Georgia native Leo Kottke is something of a miracle in his profession—the musician endures partial hearing loss in both ears caused by separate incidents and suffers from tendinitis—yet, none of this prevented the guitarist from dedicating his life to music and rising to cult figure status in the folk world. Keller Williams, also known as […]
Every March thousands gather in Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book, now in its 22nd year, to celebrate storytelling and literacy. With most events free of charge and open to the public, the festival encourages book-lovers from all over to attend readings and panels, to see some of their favorite writers up close, […]
Fashion-forward isn’t how most would describe the local aesthetic in Charlottesville, which tends to center on khaki and collared prep or moisture-wicking running gear. The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA is hoping to change that this month, by borrowing a bit of inspiration from halfway around the world. On March 19, the museum will […]
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 […]