THEN: A&N, closed in 2006 / NOW: Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar, opened in 2011 If you grew up in Charlottesville, you probably remember stopping by A&N in the summer to shop for back-to-school gear. For several decades, A&N, a popular, Richmond-based sportswear chain founded in 1868, operated on the Downtown Mall (among other locations in […]
Anything but tired: Very loud Bay Area doom metal trio Sleep attained underground legend status with a monolithic late-’90s riff monster called Dopesmoker. The long-awaited 2018 follow-up, The Sciences, brought new commercial success and a bit more sonic variation without sacrificing the band’s trademark bongwater-soaked power. Rumor has it that the oft-shirtless guitarist Matt Pike […]
Acoustic ascent: The 20-year career of Rodrigo y Gabriela has played out as deftly as the acoustic rock duo’s music. Meeting in Mexico as teenagers, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero became a couple and formed a rock band. After growing frustrated with local opportunities, they took up residency in Dublin, Ireland, where they perfected their […]
No happy accidents: Dr. Bernie Beitman’s 2016 book, Connecting With Coincidence, throws science at the notion that surprise happenings in our lives are not entirely by chance. Dr. Coincidence’s Song and Dance Show takes that thinking to the stage, where personal stories of serendipity come alive through, well, song and dance. Beitman is joined by […]
75th D-Day commemorates local hero whose name is misspelled June 6 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a turning point in World War II. Across the globe, veterans will gather for speeches, re-enactments, and celebrations. The National Medal of Honor Museum is coordinating something a little more ambitious. The museum hopes to have churches in […]
Roxana De La O, her husband Ramiro Angel, a full-time cook at Bizou, and their two kids were one of eight local families celebrating their new Habitat for Humanity homes June 1 in Lochlyn Hill. The families contributed more than 3,300 hours of sweat equity on six job sites. Habitat built the three- and four-bedroom […]
By Eileen Abbott Bradley Kipp recently noticed evidence of a nighttime intruder in the tranquil, wooded Bellair neighborhood west of town where he lives. A resourceful problem solver, Kipp decided to use bungee cords to thwart the thief. He created makeshift “locks” to tightly seal his trash bins, which were being regularly rummaged through, apparently […]
When word came out in early 2015 that Harper Lee was set to publish a sequel to the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird, author Casey Cep was one of a number of reporters who traveled to Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, to cover the book’s release. Despite Lee’s enormous popularity, Go Set a […]
Jazz age: At 60, jazz pianist Matthew Shipp is still innovating, even while contemplating a career slowdown. Known for his slick improvisations, the veteran is joined by peers from New York City’s modern jazz scene on a tour to celebrate the new release, Signature, by the Matthew Shipp Trio. Downbeat Magazine calls Shipp “the connection […]
Muggles music: Music director Benjamin Rous leads the Charlottesville Symphony through compositions by John Williams, Alexandre Desplat, Nicholas Hooper, and Patrick Doyle in a showcase of magical moments from world’s most idolized boy wizard in Pops at The Paramount—The Harry Potter Concert. While the performance does not feature film clips, the audience is invited to […]