Bluegrass beginnings: Loving Dolly Parton may have gotten Irene Kelley kicked out of her first rock band (she was fired for bringing a Dolly album to practice), but in the 30 years since, her bluegrass sensibility, songwriting talent, and instrumental know-how have made her an accomplished musician. Moving from Pennsylvania to Nashville at the start of her career, Kelley worked on the famous Music Row and penned songs for Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White, Loretta Lynn, and Trisha Yearwood, but her own project, 2016’s These Hills, reflects her early inspirations. “Bluegrass is the last frontier of country music,” says Kelley.
Related stories

Mosh Bit
Charlottesville’s first music and gaming event in more than a decade, Mosh Bit features casual gaming tournaments and punk performances by NIJI SAGA, Steel Samurai, and 14£bs. Each band combines nostalgic video game melodies with energetic sets packed with a punch. Superbit, a new outpost of the popular gaming store from northern Virginia, and local […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024
Mosh Bit
Charlottesville’s first music and gaming event in more than a decade, Mosh Bit features casual gaming tournaments and punk performances by NIJI SAGA, Steel Samurai, and 14£bs. Each band combines nostalgic video game melodies with energetic sets packed with a punch. Superbit, a new outpost of the popular gaming store from northern Virginia, and local […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024

Jared Stout Band
Alternative country group Jared Stout Band creates tunes for the soul rooted in the heart of Appalachia. The band’s discography journeys through the countryside of sound and promises to provide an evening of comforting bluesy folk. Stout’s thoughtful and original songwriting has solidified the group as one to watch, earning a runner-up accolade for the […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024
Jared Stout Band
Alternative country group Jared Stout Band creates tunes for the soul rooted in the heart of Appalachia. The band’s discography journeys through the countryside of sound and promises to provide an evening of comforting bluesy folk. Stout’s thoughtful and original songwriting has solidified the group as one to watch, earning a runner-up accolade for the […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024

July exhibitions
The Barn Swallow Artisan Gallery 796 Gillums Ridge Rd. “Listening to Artifacts,” new works in sculpture and collage by Kim Boggs. Through July 7. First Fridays reception at 5:30pm. Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. “Bellair: Making Visible the Invisible,” plein air landscape paintings of a local farm over the course of a […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024
July exhibitions
The Barn Swallow Artisan Gallery 796 Gillums Ridge Rd. “Listening to Artifacts,” new works in sculpture and collage by Kim Boggs. Through July 7. First Fridays reception at 5:30pm. Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. “Bellair: Making Visible the Invisible,” plein air landscape paintings of a local farm over the course of a […]
C-VILLE Writers | July 3, 2024