ARTS PICK: John Doyle

Step to it: John Doyle’s guitar talents have earned the Dublin, Ireland native credits on the recordings of several Celtic performers and an invitation to perform for President Obama, but he is best known as a founding member of the popular Irish band Solas. Grammy-winning Jeremy Kittel plays his violin with a devilish drive, and […]

ARTS PICK: Steel Magnolias

Care salon: The six women in the classic tearjerker Steel Magnolias dish out tough love and compassion at Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana. Based on the true story of creator Robert Harling’s sister, the play is a lesson in resilience, and a testament to the power of female friendships. This production stars Katy Sullivan, […]

Bridge builders: Charlottesville’s unsung heroes

By Kay Slaughter Each day, people cross the Drewary J. Brown Bridge on West Main Street oblivious of this memorial to Charlottesville’s history. Nothing announces the bridge over the railroad tracks as a special space. It was rebuilt in 1998 and renamed by City Council for Brown, a civil rights leader who had recently died. […]

ARTS Pick: Rick Price

A musical life: Growing up as part of a family band in rural Australia, Rick Price has spent his life in music. Early in his solo career, Price’s catchy pop songs were inescapable on Top 40 radio stations down under. In the ’90s he won Australia’s song of the year and appeared on “Good Morning […]

ARTS Pick: Erin & The Wildfire

Virginia grooving : Erin & The Wildfire has built a massive following in central Virginia since its formation in 2012. The charming, upbeat act has grown beyond club sets to performing regularly at music festivals such as Lockn’, Rooster Walk, and FloydFest. Led by Erin Lunsford’s strong and steady vocals, the group combines pop, rock, […]

ARTS Pick: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Magic in midsummer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream in mid-summer, under the stars, among the ruins of an 18th-century mansion? You can’t get much closer to the spirit of Shakespeare’s most whimsical creation. The classic comedy is performed—complete with fairies and sprites, young love, and one wrong-headed decision after another—against the backdrop of Governor James Barbour’s […]

ARTS Pick: Tomato Jake

8-bit emotion: On an all-electronic bill, Richmond artists Plastic_Pyramid, In Fosa, and Gleam Utility support Pennsylvania musician Tomato Jake on his East Coast tour. His latest record, Commercial Album, features 41 bite-sized songs that seem to end as soon as they start, launching into the next track with little warning. Built around 8-bit synthesizers, the […]