Author Sheri Reynolds lets her characters work it out

As C’ville residents, we often hear, “Charlottesville has changed so much since I moved here.” Some see this as a positive, others less so. Either way (and regardless of how long you’ve lived here) it’s likely that we all have indeed witnessed some evolution. Recent development has obviously changed the landscape of familiar areas including […]

ARTS Pick: Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes

If there’s one thing that Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes prove, it’s that music always benefits from a little attitude. Their sound captures a swanky sense of fun from the blues era, delivering a healthy kick that wakes the soul to an experience beyond clichés and catchy hooks. Supported by a classic trio of […]

ARTS Pick: Pat Metheny

Legendary guitarist and composer Pat Metheny has been on the scene since 1976’s Bright Size Life (his seminal debut with bassist Jaco Pastorious and drummer Bob Moses) and has toured continuously for decades. His is a rich, fluid, and conceptually ambitious tone, colored by influences as wide-ranging as the swing of Wes Montgomery or the […]

Album reviews: The Morning Birds, Anberlin, Dom Flemons

The Morning Birds Bloom/Funky Island House Releases based around a song, a theme, or a tribute are generally boring, or feel schizophrenic because it is almost impossible to shape the creative instincts of various artists into a cohesive musical narrative. Bloom is a rare exception because it successfully weaves a seasonal theme throughout its six […]

ARTS Pick: Project Pat

Rap lovers know that the best beats come from hard-hitting rhythms coupled with solid flows of raw lyrics. That’s why Project Pat remains a standout of the genre. The brother of Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J, Pat gives fans exactly what they want; a steady roll of unabashed rap glory. Characterized by a pulsing […]

Film review: James Brown biopic gets it right

Get On Up is the best possible film of an inherently mediocre genre: the biopic. Most biopics render themselves obsolete by failing to admit that when a person is famous, we almost always know the most interesting thing about them because that thing is the reason they’re famous in the first place. Whether the subject […]

“The World of Printmaking” explored at the Jefferson School City Center

Everybody’s an amateur photographer these days, using smartphone cameras and Instagram filters to create quick, easy, and brighter-than-life ‘art’. But in curator June Collmer’s latest exhibit, “The World of Printmaking,” she’s going to bat for a different aesthetic. “It’s the lines,” the local photographer said in an interview at the Vinegar Hill Café in the […]

ARTS Pick: Now That’s What I Call Evil

It’s time to get your evil on, or at least enjoy the sound of evil as your favorite Broadway baddies and Disney villains display their wickedness through song. Play On’s musical revue Now That’s What I Call Evil brings together the most vile characters from the screen and stage for a single evening of musical […]

Sculptor Justin Poe creates landscapes in minature

You don’t often see sculptors in the library at work on invisible projects, but Justin Poe is an exception. “When I started out, I did these 2″ x 3″ wide sculptures, and I carried everything around in my backpack,” said the Charlottesville-based artist. “I worked in public, in libraries and restaurants, and got a lot […]