Phoning in the overture: When Victory Hall Opera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata was canceled, the cast turned to their iPhones—but not for pandemic-induced doom scrolling. Instead, they collaborated on filming UNSUNG, the first feature film made by and about opera singers. In it, the cast navigates the challenges of life during a pandemic, and […]
Take you there: Founded in 1969 by four Alabama session musicians, the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio became legendary for soul music after producing hits for Wilson Pickett (“Mustang Sally”), Aretha Franklin (“I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)”), and the Staple Singers (“I’ll Take You There”), among others. The magical environment and […]
Winging it: Kenn Kaufman is an extreme birder who’s been at it since the ‘60s, when he dropped out of high school and hit the road in pursuit of feathered creatures. The author, artist, naturalist, and conservationist’s career really took flight when he won 1973’s Big Year birding competition and set the record for most […]
Smoke in our eyes A new Q joint started smoking last Friday. Vision Barbecue is pioneered by co-owners Mike Blevins and Gabi Barghachie, who came up with their “vision” for the restaurant while working together at Maya. These barbecue boys are on a mission to add their own take on authentic smoked meats and sides […]
By Sean Tubbs The fate of a proposed 300-space city-owned parking garage at Seventh and Market streets—in the space currently occupied by Lucky 7 and Guadalajara—hangs in the balance. Charlottesville City Council has to decide whether or not to include $8 million in next year’s capital budget plan for the project. The proposed garage has […]
Sign of the times After months of debate over Charlottesville’s honorary street name policies, City Council unanimously approved two requests last week recommended by the Historic Resources Committee: Black History Pathway and Byers-Snookie Way. Black History Pathway, located on Fourth Street NW between West Main Street and Preston Avenue, pays homage to the city’s rich […]
Wine diplomacy: If you’re interested in celebrating presidents, pairing them with wine may be the way to go. In a nod to Presidents’ Day, the second installment of Monticello’s History in a Glass series explores Thomas Jefferson’s passion for wine and the influence it had on diplomatic relations and social entertaining at the White House. […]
Slow cookin’ to victory: As every child knows, there’s more than one way to eat your greens (or accidentally spill them to a pet under the table). Lucky for all of us, the chefs at the annual Greens Cookoff know how to tantalize taste buds with greens and two other ultimate homestyle comfort foods: mac […]
By Shea Gibbs The “Reverend” Bill Howard found his calendar wide open when the pandemic hit last year. The musician and hospitality industry worker had been gigging regularly with his beloved Americana band, The Judy Chops, and had some free time to fill when the live shows abruptly ended. Howard’s solution? Weekly livestreams on Facebook […]
By Alana Bittner Just steps away from Heather Heyer Way, the faces of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sage Smith, and others look out from the Silverchair office windows on the Downtown Mall. Painted with India ink on cardboard, 12 portraits comprise the series “Say Their Names: a BLM Tribute,” artist Laura Lee Gulledge’s homage to […]