Last April, J.R. Brown stepped onto the wooden stage at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and looked out at the small-ish audience that had gathered in the auditorium. With the house lights on, he could see everyone’s faces. All of their eyes—and ears—were on him. He was nervous. He closed his eyes. The […]
Last April, J.R. Brown stepped onto the wooden stage at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and looked out at the small-ish audience that had gathered in the auditorium. With the house lights on, he could see everyone’s faces. All of their eyes—and ears—were on him. He was nervous. He closed his eyes. The […]
In the wake of the August 11-12 events, the 30th Virginia Film Festival harkens back to its earlier days when it had a theme every year. This year, it’s morphed into a sub-theme of “race in America” in partnership with Montpelier, according to festival director Jody Kielbasa. Previously announced director Spike Lee had been asked […]
Beats and brotherhood Made up of brothers Tahir, Stephen and Courtney Panton Jr., along with their father, Courtney Panton Sr., New Kingston infuses urban style into its Jamaican heritage, bringing fresh innovation to its soulful, rhythmic reggae. Starting musical careers at an early age in New York, the family has become a vibrant force on […]
Could there possibly be anything more boring than a supposed spy thriller where the main character wins all the time and is immediately right with every hunch? That’s the experience of watching American Assassin’s Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien), a character who is devoid of real personality so he can more fully embody the many contradictory […]
Three become one in the Swedish folk band Väsen, an acoustic trio now in its 27th year of touring. The veteran group, made up of Roger Tallroth on 12-string guitar, violist Mikael Marin and Olov Johansson, a prominent nyckelharpa (a “keyed fiddle”) player, is deeply rooted in the aged traditions of the Swedish countryside. Through […]
Various techniques lend texture and drama to the works in the Hypnagogia Film Collective. Contributions by artists Angus Carter, Edmond Marchetti and Larry Simon, along with guest filmmakers, are “unified through the collective’s devotion to innovation and transcending concepts of what constitutes filmmaking.” The group’s experimental films use a variety of formats, including celluloid Super […]
Eli Cook picked up the guitar one fortuitous summer when his older brother went to baseball camp. Cook’s brother had been taking lessons and left an electric guitar—which actually belonged to their older sister—behind in Nelson County. “It seemed cool,” says Cook of the idea of playing guitar. He picked up the instrument and worked […]
Even though she lives in the nation’s capital now, Lisa Parker Hyatt can’t leave Miami behind. “I spent most of my life in Miami,” explains the artist, whose richly colored paintings are included in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the archives of the National Museum of Women in the Arts […]
Called “the young American string quartet of the moment” by the New Yorker, the Dover Quartet will perform a benefit concert in support of those affected by the August 12 hate rally, with proceeds going to the Heal Charlottesville Fund. Starting out in 2008, the group has rocketed upward—captivating audiences with its dynamic sound and […]
Judy Dyble/Andy Lewis Summer Dancing (Acid Jazz) Summer Dancing is a triumphant turn for an undersung figure of seminal British psych-folk. Judy Dyble preceded Sandy Denny in Fairport Convention before working with Robert Fripp in his pre-King Crimson days—her range and tone are similar to Vashti Bunyan, though if Bunyan is the mysterious neighbor who […]