Informal arrangements

By Aaron Irons The Arcadian Wild finds uplift and grace amid warm harmonies on Welcome, the Music City string band’s latest effort, which blends elegance and heart-swelling dynamics with endearing revelations. Equal parts meditation and jubilation, Welcome offers connection and understanding in an era when such notions are at a premium. Lincoln Mick formed The […]

Bloody but unbowed

Australian director George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga traces the origin story of the hit Mad Max: Fury Road’s heroine, Imperator Furiosa (with Anya Taylor-Joy in the role originated by Charlize Theron). Even though Max only appears for a brief cameo, this is a superior prequel that delivers everything viewers expect from the Mad […]

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Hijinks and happenstance collide in one of Shakespeare’s most-loved comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Set in a magical forest outside of Athens, four young lovers fight for each other’s affections on the eve of their duke’s wedding. Meanwhile, six would-be thespians create stress in an attempt to impress the duke’s marriage party, and Oberon—king of […]

Bent Theatre

Celebrating 20 years of untethered comedy in C’ville and beyond, Bent Theatre’s 2024 season is set to split your sides and make you cry (with laughter, of course). The improv troupe makes the rounds of local theaters, bars, and breweries entertaining the masses with bits and acts pulled from their asses pulled from thin air! […]

June exhibitions

The Barn Swallow Artisan Gallery 796 Gillums Ridge Rd. “Listening to Artifacts,” new works in sculpture and collage by Kim Boggs. Through July 7. First Fridays reception at 5:30pm. Botanical Fare Restaurant 421 E. Main St. Downtown Mall. “Then And Now,” a series of conceptual photographs by Cindy Stegmeier. Through June. Chroma Projects Inside Vault […]

TimaLikesMusic

With an infectiously upbeat attitude and relatable witticism, TimaLikesMusic takes the stage for a night of funky fun and riveting R&B. Steeped in ’90s soul and insights from internet culture, this multifaceted producer, songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, and content composer broke into the mainstream with a series of comedy-filled jingles on Instagram Reels. She’s on the […]

Erin & The Wildfire

Now based in the commonwealth’s capital, local favorites Erin & The Wildfire return with their smoking-hot show of original neo-soul and indie-pop sounds. Seeking authentic audience interaction and acceptance—of both self and others—the group brings incredible energy to the stage, while frontwoman Lunsford balances power and emotion through an impressive vocal range that moves body […]

‘The Electronic Lover’ audio opera

With an ending more than five years in the making, The Electronic Lover audio opera debuts its ultimate episode in front of a live audience this week. You can be one of the (lonely?) hearts in the crowd as this tragicomedy set in 1980s chat rooms hits “send” on its final installment. Scored for six […]

A musical monologue

By Dave Cantor Yasmin Williams translated her enthusiasm for the video game Guitar Hero into a music degree. After finishing up at New York University and moving back to Northern Virginia, where she grew up, the guitarist self-released Unwind, a sometimes somber, but playful, effort that seems to depict a performer pondering friendships and life, […]

Essential to the soul

“They’re more than art—they’re like the Bible, Google Maps, and ancestry.com all rolled into one,” says Henry Skerritt, curator of the Indigenous Arts of Australia at University of Virginia’s Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Skerritt is describing what bark paintings represent to the Yolŋu people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. It’s an […]