Pick: PUP

Listen with caution: Canadian punk band PUP’s name may be an abbreviation for “pathetic waste of potential,” but don’t let that fool you—its fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, marks a clever new marriage between melody and chaos. And according to lead singer Stefan Babcock, chaos is where PUP feels most at home, saying “there […]

Pick: Love the Color of Your Butterfly

Metamorpho-sing: Revel in the atmosphere of a vintage jazz club at Love the Color of Your Butterfly, a deeply personal program from renowned soprano and Victory Hall Opera founding troupe member Janinah Burnett. Performing an original blend of “clazz,” a fusion of jazz and opera, Burnett musically explores her life and career with support from […]

Pick: Raymond & Ray

Don’t skip the preview: The 35th annual Virginia Film Festival is less than two months away, and organizers are giving us a head start with the sneak preview screening of writer-director Rodrigo García’s comedy-drama, Raymond & Ray. Shot in Richmond, Virginia, the film stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke as estranged half-brothers who reunite at […]

In brief: Fashion Square gets new owner, multiple shootings, and more

Re-Fashioned Square After years of increasing vacancies and rumors of big development plans, Fashion Square Mall has a new owner: Home Depot. The Atlanta-based hardware big-box company purchased the entire property at the corner of Seminole Trail and Rio Road, minus the Belk Women’s store and the former JCPenny location on September 1, according to […]

Pick: Butcher Brown

Genre smashing: Richmond-based Butcher Brown is breaking the rules in the best way possible. The band’s upcoming album, Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey featuring Tennishu and R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, deconstructs big-band jazz and reshapes it into “solar music,” a term coined to describe Butcher Brown’s Southern-leaning, sometimes psychedelic fusion. “We get daps from the jazz cats, […]

Pick: The Nude Party

Baked grooves: Formed in a college dorm in Boone, North Carolina, The Nude Party got its start at a regular gig as a house band, where performing in the buff earned the group a reputation as “the naked party band.” Nude Party’s sophomore album, Midnight Manor, harkens back to those house party days with a […]

Pick: Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard Art Festival

In vino ars: Say so long to summer by enjoying wine and art at the Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard Art Festival, a day-long showcase of local creatives. Sip on a sparkling white as you peruse works from 18 artists in a variety of mediums. And a crisp rosé pairs nicely with soulful blues-folk from […]

In brief: Jail renovation, Brackney out of retirement, and more

‘People don’t get well in a cell’  Charlottesville City Council passed a resolution last week supporting the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail’s request for state funding for a massive $49 million renovation project. Jail leadership hopes the state will contribute around $12 million, leaving the three localities that use the facility—the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle […]

In brief: City wants Brackney lawsuit dismissed

City asks judge to throw out Brackney lawsuit More than two months after former police chief RaShall Brackney filed a $10 million lawsuit against the City of Charlottesville—and 10 current and former city officials—alleging she was wrongfully terminated based on her sex and gender, the city has asked a federal judge to dismiss the suit. […]

Pick: Tyler Burkhardt

September reveries: There’s nothing like listening to the strumming of an acoustic guitar on a warm, late-summer evening. But fingerstyle guitarist Tyler Burkhardt does more than just strum—he creates the sound of an entire band by hitting, tapping, slapping, and thumping the body and strings of his guitar. A Chesterfield native who now lives in […]