Downtown church brings back short-lived artists’ forum

How cool can a church get before it starts to ruffle some feathers? Christ Episcopal Church, which operates The Garage, an outdoor concert venue/art gallery (a super-cool combo if ever there was one), is pushing the boundaries of non-secular hip yet again by bringing back its Makers Series. The quarterly event features an evening of […]

Country songwriter Rodney Crowell isn’t about to sell out

Rodney Crowell probably wouldn’t like you. Don’t take it hard. He doesn’t seem to like much—except for country music. The old school songwriter has recorded a handful of tunes that have had commercial success over the years, but he’s even better known for songs other people end up singing. Crowell’s penned tracks that have been […]

Brew battle: Two Charlottesville beer joints go head-to-head

When a college fraternity brother of mine got married about 10 years ago, he gave his groomsmen, me included, giant mugs as part of the grooms’ gift. “Yeah, dude! Huge ass beers!” is something that hopefully no one said out loud. But the implication was clear: throw that sucker in the freezer, go get yerself […]

Renaissance man Todd Snider brings his circus to town

Just seconds into my conversation with Todd Snider, he’s telling me about some LSD that was “going around the neighborhood” a few months back. The next moment, he’s on to a story about dodging fruit hurled by Jimmy Buffett. He then deadpans that if young musicians come to him asking for career advice, “they’ve already […]

Britain’s hot new singer-songwriter strides across the U.S.

Dan Croll could be on the verge of something big. And he knows it. The 23-year-old British singer-songwriter touched down in California at the start of April for his first U.S. headlining tour, and the crowds are growing by the show. By the time Croll hits The Southern Café and Music Hall on April 23, […]

Music Resource Center lines up a big-name bluegrass show

Larry Keel, Virginia bluegrass legend, has lost it. Fortunately, he thinks he can find the old magic anytime he wants. “My beard and I have recently become separated,” Keel said. “But it will be back.” Over the years, Keel has sported a number of facial hairstyles, perhaps none more recognizable than the salt and pepper […]

How Camp Changed My Life

Rosser Wayland couldn’t be sure the crying child he saw on the D.C. subway was lost. The boy seemed alone. But were his parents nearby, waiting out a temper tantrum? Were they administering a timeout? Wayland watched the eyes of the other passengers […]