Guns down Sporting an array of orange attire, several dozen community members gathered in the Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church parking lot on Friday afternoon to honor and remember the thousands of lives lost to gun violence nationwide each year. The National Gun Violence Awareness Day event—hosted by the B.U.C.K. Squad, Moms Demand Action […]
Radio gaga: Whether you’re a morning commuter listening to the soothing sounds of “Classical Sunrise,” a night owl working along to “Virginia Overnights,” or an early riser enjoying “With Good Reason,” you’ve probably tuned in to WTJU during the last 65 years. In celebration of its six-plus decades of community broadcasting, a new micro-museum, Radio […]
Can’t touch this: Michael Bisio is one of the most prolific bassists working today—he’s composed over 100 works, appears on more than 100 CDs, and can jump from classical poise to jazzy fervor in a heartbeat. His 2022 release, Inimitable, is an album of solo bass improvisations that showcases the range of the bass, from […]
Carrying a tune: Tim O’Brien went from singing in church and school in West Virginia, to being a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of country and bluegrass music. His latest release, He Walked On, explores what it means to be American with intimate histories and stories told through eight new original songs and five carefully curated […]
Montpelier gets new leadership With more than half its members now representing the descendants of enslaved workers at Montpelier, the Montpelier Foundation Board is moving quickly to undo actions taken by previous leadership during a months-long dispute over control of the board. First on that to-do list: rehiring high-level staffers who’d been fired for speaking […]
From polo and swimming holes, to sunsets and weed, here’s our guide to the season’s hottest happenings. 1. Flix at IX Remember the good ol’ days of drive-in movies—basking in the warm summer air, holding your portable radio close, munching on snacks? If you’ve never experienced the magic of outdoor cinema in the summer, IX […]
Sound waves: California-based musician Brian Kelly’s solo project Oceanography is more than music. In addition to songwriting, singing, and composing, the freelance designer-by-day also creates album artwork, show posters, and music videos—and he does it all from his bedroom. Kelly/Oceanography’s latest album, Thirteen Songs About Driving Nowhere in Alphabetical Order, matches the artist’s lyrical talent […]
Echo chamber: Opera becomes experiential during Soundflight 2, a series of immersive, outdoor concerts from Victory Hall Opera. Soprano Miriam Gordon-Stewart and baritone Jorell Williams, alongside an accordion, oboe, and percussion, take advantage of nature’s acoustics as they perform at various locations around the beautiful Quarry Gardens. Enjoy a program of works by Puccini, Bach, […]
Crowning achievement: The Charlottesville Band kicks off its centennial celebration with a summer concert series. Originally formed by a group of enthusiastic amateur musicians, the ensemble (formerly The Municipal Band of Charlottesville) has spent the last 100 years sharing free music with the community. From classical and jazz to Broadway tunes and rap, the band’s […]
By Greg Walker Kate Bollinger Look at it in the Light, Ghostly International Look at it in the Light, Kate Bollinger’s debut release on Ghostly International, is a soul-searching expedition. “Pleases me to know I might be wrong / if only I had known it all along,” the Charlottesville, Virginia, native sings on “I Found […]