Block party: Charlottesville’s downtown, long a subject of controversy, is settling into its own

Charlottesville’s downtown has been a source of debate and controversy for nearly a century. Could the debate finally be coming to a close? For the first time in a long while, some agreement has emerged about how to balance downtown development—residential versus commercial, shared versus dedicated space and parking in particular. “The downtown area is […]

The Doctor is out: George Clinton stops by on the road to retirement

George Clinton is back. George Clinton is leaving. In April, just three months after releasing “I’m Gon Make U Sick O’ Me,” a single from Medicaid Fraud Dogg, the first Parliament record in 38 years, Dr. Funkenstein announced he’ll retire from touring in spring 2019. It marks the final phase of a career spanning five […]

Sons of Bill releases Oh God Ma’am in wake of setbacks

When Sons of Bill played the Jefferson Theater for Christmas 2017, it was one of only a few times in the last two years that the Americana gurus had held a public concert. But there they were in early April—James, Abe and Sam, the three Wilson brothers who make up the Sons of Bill core—setting […]

Local entrepreneur capitalizes on brewing’s ignored ingredient

Beer has been made with malt for hundreds —if not thousands—of years, but a Charlottesville entrepreneur only recently thought to exploit the steeped, germinated and dried grains to find a unique way into the craft beverage world. Jeff Bloem opened Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in Woolen Mills in February. He intended to focus on […]