Arts

Comedienne Margaret Cho talks “30 Rock,” songwriting, and being Asian

Margaret Cho is a dragonslayer of sorts. She’s had showdowns with drugs, alcoholism, weight, racism, and sexual discrimination which in turn resulted in activism, recovery, and a successful comedy career. Fearless and offensive behind the microphone, she crafts smart, shocking, sexually and politically charged humor that makes the audience squirm while they nod, cheer, guffaw, […]

Tami Keaveny | September 24, 2012

Arts

Maverick or pirate—Girl Talk wants to take you on a ride

Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, is unapologetic about his art. The former biomedical engineer spends hours, days, months listening, capturing, and cataloging the work of other musicians—storing up thousands of samples that he then repurposes into new genius like some mad scientist digital composer. As Girl Talk, he puts on aerobically charged, frenetic, live laptop […]

Tami Keaveny | September 17, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Charlie Mars

The seductive croon, skilled guitar, and catchy lyrics of Mississippi folk rocker Charlie Mars would be enough to establish his talent and sex appeal. Tack on the devilish good looks, designer threads, and longtime relationship with “Weeds” star Mary Louise Parker to emphasize his stylish mystique. Mars passes through to promote the release of his […]

Tami Keaveny | September 15, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Yhonnie Scarce

Using glass to tell the story, Australian Aboriginal artist Yhonnie Scarce confronts the ominous history of her people and the role of colonization. She conveys a fragile legacy of violence and oppression through personal memories and abstract representation in works such as “The Day We Went Away,” a found suitcase filled with blown glass. On […]

Tami Keaveny | September 13, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Picasso deconstructed

UVA art history professor Lydia Gasman spent countless hours studying, annotating, and deconstructing Modernist artwork and was a leading expert on Pablo Picasso. She was known for her unrivaled vision into the artist’s world, and amassed an enormous collection of analytic works. “Picasso, Lydia and Friends” pays tribute to Gasman’s passionate contributions with an exhibit and launch […]

Tami Keaveny | September 7, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: John Cage Mushroom Walk

Wednesday 9/5 The sound of shroomin’ The work of John Cage can hardly be categorized. A revered audio experimentalist, sound pioneer, writer, and insightful painter, he is lesser known as a mycologist. The Bridge PAI’s Audio September series pays tribute to Cage’s posthumous centennial with a walk in the forest and an unintentional “natural concert” composed […]

Tami Keaveny | September 3, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Final Fridays

Friday 8/31 Finals begin According to the UVA art scene, a final during your first week is the ideal way to ease back in to college life.  The Final Fridays series kicks off with four special exhibitions at the Fralin Museum of Art. “Ancient Masters in Modern Styles,” “The Valley of the Shadow,” “Jean Hélion,” and “Making Science […]

Tami Keaveny | August 30, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Ralphie May

Friday 8/31 Bust a gut Having built a comedy career around fat jokes, Ralphie May’s Too Big to Ignore tour follows suit. Beyond his notable physique, May grabs wanted attention on the gossip wire along with his comedienne wife Lahana Turner through punchy sarcasm and eye-popping antics—from the marginally famous marijuana arrest and the release […]

Tami Keaveny | August 30, 2012

Arts

ARTS Pick: Ocean Versus Daughter

Friday 8/24 Sea change Formed in Prague by Virginia ex-pat Flanna “Flannaland” Sheridan, Ocean Versus Daughter is a somber, piano-driven indie act with a good dose of strings. (Think Tori Amos under sedation.) Despite the pretentious band name, the talented group goofs it up with member names like Matt “Starts Fights on Planes” Ford, “Gorgeous” […]

Tami Keaveny | August 22, 2012

Arts

We love this town: All roads lead to Charlottesville

Charlottesville got its hooks in me at a relatively early age. During my high school years I visited frequently, after my grade school best friend relocated here from the wild hills of West Virginia, where we shared our hippie youth. As the child of a folk singer, I was happily bounced around the East Coast […]

Tami Keaveny | August 22, 2012