In brief: Bright lights, progressive progress, zero patients

Blinded by the light Everyone’s afraid of the dark. But night is fundamental to the delicate balance of life on Earth—so says UVA astronomer and artificial light expert Ricky Patterson, who gave an illuminating presentation on the dangers of light pollution at a Sierra Club event at the downtown library this week. More people, more […]

ARTS Pick: Jane Bunnett and Maqueue

Lighting a fire: Merging her jazz background with the rhythms and culture of Cuban music, veteran bandleader Jane Bunnett’s new project Maqueque furthers her unique international explorations. A multiple Juno and Grammy Award winner, Bunnett launched a mentoring program for young, Cuban musicians that’s become a touring all-female collective, and is setting the jazz music […]

ARTS Pick: An Evening of Music to Benefit Eko Ise

Catch this wave: When you listen to Ti Ames (shown) sing, says Front Porch director Emily Morrison, “you don’t know that an unstoppable wave of sound is about to hit you hard. When you pick yourself up off the floor, you’ll have a smile on your face.” Ames joins drummer Robinson Hubbard, bassist Eric J. […]

ARTS Pick: Jordan Davis

Winning combo: With roots in Shreveport, Louisiana, and a heart for the legacy of Nashville’s music scene, country artist Jordan Davis broke big via the internet when his debut album Home State racked up over 1 billion worldwide streams. Stretching his sound between early folk heroes like Jim Croce and current superstars Lady Antebellum, Davis […]

ARTS Pick: Twelfth Night

Love and deception: Romance, comedy, and deceit come to the stage in the form of one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Twelfth Night. Directed by Jamie Virostko and featuring a talented ensemble, this intimate spin on the Bard’s twisted love triangle combines gender-fluidity with romantic chaos in a traditional yet pared-down production. Through Saturday, […]

Liquid gold: Local cidery and coffee roaster garner national awards

On Friday, January 17, Albemarle CiderWorks and Mudhouse Coffee Roasters scored top honors in the 2020 Good Food Awards in San Francisco. Among more than 2,000 entrants, the cidery and coffee producer were regional (South) winners in their respective categories—ACW for its Harrison cider, and Mudhouse for its Geisha Moras Negras roast. Bestowed annually by […]

ARTS Pick: Son Little

Son salutation: R&B soul musician Son Little has an eclectic body of work that includes contributions to recordings by The Roots, RJD2, and Portugal. The Man. He cites Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar, American indie act Grizzly Bear, and Swedish electronic band Little Dragon as early influences, and earned his biggest props to date for his […]

ARTS Pick: Roxane Gay

Rox our world: Roxane Gay can write with both authenticity and wit about Italian restaurants, feminism, body image, racism, rape culture, gun control, and other cultural hot buttons. She’s become internationally recognized for her to-the-point social criticism, and in 2019 Playboy called her one of the most important and accessible cultural commentators of our time. […]

ARTS Pick: Joe Policastro Trio

Screen team: Based on its latest material, you could call the Joe Policastro Trio dramatic. The alt-jazz outfit’s recent recordings include the West Side Story suite, as well as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” “Nadia’s Theme (From ‘The Young and the Restless’),” “Twin Peaks’” theme, Blade Runner’s love theme, and many other well-known TV and screen epics. […]