ARTS Pick: Nick Vatterott

The L.Y.A.O Comedy Showcase has made Charlottesville a more frequent option for smaller tours featuring up-and-coming comics. Nick Vatterott is one of them, and though you may not recognize him by name, chances are, you will soon. Vatterott’s comedy is quick and sharp, and he utilizes his improv experience on stage, acting out stories and […]

Album reviews: Hannah Miller, Andrew Osenga, Mumford & Sons

Hannah Miller Hannah Miller/self-released Hannah Miller is one of the most atmospheric singer-songwriters around. Her penchant for mixing dusty, molasses-thick vocals with stark imagery is evident on her new record, as well as the understated fashion in which the songs play out, making for a nice dichotomy. The slow-burning roots rocker “Help Me Out” mirrors […]

ARTS Pick: Beck

Since his rise to fame in the early ’90s, Beck has become something of a music icon. His breakout “lo-fi” sound had an air of lethargy, while revealing a staid, candid glimpse of Americana that no other artist had been able to capture. Beck’s music matured over the years, and the downright cool of his […]

ARTS Pick: Our Town

Four County Players, in collaboration with the Hamner Theater, rekindles the neighborly drama and simple charm of last-century Americana in its production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town. Thornton Wilder’s play within a play showcases the appeal of everyday lives made extraordinary through observation, and remains exceedingly popular as it approaches its 80th anniversary. Through […]

ARTS Pick: Lewis Black

Known for animated, angry facial expressions and loud, rambling rants, Lewis Black has emerged at the forefront of satirical, political comedy. Black’s been a regular on “The Daily Show” as well as starring in a number of his own comedy specials including “Black on Broadway” and “The Root of All Evil,” the latter in which […]

ARTS Pick: Los Lobos

It was a mutual fondness for obscure artists like Randy Newman and Ry Cooder that originally sparked drummer Louie Pérez and guitarist David Hidalgo’s musical relationship in 1973. But it wasn’t until  the ’80s that the massive soundtrack cover of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” catapulted them into the mainstream. More than 40 years, and 20 […]

ARTS Pick: Fight Night

Exercise your freedom of speech and love for the arts in a unique dramatic performance when Live Arts’ Fight Night places control in the audience’s hands—literally. Viewers determine the outcome of the play by voting with a handheld transmitter as five actor/contestants duke it out onstage in an innovative production that challenges beliefs and stimulates […]