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

Arts

ARTS Pick: Mingo Fishtrap

Friday 8/24 Stir the beans With a recipe to rock your soul, Mingo Fishtrap cooks up down ‘n’ dirty, gutbucket, nawlins-style grooves topped with a flourish of Motown. The Austin, Texas, act is heavy with horns and a ready rhythm section, and ass-shakin’ is the name of the game at the next installment of the […]

Tami Keaveny | August 22, 2012

Arts

Natalie Cole anchors The Paramount Theater’s new season

The Paramount Theater took advantage of its glamorous décor and big screen to announce the upcoming 2012-13 season during a festive preview party on Monday night.  The red carpet was rolled out and movie star look-a-likes greeted guests under the marquee. A retrospective of the theater was shown before Executive Director Chris Eure took the […]

Tami Keaveny | August 21, 2012

Arts

CVILLE Arts Beat: Top Picks for Jul 30-Aug 6

Saturday 8/4 Deadpan diva Esther Ku is charming and adorable. But, be warned—it’s all part of a devious plan to put you at ease, leaving you wide open for a self-deprecating, possibly racially tinged joke right where you least expect it. A finalist in both “Last Comic Standing” season six and Howard Stern’s hottest funniest chick […]

Tami Keaveny | August 1, 2012