Arts

Pick: Rusty Speidel and Michael Clem

In session: Tracing Rusty Speidel’s music career is like coloring a zentangle. It twists, turns, and flows into many shapes, connects to a greater body of work, and the results are dependably creative and beautiful. Speidel (right) is a session musician, producer, arranger, and a founding member of SGGL (Speidel, Michael Goggin, Tom Goodrich, and […]

Tami Keaveny | June 11, 2020

Arts

Pick: Zoom Comedy Hour

An hour of laughter: These aren’t the funniest of times, but given the circumstances, a little laughter is more important than ever. Comedians Chris Alan and Winston Hodges have you covered with their Zoom Comedy Hour. Beaming live sets and gags online, the popular local comedians bring their regular standup gig to your living room, […]

Tami Keaveny | June 11, 2020

Culture Living

PICK: Montpelier’s Horticultural History

Planting seeds: Montpelier, the home of President James Madison, and later, the duPont family, is a former plantation dedicated to historical preservation and education, but its events are not just about the past. Montpelier’s Horticultural History offers an exploration of the evolving and very much alive ornamental gardens of the great house. Virtually explore the lush, verdant […]

Tami Keaveny | June 4, 2020

Arts Culture

PICK: Kid Pan Alley

Can’t hold it back anymore: Is there a young Stephen Sondheim or Bruce Springsteen at home who’s aching to flex some creative muscle? Or maybe your child is still singing Frozen’s “Let It Go” on repeat. Kid Pan Alley can nurture that love of music through its online songwriting workshops, which are aimed at spurring […]

Tami Keaveny | May 1, 2020

Arts Culture

PICK: Shelf Life

Beach bound: When uber-popular mystery writer Tana French calls your debut novel “a subtle but relentlessly unsettling book,” you know you’ve got what it takes to thrill readers. Tara Laskowski appears in the Virginia Festival of the Book’s streaming series Shelf Life to discuss One Night Gone, a suspense story set in an off-season beach […]

Tami Keaveny | April 29, 2020

Uncategorized

PICK: Community Coloring Book

Like a rainbow: In the search for silver linings during these homebound days, the Community Coloring Book unites us through a collection of designs by local artists. With contributions from Chicho Lorenzo, Sam Gray, Thomas Dean, Bolanle Adeboye, Federico Cuatlacuatl, Charles Peale, and many others, the collaboration is the most recent addition to a series […]

Tami Keaveny | April 29, 2020

Arts Culture

Pick: Craft Cville’s Virtual Pop-Up

Making it interesting: Is your shopping addiction really being served by refreshing that grocery order and impulse buying on Amazon? Sure, Etsy can take you down some twisted, cash-grabbing rabbit holes, but the most fulfilling isolation void-filling purchases may be at Craft Cville’s Virtual Pop-Up. How about a set of magnets that features Tupac and […]

Tami Keaveny | April 29, 2020

Coronavirus

In it together: Life under quarantine in our Italian sister city

Just weeks ago, Caterina Martini was celebrating the first birthday of her daughter, surrounded by friends and family at a large gathering. Hugs and kisses passed freely from person to person. Life changed quickly for Martini and her family on March 10, when the Italian government issued a national quarantine to fight the spread of […]

Tami Keaveny | March 12, 2020

Arts

Screw you: Comedian Lewis Black defies authority and rejects stupidity

When I reach politically enraged comedian Lewis Black by phone on an early February morning following the Iowa caucus, I expect he’ll be ready with one of his signature rants, and after a polite exchange of salutations, he does not disappoint. Black immediately unleashes a torrent of frustrations. Clearly he wants me to listen—which is […]

Tami Keaveny | February 26, 2020