While strolling the Downtown Mall this summer, you may encounter an enormous bass drum with “FREE CONCERT TONIGHT” emblazoned across the head. This refers to the Charlottesville Municipal Band, a group whose performances are as impressive and larger-than-life as its advertisement. Now in its 96th season, the band offers widely appealing events, such as the […]
While strolling the Downtown Mall this summer, you may encounter an enormous bass drum with “FREE CONCERT TONIGHT” emblazoned across the head. This refers to the Charlottesville Municipal Band, a group whose performances are as impressive and larger-than-life as its advertisement. Now in its 96th season, the band offers widely appealing events, such as the […]
In his early teens John Beers was “certain that punk rock sucked.” He’d seen the Ramones on television and thought all their songs sounded the same; and he thought Patti Smith singing, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine,” was “kind of scary.” Heavy metal was Beers’ thing. But a few years later, he […]
When Sons of Bill played the Jefferson Theater for Christmas 2017, it was one of only a few times in the last two years that the Americana gurus had held a public concert. But there they were in early April—James, Abe and Sam, the three Wilson brothers who make up the Sons of Bill core—setting […]
Why is it that sequels so bent on continuing stories and fleshing out backstories are much more confusing? It’s a curious thing that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom places such a high premium on plot continuity with little regard for why anyone liked Jurassic Park in the first place. What began as a visually thrilling summer […]
If bluegrass doesn’t typically grab your attention, Man About a Horse might be the band to change that. This five-piece from Philadelphia is on a mission to transform the folksy genre into dance music. Formed in 2014, the group employs mandolin, fiddle and banjo to create an up-tempo sound that both pays homage to and […]
Boasting three Grammys, a 2006 performance at the White House and, maybe most impressively, an animated appearance on “The Simpsons,” Brian Setzer has enjoyed enormous success. He’s been making music since the early ’80s, around which time he combined rockabilly and swing into something bold, exciting and decidedly fresh with the Stray Cats. Also known […]
“I’ve come this far, but even so / It could be yes, it could be no.” The classic musical A Chorus Line opens with “I Hope I Get It”—and it kicks off Heritage Theatre Festival’s 2018 season. The story follows 17 aspiring dancers and their attempt to be cast in the chorus line of a […]
It’s not a typo—The Brother Brothers are named that for a reason. Adam and David Moss are identical twins with a shared love of country and folk music, and it shows in the tunes the duo creates and performs. After pursuing individual music careers, the brothers came together in 2016 to tour as one act. Although […]
Golden Dawn Arkestra Children of the Sun (Nine Mile) While borrowing Sun Ra’s band name and giving songs titles like “Ra Horahkty” and “Wings of Ra,” Golden Dawn Arkestra comes from a planet that’s as much spy rock as cosmic jazz. Despite some vintage keyboards and occasional attempts at menace, GDA never fully weirds the […]
Is a bad movie made better because it’s funny, or is a funny movie made worse because it’s bad? And if it’s occasionally hilarious but totally dead in the water otherwise, what are you left with? So it is with Tag, a totally disposable, predictable, unfunny rehashing of tired tropes and gags we’ve seen done […]