Pick: Sharon Van Etten

There must be a clone: Sharon Van Etten does it all. The singer-songwriter found time to write her fifth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow, while she was studying psychology, pregnant, creating scores and soundtracks, and acting on Netflix’s “The OA.” It’s no surprise that the new album is an energetic, expansive record about pursuing your […]

Pick: Lucille Stout Smith

History of learning: Lucille Stout Smith uncovers local history in her new book, Unforgettable: Jackson P. Burley High School, 1951–1967. In a segregated Virginia, the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County came to an agreement to build and jointly operate Jackson P. Burley High as a “separate but equal” school for Black students living in […]

Plant yourself

By Chris Martin In recent years, fine-dining establishments in big cities have made headlines with their vegan menu transitions. That sea change gave way to a rise in popularity of plant-based restaurant concepts, which means new options for Charlottesville herbivores are popping up faster than spring pea shoots. Vegetarians and vegans who have been devoted […]

In brief: Pipeline rally, Unite the Right legal fees, and more

For the win A sense of hope and victory was strong among the over 200 people who attended a virtual, national rally to stop construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The MVP is a 42-inch, underground natural gas pipeline system that stretches 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. Activists and environmental advocacy […]

Building blocks

By Matt Dhillon There is a moment when our things stop being our things and begin their new life as trash. It is the frighteningly casual act of throwing something away. Once it is trash, it is forgotten, discarded, and buried, but we know that our wastefulness is catching up with us. It’s a problem […]

Pick: It Shoulda Been You

I OBJECT!: Bridezillas, groomzillas, there’s nothing like good ol’ fashioned wedding drama to anchor a comedy plot. Get your fix at Four County Player’s It Shoulda Been You, a musical that takes place over the course of a wedding day where everything that can go wrong, does. The 90-minute show from central Virginia’s longest continuously […]

Pick: Chocolate Chowdown

Sweet tooth: A sweet evening awaits at PVCC’s Annual Student Exhibition and Eighth Annual Chocolate Chowdown. Sample from a lavish spread of decadent chocolate treats as you peruse a diverse display of student art, including paintings, drawings, ceramics, graphic design pieces, sculptures, and other digital media. Stop by the “color-in” tables to add your own […]

Pick: Shovels & Rope

Domino effect: After months of nonstop touring, Americana folk act Shovels & Rope was ready to slow things down on its latest album, Manticore. Then COVID-19 stalled the music industry, and the husband-and-wife duo decided to revisit and expand the songs that were originally intended to include nothing but acoustic guitar and piano. The result […]

Playing their part

By Dave Cantor Early in Garcia Peoples’ run, there was a four-year break between albums. It’s an almost unthinkable span of time in the digital age, but it was spent devising material for a clutch of future albums that includes five studio efforts and several live recordings. It’s an avalanche of music, one that revels […]

In brief: FOIA troubles, doctor found guilty, and more

Fogel FOIA response from city How much has the City of Char­lottesville paid out in settlements for claims of police misconduct? That’s what attorney Jeff Fogel hoped to learn when he filed a FOIA request on behalf of the People’s Coalition two weeks ago, asking for any responsive records for the past two years. The […]