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 […]
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, […]
Hip-hop hit: Chris Newman, aka VA DOE, has been a pillar of central Virginia hip-hop for over two decades. An experienced radio DJ who spins every weeknight on 101.3 Jamz, Newman started making music as a teen at Charlottesville’s Music Resource Center, and he was inducted into the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest’s hall […]
It’s the (new) law July 1 not only heralds the start of another hot summer, but it’s also when new laws go into effect. Things you were doing legally on June 30 (ahem, 20-year-old vapers) are now against the law. And sometimes vice versa (hello, happy hour). Nicotine users: Virginia bumps the legal age to […]
From the mountains of Wintergreen to the valley where Scottsville sits, the Charlottesville area is exploding with Independence Day celebrations. Bonus: Since July 4 falls on a Thursday this year, party time stretches out over a long weekend. What this means is that, in addition to barbecuing in your local park or backyard, you can […]
Art of the smile: Roberto Carlos Lange, aka Helado Negro, plays down-tempo indie that pulls as much from the electronic music he listened to in his teens as the Latin sounds of his Ecuadorian heritage. On his recent record, This Is How You Smile, Lange sings in both English and Spanish, ruminating about family pride […]
Our annual, and always subjective, look at the movers and shakers around town is a mix of stalwarts and surprises. Here’s our take on the people shaping our city and county this year, for better or worse. We hope it gets you talking. Politics Nikuyah Walker Since Mayor Nikuyah Walker was elected in the […]
By Graham Schiltz Ten days after their first meeting, the cast members of Million Dollar Quartet are attending their first start-to-finish rehearsal. It’s described to me as a “stumble through,” but, to an outsider, that doesn’t seem to give the people on stage enough credit. There’s a buzz of excitement as actors fill the room […]
High notes: Four opera vocalists, including two members of New York’s prestigious Metropolitan Opera, kick off Charlottesville Opera’s summer season with Encore!, in celebration of the opera’s 10th year at the venue. Backed by a live orchestra, the greatest hits show features an eclectic mix of favorites from iconic composers like Mozart, Verdi, and Bernstein. […]
Hot and humored: For more than 35 years, Southern Culture on the Skids has been playing what guitarist and singer Rick Miller calls “Americana from the wrong side of the tracks.“ The Chapel Hill, North Carolina band just might have more fun than its audience while jamming out surf, rockabilly, and R&B tunes from albums […]