Benji Hughes Songs in the Key of Animals (Merge) As expected, the guy who wrote “Let’s Duet” for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is something of a joker. In 2008, North Carolinian Benji Hughes released his debut, A Love Extreme, a double-length album with his face on the cover in rapturous close-up, looking like […]
Benji Hughes Songs in the Key of Animals (Merge) As expected, the guy who wrote “Let’s Duet” for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is something of a joker. In 2008, North Carolinian Benji Hughes released his debut, A Love Extreme, a double-length album with his face on the cover in rapturous close-up, looking like […]
The Charlottesville Ballet’s professional company presents Act III from the classic Don Quixote, and brings to life the wedding scene, where lovers unite in a pas de deux for the stage adaptation of the Spanish comedic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The night also features new commissions by artists Julia Mitchell, Jason Ambrose and Tom […]
On February 19, Nelle Harper Lee, author of the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, died in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, at the age of 89. The evening before, I’d finished reading Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, by local author and biographer Charles Shields. Shields took on the daunting task of researching and […]
If you’re a fan of The Wood Brothers, you’ll rave about NOLA fiddle power trio The Rondo Rigs. Band members Eric Robertson, Duncan Wickel and Nicholas Falk have spent the latter half of the past year on tour while simultaneously creating their debut album of what the group calls ”greasy Southern blues and funk.” The […]
Disney can be accused of many things—cultural appropriation, setting unreal expectations for children, censoring the brutality of old folk tales for mass audiences and thereby dulling their messages—but one thing Disney has mastered in recent years is maximizing the potential of its acquisitions. If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you have Disney’s […]
Charlottesville local Bobby Read has been playing, composing and producing music for the past 30 years in a diverse career that ranges from regular gigs at Miller’s to touring as Bruce Hornsby’s sax and winds player and composing soundtracks for the “National Geographic Explorer” TV series. The release of his jazz quintet’s newest CD, Saturn […]
On a recent Friday morning, Lifehouse’s 2005 hit “You and Me” played on WCNR 106.1 The Corner. When the song wrapped up, new midday host Kendall Stewart took to the mic, a hint of wistfulness in her cheery voice: “I’m feeling nostalgic this morning, like I want to put on a prom dress and slow […]
For a decade, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded Jefferson-Madison Regional Library a grant to participate in The Big Read, an effort to engage communities in reading and discussing literature. The application process is competitive as the NEA seeks nonprofit groups reaching audiences of all ages and demographics, aiming to return reading for […]
The Jezabels Synthia/Self-released As much an ode to self-acceptance as it is to bearing the standard of feminism, Synthia is equal parts euphoric and cathartic in its exploration. The epic synth-rock opener “Stand and Deliver” finds singer Hayley Mary revisiting her childhood and begging her daddy to prioritize her over his work. “My Love is […]
The life of a country music icon plays out in the nationally acclaimed musical, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. In her short, notable career, Cline created the term crossover hit, as she intertwined country, pop and gospel, and proved a female headliner is a force to be reckoned with. This production captures her spirit […]