival debuted with a bold music line-up. While Josh Ritter delivered a spirited performance to a full house at the Haven, scattered shows by national acts, like the Walkmen and Futurebirds, were underattended. This year Tom Tom organizers are shifting the [...]
“It takes persistence, not necessarily any particular genius, to be an entrepreneur,” said University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce adjunct professor Brendan Richardson. A UVA graduate and startup investor himself, Richardson has spent more than 20 years working with new ideas and [...]
The Tom Tom Founders Festival has a dense schedule, seeking to offer something for everyone, from concerts to street parties to symposia on innovation. A glance at the calendar can be bewildering, and it may be tough to know where to turn. Although every attendee is sure to find something to [...]
Playing it forward A year behind bars during the early years was not entirely lost time for Felipe Coronel. It gave him the focus to hone his talents, and the motivation to take a few political science classes, both of which transformed him into a deeply political, determined, and charitable [...]
Louisiana heat With musical roots in rock and the soulful blues of the deep south, Marc Broussard may be the right elixir to spark a somewhat latent spring fever. Since the spontaneous beginning of his musical career at age 5 (when he got on-stage with his father’s band), Broussard’s singing [...]
Uber achiever The richly talented Jessye Norman is not a standard singer. To clarify, she does sing standards, as well as opera and Broadway ballads, but she refuses to align herself with any stereotype. Her set list consists of classics by Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and Bernstein, [...]
Higher plains Nebraska musician Joshua James strums his guitar and lets out the crushing ache in his voice, calling to mind long roads through the expansive Midwest beneath a boundless sky. His folksiness embraces the tradition of the genre, the familiar longing coupled with a unique taste of [...]
Folk lure According to the bio section on Michael Clem’s official website, he doesn’t take himself terribly seriously. The self-conducted interview posted there provides plenty of wit, and plays off of the overt self-promotion that permeates the business side of music. He hardly touches on his [...]
“Why isn’t Charlottesville Athens?” James Wilson said, repeating a question I had posed to him. “They have R.E.M. We have Dave Matthews. We both have about the same amount of venues, same size. It’s a tough one. It really is.” It was clear, watching Wilson, that it wasn’t the first time he’d [...]
Faithful foursome While the eleventh studio album by the well-established Christian southern rock band seems the result of hard work and posterity, Third Day has made it a goal to prove that its latest release falls into another category: miraculous. After a troubling start with a suspect [...]
Django untamed A guitarist who learned his craft in gypsy campsites scattered across the French countryside sounds like the stuff of myths, but Stephane Wrembel’s colorful beginnings define his artistic career. His fifth album, Origins, was released last year and finds him reaching into that [...]