A frighteningly talented lineup of local groups recreate the songs and styles of five legendary bands at the Mock Stars Ball. This version of the annual Halloween tradition finds Erin & the Wildfire performing as No Doubt, The Secret Storm rocking out as Guns N’ Roses and Lord Nelson slaying the audience with tunes from […]
A frighteningly talented lineup of local groups recreate the songs and styles of five legendary bands at the Mock Stars Ball. This version of the annual Halloween tradition finds Erin & the Wildfire performing as No Doubt, The Secret Storm rocking out as Guns N’ Roses and Lord Nelson slaying the audience with tunes from […]
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A local singer-songwriter with a country twang and indie-rock edge is gaining momentum. She’s playing progressively larger venues, moving up from the Blue Moon Diner to The Southern Café and Music Hall to the Jefferson Theater to the Pavilion. Now she’s looking to step onto the national—or at […]
Just when it was beginning to look like 2015 would not have a better choice for worst movie than The Boy Next Door, along comes the over-plotted, under-conceived and thoroughly charming Vin Diesel vehicle The Last Witch Hunter. Although the negative reviews are sure to be somewhat accurate—Diesel’s performance is too smirky and wooden to […]
Bára Kratochvílová and Jan Kratochvíl make up DVA (meaning two in Czech), a worldly duo that’s carved out its own sophisticated version of neo-pop. Employing a unique performance style—at times singing in an imaginary language—the pair charms its audience with an aural collage self-described as “pop for non-existing radios.” Modern folk specter Diane Cluck and […]
The Paisley Fields is a country band that could easily be heard on commercial radio, but what differentiates the Brooklyn act from the mainstream is its open approach to same-sex relationships. Frontman James Wilson grew up in Iowa and draws from influences such as Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks to write songs that reflect the […]
There’s a film festival coming to town, but it’s not the one you’re thinking of. Beginning on October 30, the Richmond- based Afrikana Independent Film Festival will launch a series of screenings at Second Street Gallery. “Afrikana started with the mission of showcasing cinematic works of art from people of color from around the world, […]
An outlandish collision between baseball, fine art and mental illness takes the stage in UVA Drama’s production of The Sweetest Swing in Baseball. When painter Dana Fielding’s life implodes, she’s admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a brief respite and finds it’s not covered by her insurance. She attempts to outplay the health care system […]
When Brady Earnhart celebrates the release of his new record, Last Time I Promise, on Saturday night, it will be more than just an artistic achievement for the local singer-songwriter. Some may even call it a miracle. Earnhart’s story begins in 1992, when, after earning a master of fine arts degree from the Iowa Writers’ […]
Modest Mouse’s new album, Strangers to Ourselves, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in March. The band’s first record in eight years, it’s full of dark themes offset by the group’s trademark energetic tempos and inimitable vocal delivery. Rolling Stone magazine called it “perfect,” and the New York Post deemed it “wonderfully bizarre.” […]
Julienne Dweck Black Licorice/self-released Four-plus years after her delightful debut album, On Paper, Dweck is finally back with a new release, and it was worth the wait. Fans will note that much of what they loved about her relationship-focused songs, occasional bits of whimsy and adventurous musical choices are still here. “If Only” has a […]