ARTS Pick: Tigers Be Still

Rescue zoo: Sherry Wickman is on the way to achieving her professional dreams when she moves back home and faces a fruitless job search and the family dynamics that set her on the path to becoming a therapist. Relatives retreat into their anxiety and, as they struggle, a tiger escapes from the zoo, prowling freely […]

ARTS Pick: United Nations of Comedy

Laughing all the way: As a shy kid growing up in Washington, D.C., United Nations of Comedy headliner Jay Phillips would watch “Saturday Night Live” and “An Evening at the Improv,” and play his mom’s comedy records on repeat, learning from the greats before he put his own routine on stage. He drew laughs at […]

ARTS Pick: She Kills Monsters

Fantasy rolls: Written by Qui Nquyen, the play She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes, a teen who embarks on a fantastic journey after her younger sister, Tilly, dies unexpectedly. Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook and dives into her sister’s world of fairies, ogres, and dwarves, and begins to understand that she […]

ARTS Pick: Ariana Grande

We are next: Superstar Ariana Grande has been on an intense performing schedule for the last eight months, showcasing her recent albums Sweetener and Thank U, Next. Known for her commitment to fans, Grande’s giving them what they love—a setlist with tight choreography that highlights her introspective sentimentality and dance-pop smash hits. Her songs are […]

Work and passion: The search for hip-hop success

Music reflects the spirit of a community. With each new generation, artists must find ways to keep the music they create playing around town. In the Charlottesville area, a small but dedicated group of people keeps the hip-hop scene thriving. Musicians like Channing “Mr. Gray” Gray and Malcolm “Waasi” Wills work with a variety of […]

ARTS Pick: Kishi Bashi

Playing into it: Athens, Georgia-based multi-instrumentalist Kaoru Ishibashi, who uses the stage name Kishi Bashi, makes a unique brand of indie pop. In some songs, his mastery of violin and guitar come across as bright and joyful, and in others he turns mournful. He’s toured with Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, and has […]

ARTS Pick: Wilco

Been there: Regardless of which collaborative era in Jeff Tweedy’s career got you on board—Jay Farrar, Jay Bennett, Billy Bragg, Nels Cline—you’ve likely heard the frontman of the revered alt-country, punk-leaning, folk-forward, American rock band Wilco at his best—because Tweedy does not disappoint. Twenty-five years after the band’s formation, Wilco’s poetic authenticity continues to thrive […]

ARTS Pick: Miranda Lambert

Nashville smash: Superstar Miranda Lambert has a powerful voice, and a striking capacity for emotional depth. She sings female rage songs like “Gunpowder and Lead” and “Mama’s Broken Heart,” aimed at abusive partners and cheaters, and she can tone it down in sentimental crooning ballads, such as “The House That Built Me.” The country queen […]