My fiancé and I met at a high school dance. I was dancing on a table with girlfriends (one of whom will be my maid of honor at our wedding this May), while he stood against a wall near the room’s front door. You could say it was love at first sight. As a lover […]
At times in life when we don’t have an answer, a parent’s oft-repeated aphorism sometimes comes to mind—whether we like it or not. For Sons of Bill guitarist and vocalist James Wilson, it’s a saying from his father, William Wilson, a retired UVA theology professor: “Never miss out on an opportunity to let the world […]
The next time you use the Water Street and Second Street crosswalk, look in the Live Arts window. There’s a light on in the lobby—the theater’s ghost light. It’s small and casts yellow light from a transparent glass shade, and, according to superstition, keeps ghosts from haunting the theater after everyone leaves. Ever concerned with […]
When Scott DeVeaux was growing up in New York in the 1950s, he encountered “a lot” of Civil War specters. Several relatives were named after Confederate generals, displayed Confederate figurines throughout their homes and celebrated memorabilia like trading cards commemorating the centennial of the War Between the States. Though he didn’t know what to make […]
While playing a 30-minute set at Lockn’ in 2014, Erin & The Wildfire guitarist Ryan Lipps broke a string on every guitar he brought, so to cover the lag in the “squeeze-in-as-much-you-can-set,” drummer Nick Quillen told a long, drawn-out joke. “It wasn’t exactly the best thing we’ve ever done, but it was certainly memorable,” Quillen […]
When Erin Lunsford is on the road with her band, Erin & the Wildfire, she’s often overlooked. Because she’s a woman, Lunsford says, many assume she’s a groupie—even though she’s the band’s lead vocalist and it’s her name on the bill. Though it’s initially difficult for her to pick just one, Lunsford recalls a particularly […]
Ten years ago, Caitlin Lennon received a job offer from a “small startup.” Emily Hartka and Sara Clayborne, co-founders of what would become the Charlottesville Ballet, asked Lennon to join them as a company dancer. Lennon was training on full scholarship with the Richmond Ballet, had never visited Charlottesville, wasn’t sure about her salary and […]
What do cowboys, farmers and love triangles have in common with the United States of today? To Michelle Krisel, artistic director of Charlottesville Opera, the answer is a lot. That’s much of the reason why Krisel and Charlottesville Opera (formerly Ash Lawn Opera), chose Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! to close the company’s 40th summer season. […]
For singer-songwriter Caroline Spence, there’s no debate about where to find the best ice cream on the Downtown Mall. It’s at Chaps, and it’s the banana flavor. “It’s the only good banana ice cream in the entire world,” says Spence, who grew up in Charlottesville and used to open for touring artists like Joshua Radin […]
During his first year at UVA, Louis Smith felt homesick. He missed his hometown, Virginia Beach, and places like Kendall Street, a beach access road where Smith and friends lit bonfires and watched fireworks. Fast forward five years, and Smith, still in Charlottesville, feels right at home. While studying music at the University of Virginia, […]