ARTS Pick: Wolfman’s Got Nards

Monster smash: When it was released in 1987, The Monster Squad was deemed a monster dud. But during a series of anniversary screenings and Q&As 30 years later, the cast and crew were shocked and delighted to learn that the horror film had become a cult classic. That realization inspired Andre Gower, one of the […]

ARTS Pick: Company Aiello

Handy advice: In the theatrical tradition of Italy’s commedia dell’arte, Company Aiello tells old stories in a new light through puppetry and musical accompaniment. Main character Spazzolino is a good-hearted prankster who only wants two things: “a mountain of beans to eat and justice for everyone.” Company founder Angelo Aiello is an inventive puppeteer who […]

ARTS Pick: Katie Toupin

Western lights: Katie Toupin is not forthcoming about her split with the alt-blues band Houndmouth, but it’s clear that the breakup spurred a new creative direction. The keyboardist left Kentucky to launch a solo career in Los Angeles, and she stepped up to the mic to put her own poetry into song on 2018’s Moroccan […]

ARTS Pick: Bill Mize

Listen in: “I received most of my musical education from a cheap Zenith radio,” says fingerstyle guitarist Bill Mize. Growing up in Tennessee with proximity to the area’s musical riches had a clear influence on Mize’s mastery of acoustic instrumentals. He is a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley […]

In brief: Barefoot is history, first-gen funds, Daily Progress staff unionizes, and more

Barefoot is history The executive director of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has resigned less than two years into his tenure. Coy Barefoot, a well-known local author and media personality, was hired in March 2018 after his predecessor Steven Meeks resigned amid questions of mismanagement. Barefoot told at least one person, who later described the […]

“I was about to die!” Three writers recount terrifying close calls.

Exploring outdoors, whether in a city or the wilds, can be relaxing, exhilarating, ennobling—and sometimes, extremely dangerous. We’re not talking about the kind of danger one knowingly faces, for instance, during an extreme undertaking like climbing Everest, where 11 people have died in 2019. Most injuries and even fatal incidents occur during much more low-key […]

Flipping the script: Behind bars, finding freedom in feminism

By Sydney Halleman Richie Edmond-Vargas sits on a shaded bench on the University of Virginia law school terrace. He’s digging into a vegetarian burrito bowl, enjoying a brief break from traveling. He pauses to point to some of the tattoos on his forearms—the Green Bay Packers logo, piano keys. “Eventually, I want to get bell […]

Future code: How will a tech boom change the city?

By Sydney Halleman It’s 10am on the Downtown Mall, and already the sounds of demolition flood the area. Pedestrians stream past Mudhouse Coffee and The Whiskey Jar, and a few glance at the tall fence erected recently across the walkway, and the signs that read, “Do not trespass. Construction site.” Machinery looms over the area […]