Side effects: Cell tower emissions at Western still issue for some

By Caroline Eastham Aesthetics seemed to have gotten more discussion than health risks when Albemarle County approved a cell tower at Western Albemarle High last fall. The tower will provide sorely needed cell service to Crozet and internet access to over 400 homes and businesses, yet some say the health risks outweigh the connectivity benefit. […]

ARTS Pick: Pride and Prejudice

Game theater: In Kate Hamill’s reworking of the witty and romantic Pride and Prejudice, love is a game with rules and strategy, and played for high stakes. It’s still Lizzy and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, but this time the production includes modern song and dance, and some cynicism to boot. Each player is open about […]

ARTS Pick: Belle & Sebastian

Belles and whistles: More than 20 years on from the group’s formation in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle & Sebastian continue to make records cherished by its fanbase. B&S’ sound has ranged from intimate acoustic rock to synthed dance music over the course of its 10 studio albums. On the newest release, How to Solve Our Human […]

ARTS Picks: Maupintown Film Festival

Historic lens: Featuring over 20 films,​ discussions, and presentations over three days, the Maupintown Film Festival showcases the black experience in America. Topics range from the legacy of historic African Americans such as Arthur Ashe and Booker T. Washington, to lesser known events, like the 1921 Tulsa race riots. This year’s theme is “Back in […]

ARTS Pick: Camelot

Royal drama: The Charlottesville Opera’s Camelot is complete with suits of armor and ornate sets that pull you into the fantasy of King Arthur’s court. In this all-new rendition of the award-winning play, the principled and supremely honorable King Arthur must react to chaotic reality when Guenevere falls for Lancelot, a knight of the Round […]

ARTS Pick: Mental Attraction Band 2.0

Funkin’ up the coast: Providing music for the GoGo Indépendance crew, Mental Attraction Band 2.0 brings go-go from its native Washington, D.C., to cities along the East Coast. With 20 years of experience, the 13-piece band blends funk, R&B, and hip-hop to create an exciting live performance. The team of veteran musicians includes the bass […]

ARTS Pick: Pure Formalism

Celluloid hero: In defining its summer film series Pure Formalism, The Bridge PAI states, “In the spirit of Stan Brakhage, we stand face-to-face with the image itself—and absorb.” Brakhage was a highly influential experimental filmmaker whose career spanned five decades beginning in the ’50s. His six-minute short The Dante Quartet, a silent film of images […]

ARTS Pick: Six Foot Ceilings

Indie rewind: No longer confined to the house party basements that inspired its name, Six Foot Ceilings is moving up. The local band gives in to nostalgia but always with an indie tonal twist, offering everything from a moody “Hit Me Baby One More Time” to a haunting “Cry Me a River.” But don’t fret, […]