Thurston Moore, at 55, is seemingly the oldest teenager in the world, juxtaposing self-consciously dumb classic rock energy with legitimately compelling avant-garde noise-rock riffs and he’s worth seeing live under any circumstances.
On a weeknight in late November, local filmmaker Brian Wimer gathered a large group together at the Al-Hamraa restaurant in the Ix Building to share his vision for the future of the space. The Ix is a large complex south of Downtown which has housed dozens of business and art projects since the original Frank Ix […]
Metal shows are rare in Charlottesville, but the few that do happen tend to be high-quality. This is due in part to the talents and good taste of the few local metal-heads, and Friday night’s show at the Main Street Annex is an opportunity to catch the two of the best local bands from any […]
Throughout last year, I kept hearing the name Guardian Alien. At first I wasn’t at all curious. The band name led me to the assumption that it was “some sort of dubstep or chillwave thing,” and its record sleeve—a watercolor drawing of an alien with dreadlocks, holding a repeating version of the record itself—was easily […]
On a chilly Friday in late November, Ross McDermott of the Charlottesville Mural Project gathered a large group on the railroad crossing at First Street to dedicate the organization’s newest mural, designed by local artist Kaki Dimock. The mural’s theme is the Rivanna River, a subject originally proposed by Rose Brown of the organization StreamWatch, who […]
White Star Sound recording studio, located on a bucolic farm in Louisa County, is a friendly, professional spot that attracts national acts like O.A.R. and The Infamous Stringdusters, along with local musicians like Sarah White, The Hill & Wood, and Invisible Hand, as well as several bands that have crossed that divide, like Sons of […]
To the average listener, traditional Appalachian music has little in common with avant-garde drones and improvisational noise. Nathan Bowles has forged a career in each of these genres. The brilliance of his body of work is the suggestion that these styles share a common aesthetic and inform one another. “They’re both fueled by the same spirit,” […]
For 40 years, the Prism Coffeehouse was a highly-regarded venue in Charlottesville, and revered by folk and roots music connoisseurs nationwide. Originally located at the corner of Gordon Avenue and Rugby Road, the space could accommodate over 100 people, but it always felt much smaller. I have vague memories of going to concerts there as […]
After four years and three releases, Adam Brock’s Borrowed Beams of Light project has become as well-known to locals as the various bands (most notably the Invisible Hand) for which he’s lent his not-inconsiderable talents as a drummer. In addition to his hammering accuracy behind the kit, Brock also has a crystal-clear singing voice and […]
In recent years the Virginia Film Festival, under the leadership of Jody Kielbasa, has increased the number of new releases, concentrating on up-and-coming filmmakers, local productions, and sneak previews of high-profile independent features destined for wider release over the holiday season. It’s a wise choice for the festival, which has broken attendance records since 2009. […]