New ‘Transformers’ flies apart on reckless plot

Homo sapiens as a species have survived this long partially due to mechanisms in our brain that evoke an instinctive response to stimuli when there is not enough time for a full intellectual analysis. For example, we notice and react to sounds or rustling bushes with curiosity and heightened senses before figuring out whether we […]

UVA hip-hop professor contemplates the work ahead

When A.D. Carson was in fourth grade at Durfee Elementary School in Decatur, Illinois, his teacher asked the class to write a paragraph about a picture hanging on the wall. The picture was of children playing, and Carson asked his teacher if he could make his paragraph rhyme. She agreed—encouraged him, even—and soon after gave […]

ARTS Pick: Woody Guthrie’s American Song

Every folk and Americana musician (and even many rockers) stands on the shoulders of Woody Guthrie. Born of  Depression-era hardship, his music came in the form of ballads (“California Stars”), political commentary (“All You Fascists”) and children’s songs (“This Land Is Your Land”). Woody Guthrie’s American Song celebrates his work in a theatrical staging that […]

ARTS Pick: Fiddler’s Convention on Duck Mountain

Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Orpheus Supertones mash up with Charlottesville’s Uncle Henry’s Favorites for a Fiddler’s Convention on Duck Mountain. The collective brings more than 50 years of experience to a showcase of fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass playing, blended with vocal harmonies, for a rousing evening steeped in tradition. Friday, June 30. $15-18, 7:30pm. The Front […]

ARTS Pick: Lucero

When Lucero formed in 1998, the band knew it wanted to redefine the metal and punk landscape its members had been working in their Tennessee hometown. With a heart for country music, they hunkered down to chart a new direction, with one setback: “The trick there was that we couldn’t really play our instruments,” says […]

In with a bang: Local Independence Day events

If you’re staying in town for the extra- long July 4 weekend, you won’t be able to wave a sparkler without hitting a parade, concert or fireworks display. Here’s a list of some our favorite Independence Day happenings. June 30-July 3 July 4th Jubilee: The United States is having a birthday, and Wintergreen Resort is hosting a […]

Album reviews: Dan Auerbach, Crescent, St. Etienne and Phoenix

Dan Auerbach Waiting on a Song (Nonesuch) Gotta confess, The Black Keys always felt like a put-on, but Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach is starting to win me over. Last year he produced The Pretenders’ Alone, which was a pleasant surprise, and it’s possible that Auerbach’s other production gigs (Dr. John, Lana Del Rey, Ray LaMontagne) […]

Ayanna Dookie has something funny to say

Ayanna Dookie got her start in comedy by talking shit in the Black Engineers Society student lounge at the University of Maryland. She’d sit around at lunch, telling jokes and poking fun at fellow students who found her so entertaining they’d come to the lounge, sometimes bringing friends from other departments, hoping to catch her […]

ARTS Pick: Lovefest

Forty bands. Two stages. 23 hours of music. Lovefest is a response through art to the civil rights struggles shaking the community. From early-morning meditation to midday belly dancing to late-night gypsy punk, the festival offers a weekend of immersion in the love and passion of local artists. The lineup features well-known community musicians including […]

Rough Night loses direction on gender gags

The story of Rough Night centers around a disastrous bachelorette weekend organized by an old friend who doesn’t know the difference between entertaining someone and monopolizing her time—which is a distinction the movie itself also has difficulty making. Featuring a terrific cast with great chemistry, a mix of A-listers and promising up-and-comers, and written and […]