Artist Damien Shen finds motivation in his past

Like many creatives, Damien Shen spent most of his adult life focused on building a career instead of a formal art practice. But in 2013, the South Australia native and current Kluge-Ruhe artist-in-residence realized he had a calling. He just needed to work out what it was. “I did this journey down the east coast […]

ARTS Pick: Black Masala

Friday is coming (we promise) and you’ll know it’s here when Washington, D.C.-based big brass band Black Masala marches its traveling dance party onto the Levitt AMP Music Series stage to pound out gypsy funk and soul. The groove machine arrives on a wave of good vibes supporting the group’s latest album, I Love You […]

Songwriter Matt Curreri rearranges and rocks out

Every Wednesday night after dinner, Matt Curreri, Jesse Fiske, Gerald Soriano and Brian Wilson gather in a tiny, warmly lit music studio in Fiske’s Belmont backyard. They unpack their guitars, bass and drums, and set up mics and amps. Fiske’s Single Barrel Studio is a cozy fit for the four-piece, but they tune up. They […]

Neal Guma gallery assembles a striking group show

With just five photographs on view, Neal Guma has assembled a richly satisfying show featuring some of the most interesting photographers working today at his new, eponymously named gallery on Third Street. While different in terms of style, approach and subject matter, the work is linked by a sense of mystery, foreboding and even danger. […]

John Paul White steps out post-Civil Wars

Originating in the 19th century, “Beulah Land” is a popular gospel song based on the biblical reference of Israel. It’s a hymn that Alabama singer-songwriter John Paul White grew up hearing (his dad’s side of the family is Southern Baptist), and one that sparked a familial namesake. “My dad called my little sister Beulah as […]

ARTS Pick: ‘Bullet for Unaccompanied Heart’

Blues guitarist Dugan McBane is taken hostage by his former lover, Anya Magnifico—a crossword puzzle-obsessed, punk rock princess—and her henchman, Milo. McBane’s release hinges on one thing: a sincere apology. Written by local playwright Robert Wray and featuring original music from Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri, Bullet for Unaccompanied Heart was recently staged at the […]

ARTS Pick: ‘The Price is Right’

For many generations, “The Price is Right” is a cultural touchstone. Maybe you remember all the way back to Bob Barker? But no matter who’s currently holding the microphone, the participants in zany getups still come screaming out of the audience, thrill-seeking a new fridge, exotic vacation or brand-new car. “Come on down” to try your […]

ARTS Pick: ‘Electric Baby’

In Stefanie Zadravec’s Electric Baby, a mysterious moon floats over six characters who navigate through three stories that connect after a car accident. Cast members dig into the depths of sorrow, proffer folk remedies and search for peace throughout the dark comedy. Through November 5. $20-25, times vary. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. 977-4177. 

ARTS Pick: Philip Gibbs

In the folk troubadour tradition, Austin, Texas-born Philip Gibbs has traveled the country, singing about the current state of affairs and the working man’s plight, channeling the anthems of songsmiths before him. Following a respite in the Rocky Mountains, Gibbs’ recent move to Richmond found the singer-songwriter settling down for the first time in years. […]

Movie review: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ carries two stories

A work of art is no more separate from the artist who created it than a historical event is from the individuals who shaped its outcome. To tell the story of the slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1831, you cannot ignore Turner’s upbringing, religious beliefs and the political and economic reality that put him […]