Mountain Grass Unit at The Jefferson Theater 8/28

Birmingham, Alabama’s Mountain Grass Unit is growing a following with fresh cuts blending traditional bluegrass with country, jazz, funk, rock, and metal influences. Featuring Drury Anderson (mandolin, vocals), Luke Black (guitar, vocals), Josiah Nelson (fiddle, vocals), and Sam Wilson (bass, vocals), the quartet chugs through foot-stomping sets that bring old-time Americana sounds to new heights […]

Valerie McQueen at The Stage at WTJU 8/29

Singer-songwriter Valerie McQueen treks in from the Shenandoah Valley for an evening of Americana at Offbeat Roadhouse. Drawing influence from genre standouts like Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss, McQueen’s strong voice drives a sound that brings folk to the front, with touches of country and rock inflections. Her songs tease out narratives drawn from everyday […]

‘Rashomon’ at The Paramount Theater 8/21

Seventy-five years after its original release, Rashomon is still gaining new fans with its gripping story of murder recounted in four perspectives. Touted as the film that woke up the world to Japanese cinema, director Akira Kurosawa’s groundbreaking work gets credit for prompting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to permanently add a […]

Gordon Sterling and The People at Rapture 8/23

The lyrics may be seriously connected to societal concerns, but the bluesy, high-energy funk from Gordon Sterling and The People tells you that this Washington, D.C., sextet comes to town to get down. It’s easy to get caught up in the hip-swingin’ freedom of the group’s groovy dance numbers—and Sterling’s charismatic leadership takes you there, […]

Todd Rundgren at The Paramount Theater 8/26

Digital wizard Todd Rundgren was making electronic music way before it was cool, and so naming his current tour Still Me (Still We) indicates we can expect him to bring out his rock radio classics—“Hello It’s Me” and “Bang the Drum All Day”—while plugging into some of the longplay prog and experimental suites of his […]

C’Vinyl Night at The Jefferson Theater 8/16

Get into the grooves at C’Vinyl Night, a record-setting evening of needle-dropping sessions from three of the most dedicated selectors in town. Gwen Berthy, Thomas Dean, and Ryan Wood pull an eclectic mix of tracks on wax to get you spinning right ’round. From deep cuts to dance-floor staples, these DJs set the stylus to […]

Justin Willman at The Paramount Theater 8/16

With slight-of-hand tricks as quick as his wit, Justin Willman combines the humor of standup comedy with awe-inspiring illusions to pull an amazing show out of his proverbial (and perhaps literal) hat. Willman created and starred in Netflix’s “Magic for Humans,” and partnered with the streamer again for “Magic Lover,” the platform’s first comedy special […]

Nunga Screen at Violet Crown Cinema 8/7

Featuring a curated slate of short films by emerging and established Indigenous Australian filmmakers, Nunga Screen presents a selection of documentaries, dramas, and animations in a blend of contemporary and traditional storytelling from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The screening is presented in two parts, with the first half featuring films suitable for all […]

‘The Price of Resistance: Sala Udin, An American Agitator’ at Vinegar Hill Theatre 8/9

Sharing the story of a civil rights activist targeted by the FBI under its counterintelligence program, The Price of Resistance: Sala Udin, An American Agitator chronicles the life of a community leader and former Pittsburgh city councilman through archival footage, intimate reflections, and interviews with a former agent that provide context to the bureau’s extensive […]