On his eponymously titled new album, Scivic Rivers, the nom de plume of singer-songwriter and UVA alum Randy Bickford, explores the labor of starting a family within the context of modern society. The record pulls together harmonica, pedal steel, and pointillistic arrangements in songs like “Shenandoah Granite,” on which Bickford sings about climate grief as […]
After a two-year stay in Nashville, Jacob Paul Allen returns to his Blue Ridge Mountain roots for an evening of his self-described “Appalachian red dirt” sound. The singer-songwriter flirts with outlaw country and dances with bluegrass, while leaning into ’90s and Americana sounds. Whether performing solo, or with his backing band The Flood, Allen is […]
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library 2450 Old Ivy Rd. “Women Making Books” explores women’s contributions to English and North American bookmaking from the mid-18th to the 21st centuries, and other permanent exhibitions. Botanical Fare 421 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Familiar Scenes: Recent Landscapes in Oil” by Randy Baskerville. Opens June 26. Through […]
Honors of honor Throughout last weekend’s Final Exercises, the University of Virginia honored the victims of November’s fatal shooting. In his opening remarks, President Jim Ryan spoke about how the loss of Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr. has impacted the university community. However, one of the most powerful tributes was paid by […]
Ix’s summer of festivals kicks off with the return of the Charlottesville Arts Festival, now in its third year. The weekend celebrates creativity, diversity, and community with live music, demonstrations, workshops, and over 50 fine artists from all genres. Bad Hat Fire Troupe brings the heat on Saturday, and things get fungi at a watercolor […]
Rising Appalachia pairs global influences with a soulful, folk-roots sound on its album, Leylines. The quartet is joined by West African musician Arouna Diarra on the ngoni and talking drum, and Irish musician Duncan Wickel on fiddle and cello. The band, fronted by sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, tackles tough topics in its songs. “We’re […]
Kick off your shoes, fill up your reusable cup, and rock out on the banks of the river at the Rivanna Roots concert series. Hunter + The Gatherers get the party started with heady grooves, virtuosic tenor, and spacey guitar work, then The Oversteppers (left) keep the party going into the night with reggae beats […]
Meet two of the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary’s newest, and cutest, patients. These fluffy red fox kits were rescued and brought to the sanctuary after their mother was shot by a property owner. They’ve joined one of the largest cohorts of orphaned fox kits in RWS’s history—19 kits! RWS is one of the few wildlife rehabilitation […]
Staffers attacked Two staffers were attacked with a metal bat in Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly’s district office on Monday, May 15. While police are still unsure of the attacker’s motive, the suspect was identified as Xuan Kha Tran Pham, a 49-year-old man from Fairfax. The assailant reportedly entered the congressman’s office, hit the staffers, and […]
Audra McDonald is one of the most decorated performers in the business. The Juilliard-trained soprano has won a record-breaking six Tony Awards for her work in productions like Carousel and A Raisin in the Sun, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy. As an actress, she starred in the “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off “Private Practice,” and more […]