ARTS Pick: War Horse

A young boy and his beloved horse Joey are plucked from tranquil farm life in Devon and thrust into the depraved and violent landscape of World War I. Such is the tale of War Horse, adapted for the stage from the book by Michael Morpurgo, and broadcast live from the National Theatre in London. In […]

Overheard on the restaurant scene: This week’s foodie news

The Downtown Grille is officially back open for business after being closed for an extensive six-week renovation. Located on the west end of the Downtown Mall, the restaurant has been serving up steakhouse-style fare for 15 years, and managing partner Robert Sawrey said it was time for a change. The entire interior, from the host […]

On its sophomore record, Hospitality goes dark

Trouble, Hospitality’s sterling sophomore record, announces itself by proffering a warning. “If you go to sleep, dear,” warns guitarist and singer Amber Papini on “Nightingale,” “you’ll see ghosts in your bed.” Later, she cautions against other mythical creatures—sirens, vampires—that threaten sleepers. But Papini said the trouble that inspired the record is a bit more existential. […]

ARTS Pick: Six Pack Songwriters Series

Virginia-native tunes abound at the Six Pack Songwriters Series, a quarterly collaboration of local artists founded by Jason Burke. This fourth installment features a wide range of original music from veteran singer-songwriters John Kelly and Gene Mills, as well as guitarist Bill Staton. Drink in Kathryn Caine’s dark side Americana or Alice Clair’s alternative acoustic […]

From the editor-at-large: Formal influences

In the Piedmont, large red brick houses have always had a certain kind of monumental grandeur in the landscape. They are Virginia’s architecture—a tall central house, often hyphenated with ancillary spaces to the sides, large and formal, yet quiet and elegant—and were the standard bearer of sophistication in their time. I admire them most often in late autumn […]