By the time Karlheinz Stockhausen’s mug appeared on the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967 (top row, fifth from the left) with dozens of other adventurous artists, the German musician had established himself as a bold composer and an electronic music pioneer known for being among the first to […]
Live Music
ARTS Pick: STS9
Since the late ’90s, instrumental group STS9 has blazed a unique path through musical genres by not defining itself as EDM, jam band or prog rock, but borrowing from those labels to offset the funk, jazz and psychedelia woven into its hip-hop grooves. With The Universe Inside, the group’s first recording in seven years, STS9 […]
ARTS Pick: Jackie Greene
Highly regarded guitarist Jackie Greene returned to his own writing and recording after years of gigging in the big leagues with The Black Crowes, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Gov’t Mule—to name a few. Greene, who has been on the road promoting Back to Birth since its release in 2015, says: “I wanted to make a […]
Lucius doubles down on sound and style
By the 1960s, American artist Mark Rothko had risen to prominence for his color field paintings, which featured two solid rectangles hovering just shy of the picture’s borders. With a small painting, the viewer is acutely aware that he is on the outside, looking in. Music was deeply important [...]
ARTS Pick: Frank Turner
While making his sixth album, Positive Songs for Negative People, British folk-punk rocker Frank Turner thought a lot about debut albums. A debut is a band’s introduction into the world, and Turner says he wanted to “try and make a record that had that young, exciting feel, full of piss and [...]
ARTS Pick: Bumper Jacksons
Swinging from New Orleans big band to Appalachian folk is all in an evening’s set list for the Bumper Jacksons. With frontwoman Jess Eliot Myhre jamming on clarinet and her homemade washboard, the group nails traditional numbers from jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Sister [...]
ARTS Pick: Kamalakiran Vinjamuri
Not only has Kamalakiran Vinjamuri been mastering the Carnatic approach to violin since age 7, he’s also composed a ballet, earned a black belt in karate and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for participating in the largest Kuchipudi group dance with more than 5,000 others. The [...]
ARTS Pick: Party Like a Rock Star
Step into the fantasy world of a rock star’s life for one evening while helping local youth pursue their musical dreams. The Music Resource Center’s annual Party Like a Rock Star is Prince-themed this year in tribute to the inimitable musician. Donate at musicresourcecenter.org to cast a vote [...]
ARTS Pick: Carrie Underwood
It’s been 11 years since Carrie Underwood became the fourth “American Idol” winner and arguably the show’s most successful contestant—she’s sold almost 15 million albums. Her best-selling track to date, “Before He Cheats,” is a catchy, bared-soul retaliation fantasy that put nine awards, [...]
ARTS Pick: Black Masala
Friday is coming (we promise) and you’ll know it’s here when Washington, D.C.-based big brass band Black Masala marches its traveling dance party onto the Levitt AMP Music Series stage to pound out gypsy funk and soul. The groove machine arrives on a wave of good vibes supporting the group’s [...]
Songwriter Matt Curreri rearranges and rocks out
Every Wednesday night after dinner, Matt Curreri, Jesse Fiske, Gerald Soriano and Brian Wilson gather in a tiny, warmly lit music studio in Fiske’s Belmont backyard. They unpack their guitars, bass and drums, and set up mics and amps. Fiske’s Single Barrel Studio is a cozy fit for the [...]
Rag Trade looks at the runway from all angles
On varying scales, Charlottesville is home to most of the cultural institutions of a much larger city: theater, opera, art galleries and film. Now we can add fashion shows to that list. On Saturday, Rag Trade brings fashion, music and art downtown to the IX Art Park. Three local designers will [...]
ARTS Pick: Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter’s genuine approach to songwriting allows the multiple Grammy winner to transcend the boundaries of category. Moving easily between classic country and modern Americana, she recently expanded her musicianship with an album of orchestral music and her new record, The Things [...]
Not-to-miss Festy Experience collaborations
The Festy Experience returns this weekend for the seventh straight year, taking place Friday through Sunday at its new home, the Nelson County Preserve in Arrington. Once again, the festival will feature an impressive mix of national acts and local bands—focusing on some of the best in [...]
The Ante Room bets on local hip-hop with new showcase
Go to a hip-hop show in Charlottesville and you’ll see a rapper spitting lines to a crowd full of people giving him their full attention. They’ll be standing there, hipsters and hip-hop heads alike, stroking their chins, heads nodding to the beat. “They’re listening to every single word,” and [...]
ARTS Pick: Wale
On his recent release, The Album About Nothing, Washington D.C., hip-hop musician Wale has a lot of relatable things to say. The deeply personal album lightens up through its connection to the popular ’90s TV show “Seinfeld,” even featuring a guest appearance by the comedian as its narrator [...]
ARTS Pick: Paulien
Dutch-born, Charlottesville-based singer Paulien brings an array of languages and talent to the stage through her French jazz interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Dubbed as a musical story, she captures everyone from Edith Piaf to Cole Porter in an afternoon performance to benefit [...]
ARTS Pick: Eric Brace and Peter Cooper
Washington, D.C., is not the first place that comes to mind as the center of folk and bluegrass music, but there’s a long history of accomplished players from the capital city, including Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, who honor their peers on the recent album, C&O Canal. The Grammy-nominated [...]
Gold Connections’ future looks bright
A couple of years ago, while home on winter break from the College of William & Mary, Will Marsh found himself feeling overwhelmed by thoughts that drift, and often race, through young minds. Marsh was studying English, playing in a few bands on campus and worried about choosing a path—the [...]
Lockn’ festival is groomed and geared up for more
Lockn’ festival returns to Oak Ridge Farm on Thursday, and while the musical acts including Phish, Ween and My Morning Jacket are expected to draw more than 30,000 fans to the area, event producer Dave Frey defines the key to enjoying the festival as “locality.” Pointing out the attributes of [...]
ARTS Pick: The Stray Birds
When The Stray Birds wandered from the band members’ collective home of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Nashville, the group mingled in the songwriter scene and came away with rewarding collaborations, an intuitive producer and a list of talented guest musicians for the new record, Magic [...]
ARTS Pick: J.Cole
UVA’s Program Council welcomes students back with a performance by platinum-selling hip-hop artist J. Cole, as well as rappers Bas and Cozz. Known for his introspective lyrics and humble beginnings, Cole connects with his zealous fan base through his soulful musical identity. He plays from his [...]
ARTS Pick: Ellis Paul
Singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is equal parts folk artist and storyteller. His most recent album, Chasing Beauty, is characteristically ballad-centric and tells stories of real people and places that reflect larger truths about the human experience. In the style of Woody Guthrie, the 15-time [...]