It may have taken four years of failed vehicles and forced cameos, but Melissa McCarthy finally hits her stride in Spy. Packaged and marketed as more of the same from McCarthy—an alternately crass and sincere broad comedy that misunderstands the difference between empathy and mockery—the slyly progressive and engaging Spy may end up being the […]
It may have taken four years of failed vehicles and forced cameos, but Melissa McCarthy finally hits her stride in Spy. Packaged and marketed as more of the same from McCarthy—an alternately crass and sincere broad comedy that misunderstands the difference between empathy and mockery—the slyly progressive and engaging Spy may end up being the […]
Once upon a time, Charlottesville-based playwright Caruso Brown was a terribly shy, introverted student at Virginia State College (now University). He grew up writing poems. That may have been the end of it, if a drama director at the school hadn’t read one of Brown’s poems and insisted that he perform it during the school’s […]
There are many Charlottesville scenes that belong on a postcard: the grounds of UVA, the rolling fields of Albemarle, the bustle of the Downtown Mall. But, for this year’s photo contest, we wanted to be transported—not just to a place that’s pretty as a picture but to a moment in time. We asked for shots […]
One of the telltale signs of summer in Charlottesville is already visible high above the bricks of the Downtown Mall. Strung between trunks and limbs of the willow oaks, larger-than-life animals and insects gaze down at diners and pedestrians as part of the 2015 LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph. Images like these appear each June, […]
Jack Kilby wanted to go to music school. His parents weren’t so into the idea. He settled on UVA, earned a degree in biology and scored a job as a lab technician right out of school. The career trajectory was in line with Kilby’s parents’ wishes. But there was a note of discord: Kilby had […]
When Tim Showalter named his band Strand of Oaks, the serene, bucolic imagery was apt. He was for the most part a sleepy folksinger—though his beard and wild mane were always a little more Dimebag Darrell than Sam Beam. These days, the name seems a bit of a stretch. Showalter, who along with his band […]
After signing with ATO records and releasing the three Grammy nom debut Boys and Girls in 2012, Alabama Shakes has skyrocketed to stardom. The group’s follow-up record, Sound and Color, was highly anticipated by its fans, but even more so by the band members themselves. The Shakes thoughtfully embraced every facet of their influences, cut […]
Kopecky Drug for the Modern Age/ATO Records A “family band” no more, Kopecky is back with a slightly new name and a slightly new sound, but its penchant for making fun music hasn’t changed a bit. Drug for the Modern Age will be a sonic surprise to some longtime fans, but it’s worth checking out. […]
Traditional Christian tunes get a contemporary update at the third annual Rock the Gospel, a benefit concert supporting victims of domestic violence. Award-winning comedian Rich Praytor, the American Gospel Music Awards’ Christian Comedian of the Year, hosts this showcase of local and regional talent. Performing groups include Portico Band, the Sanctuary Choir from Mount Zion […]
If your favorite part of Independence Day is when the dog jumps to safety, San Andreas is your movie. Thematically and tonally inconsistent, it has one goal and one goal only: to make you cheer. Never mind the deaths of millions upon millions of human beings as the backdrop in a story that leads to […]