ARTS Pick: Oliver’s Cinema

Despite running through the theme songs from Rosemary’s Baby, Cinema Paradisio, and l’Amour des Moules (a documentary about mussels) in its first meeting, the modern jazz trio Oliver’s Cinema has no connection to the movie industry. The band’s moniker came courtesy of an anagram brainstorm by founder and feisty trumpeter Eric Vloeimans (it’s his name), […]

Following bliss: Sacred relics on exhibition at CitySpace

“I was walking down the street in Asheville a few years ago, and I saw a line forming at the center where I’d occasionally attended meditation,” said Leena Rose Miller. “I thought, ‘What’s this?’ and got into it, not knowing what to expect. I can honestly only tell you that when I stood in front […]

Film review: Fury defines itself as a cut above formula

As U.S. involvement in foreign wars becomes murkier, aimless, and self-justifying, it’s perhaps natural that some would nostalgically harken back to a time when the goals of military action were seen as absolute and our methods unimpeachable. Leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, comparisons between Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler too were frequent, […]

Getting there: Sharon Van Etten shares her personal journey

In the photograph on the cover of Sharon Van Etten’s Are We There, a woman sticks her head out of the driver’s side window of her speeding car. Farmland blurs in the background, and the woman’s hair whips in the wind. We can’t see her face, but the implication is that she’s smiling, possibly even […]

ARTS Pick: Arum Rae

After sharing stages with legends Willie Nelson and B.B. King, soulful siren Arum Rae is stepping out on her own. Formerly known as White Dress, the Brooklyn-based songstress’ ethereal, bluesy vocals pack a heart-on-sleeve punch over cyber-synthesized beats and the occasional minimalist guitar line on her newly released EP Waving Wild. Thursday 10/23. Free, 8pm. The […]

ARTS Pick: Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion

Death-defying acrobatics, provocative dance, and subtle physical humor will tickle your senses in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion—a combination of dragon and lion inspired by Eastern philosophy and the spiritual quest for balance between man and nature. The show anthropomorphizes the four elements that govern the natural order of life: air, water, fire, and earth, blending […]

Diplomacy and drone: This week’s musical highlights

Does the name Peyton Tochterman ring any bells? It’s been three years since the local musician has performed in town but he’s certainly someone you should know. Tochterman’s last Charlottesville show celebrated the release of the full-length album, A New World. Since then, he’s been busy. “I was on the road almost constantly for two […]

ARTS Pick: Julian Casablancas & The Voidz

While his band The Strokes are on hiatus, punk rocker Julian Casablancas is keeping busy with countless tributes, collaborations, and side projects. He can be heard alongside Queens of the Stone Age, Daft Punk, Pharrell, Eddie Vedder, and even Andy Samberg on a slew of songs. His current act Julian Casablancas & The Voidz strays […]