Rugged Arts nurtures a thriving underground scene

When R.U.N.T.215th was growing up in Philadelphia in the mid-1980s, he routinely stayed up late and recorded Lady B’s “ Street Beat” Power 99 FM radio show, taping it on his boom box. He’d listen to the tapes over and over—the sets were packed full of Public Enemy, MC Lyte, Audio Two and Melle Mel […]

ARTS Pick: Dylan LeBlanc

Singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc has everyone from Rolling Stone to Ralph Lauren featuring his music and singing his praises, but the pressure of early success (at age 19) also left a few scars. After two albums for Rough Trade, LeBlanc chose to resettle in the comfort of his hometown of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and dig in […]

ARTS Pick: Family Holiday Concerts

Among the finest local traditions is when the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia and UVA’s University Singers join forces for the Family Holiday Concerts conducted by Michael Slon. This year’s program includes “Carol of the Bells,” “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” as well […]

ARTS Pick: Fruit Bats

Since the release of Fruit Bats’ 2001 debut, Echolocation, music critics have stuck some pretty obscure labels on Eric D. Johnson’s four-track-recording-project-turned-full-band: “bootgazer,” “rustic pop,” “zoology rock.” But no matter what it’s called, the group’s brand of indie-folk rock has held steady through six records (and a recent five-year hiatus), including its latest, Absolute Loser, […]

First Fridays: December 2

First Fridays: December 2 Cameron Mankin derived his 14 Fallen in Daredevil #11 series from comic book images. The small etchings—jittery black lines on a chalky white ground—“have a certain doodle-like quality to them, but only if someone drew the same doodle a dozen times in the same spot,” Mankin says. He hopes that the prints […]

Vinyl never went out of style for avid collectors

Ask a vinyl record collector about his collection and it becomes clear that listening to records is about more than the music. It’s about the ritual of placing the needle in the groove and being present for the sound; listening to The Beatles with your dad; anniversary dinners with your wife. In honor of Record […]

Movie review: Fantastic Beasts weaves many stories into one

The best and worst attributes of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are one and the same: its ambition. The concept is a fun one—exploring J.K. Rowling’s world of wizardry and witchcraft at a different time and a location outside of Hogwarts with brand new characters—that opens up the door to endless possibilities. Magic […]

Arts Pick: Dry Branch Fire Squad

For more than 40 years, Ron Thomason’s intricately woven and hilarious stories have been at the heart of the old-time, Southern gospel and bluegrass songs of Dry Branch Fire Squad. The longtime Prism Coffeehouse favorite’s keen sense of humor and small-town country wisdom, combined with skilled musicianship, launches pointed—and sometimes scathing—observations of the hypocrisy of […]

ARTS Pick: Mike Super

The post-election climate has many looking for a magical escape, and lucky for us Mike Super is more than qualified to make things disappear. A lifelong obsession with magic has led Super to inject personality, humor and an accessibility that’s unusual in the trade. Join his fanbase of Superfreaks for an evening of mind-warping mystery […]

Challenge Into Change writing contest allows for healing

Just two weeks after the most divisive presidential election in American history, many people are concerned that their interests and welfare will be ignored, or worse, targeted, by the incoming administration. The Women’s Initiative, which has provided mental health services to underserved populations for almost 10 years, wants people to know that they are here […]