PICK: Hallo-Queen

DragGing it out: Local drag legends are ready to go the social distance for a good time at Hallo-Queen, hosted by Arione DeCardenza. Dance and sing along to joyful hits and songs of the season with Sabrina Laurence (The Crayola Queen), Dezerayah D. Taylor, Crimsyn, Jayzeer Shanty, and London BaCall. Friday 10/30, 18-plus. Masks required. […]

In brief: UVA returns in spring, COVID hits Wintergreen, and more

Back again? After a semester that featured dorm lockdowns, gathering limits, maskless masses flooding bars, and more than a thousand positive tests among students, staff, and contract employees since August, UVA announced last week that students will return to Grounds in person for the spring semester. The university will essentially replicate its fall reopening plans […]

PICK: 9 Pillars Hip Hop Music Video Showcase

Stage to screen: For the second year in a row, the Virginia Film Festival is screening works by local hip-hop video directors and rappers during the 9 Pillars Hip Hop Music Video Showcase. Curated by Cullen “Fellowman” Wade, who compiles a wide variety of styles within the genre, the showcase connects some of the most prolific […]

PICK: Gallery of Curiosities

Urine for a treat: More than 40 contributors dug into the dark recesses of their art closets to assemble the “deep-dive into the most peculiar parts of our community’s collective wonder” that is the Gallery of Curiosities. In other words, you’ll be offered a peek behind the curtain, past the sensical and the visually accessible, […]

Carving out history: Leni Sorensen bridges the gap between kitchen and table at Monticello

Thomas Jefferson never wrote about the food at Monticello. His kitchens were stocked with ingredients from around the world—cinnamon from Asia, lemons from the Caribbean, brandies and fine cheeses from Richmond. But in his writing, Jefferson didn’t remark on the fine food that his enslaved chefs prepared for his table. He simply expected its consistent […]

The punks are alright

A punk rock arsonist is not the likely lead in a romantic comedy, but love has never been known to follow the rules. Dinner in America cheers for the underdogs and sees people for who they really are. Writer/director Adam Rehmeier’s twist on a boy-meets-girl tale starts with punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) setting a […]

Real to reel: Director Nicole Kassell discusses bringing ‘Watchmen’ to life

HBO’s hit series “Watchmen” presents a universe where high fantasy collides with horrible reality, a world where an alternate world replete with superheroes and interdimensional creatures shifts to a very real American atrocity. Building on the 1985 graphic novel Watchmen, writer/executive producer Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) has crafted a frequently askew viewing experience around the 1921 […]

In the running: Shelter for Help in Emergency fights on

By Laura Drummond The phone has been ringing a lot at the Shelter for Help in Emergency. Since the pandemic began, SHE, which provides safe housing and other services for domestic violence victims in the Charlottesville area, has received approximately 50 percent more hotline calls than during the same time period last year. SHE has […]

In brief: Keeping the pressure, breaking the law, and more

Defunders keep fighting “Does abolition really mean ending the police? Yes.” So said community organizer Ang Conn, as she spearheaded last Wednesday’s Zoom conversation on policing, hosted by Defund Cville Police. Over 80 community members joined in on the call. The group hopes to keep the pressure on as the summer of protests moves into […]