The Paramount Theater, March 21 Wistful and moving, José González’s soft voice and intricate finger-picking guitar elevate an otherwise indie rock formula with cavernous echoes of folk, classical, and quiet reflections of pop music. Originally finding some success with the outfit Junip, he has performed and recorded with a steady stream of collaborators ranging from […]
Old Cabell Hall, March 22 and March 23 As part of its 50th anniversary season, the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia offers a pair of what should be gripping and provocative performances. The program wastes no time in lunging for the heart with Samuel Barber’s well-known Adagio for Strings. The compact and passionate […]
March 18, Old Cabell Hall Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music’s touring music program finds a pair of esteemed faculty members and two star students performing at the Tuesday Night Concert Series. The visiting quartet boasts two Grammy-winning professors in guitarist Jason Vieaux and viola player Roberto Díaz, joined by Australian Emmalena Huning on violin, and […]
March 1, The Southern Café and Music Hall Minnesota duo Vansire plays almost off-puttingly soft and reserved music. The main drivers, Sam Winemiller and Josh Augustin, have called their artistic output “chillwave-inspired,” which fits the bill in many respects. The band’s growing discography reflects a multi-instrumental approach that is as willing to drop a banjo […]
Friday 2/14, Fry’s Spring Beach Club Got any clothing in your wardrobe with musical notes on it? How about a handkerchief you like wearing around your neck? A partner who loves to try new things? No plans for Valentine’s Day? If you’ve answered yes to any or all of the above, this event could be […]
Friday 2/7, The Paramount Theater The voice and blues-riffin’, trademark long beard-wagglin’ leader of Texas rock trio ZZ Top, Billy F. Gibbons hits the stage backed by the BFGs, Mike Flanigin and Chris Layton. Gibbons—who presumably added the F. to his moniker to distinguish himself and his solo career from his 50-some-odd-year tenure with ZZ […]
Drive-By Truckers: Southern Rock Opera Revisited Tuesday 2/4, The Jefferson Theater Released in 2001, Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera stands as a committed piece of Lynyrd Skynyrd fan fiction. The self-released double album that propelled the Athens, Georiga-based group to new heights on the strength of critical gushing received a second, wider release a year […]
Romeo and Juliet February 8 Old Cabell Hall, February 9 Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center Celebrating its 50th season, the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia is busting out its big Shakespearean guns with bits from Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet of Romeo and Juliet. Famously tinkering with the Bard’s failed teenage romance, Prokofiev […]
By CM Gorey Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes Tuesday 1/21 at The Southern Café & Music Hall For his latest record, Wake the Dead, singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet teamed up with cumbia band ¿Qiensave?. The result is a mix of Prophet’s alt-country rock blended with the Latin-rooted sounds of the Salinas, California-based group, in the […]
It’s all too easy to get disgruntled about some of the usual entertainment in a tight town like ours—that is, if you close your eyes and ears too tightly and just stay home all the time. Here are some of the events that made me glad I got my ass off of the couch. Please […]