Tim Summers in the HotSeat

For a week and half every September, the sounds of sweet strings, alluring woodwinds, and elegant piano fill the air when the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival comes to town. Now in its 24th year, the festival is helmed by co-founders and artistic directors Raphael Bell and Tim Summers. The dynamic duo curate festivals with impressive […]

Black Violin

Modern beats meet classical virtuosity in Black Violin, a hip-hop duo from Fort Lauderdale. Classically trained musicians Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus met in high school, and got their start covering hip-hop songs on their violins in local clubs. The act has since worked with a variety of names, from Kanye West to Tom Petty, […]

Corey Harris

With imaginative compositions and an eye for eclectic experimentation, guitarist and vocalist Corey Harris has his own vision of the blues. Drawing on his origins as a New Orleans street singer and his travels through the South and Cameroon, Harris takes the traditional blues formula to the next level with influences from reggae, soul, rock, […]

Caroline Vain

Richmond-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Caroline Vain blends introspective and poetic lyrics with memorable hooks and captivating riffs. Since graduating from London College of Music in 2021, Vain has released three singles, “Casual Love,” “Better,” and “A Song For You,” a romantic and plucky exploration of the simple pleasures of platonic and romantic relationships. Vain and […]

Coral grief

Coral reefs are wondrous marvels of natural beauty. They are both living things and ecosystems for a myriad assortment of other creatures, and are a vital link in the chain of life. It’s estimated that 1 billion people benefit from coral reefs in the form of food, coastal protection, clean sea water, and income from […]

Tale of fire and ice

If the origin story of local metal band Age of Fire were a rom-com, there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the theater at this point. Put on some Evanescence and try to dig it. Boy meets girl in South Florida in 1982—but in this case, the girl is heavy metal. After six years of […]

September galleries

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library 2450 Old Ivy Rd. Permanent exhibitions include “Flowerdew Hundred: Unearthing Virginia’s History” and “Declaring Independence: Creating and Recreating America’s Document.” Angelo Jewelry 220 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Diamonds & Rust,” mixed-media paintings by Patte Reider Ormsby. Through October 28. First Fridays opening. Botanical Fare 421 E. Main […]

Lewis Reining in the HotSeat

Whatever the occasion—a morning commute, an all-night study sesh, or Sunday brunch—WTJU has the radio hour you need. The station was founded in 1955, and today Lewis Reining is one of the producers who helps keep the music playing and the conversation flowing. Reining, who’s been with the station for over a decade, was recently […]

Top cat

A queer mountain lion in “ellay” is the narrator of Open Throat, the new novel by Charlottesville’s own Henry Hoke. If that doesn’t pique your interest, we interviewed Hoke to take a deeper dive into his fifth book, which has garnered widespread attention and acclaim, and tops many of the year’s best-of lists.   C-VILLE: […]

Tina & Her Pony

Indie Appalachian folk band Tina & Her Pony uses sweet harmonies, complex arrangements, and thoughtful instrumentation to queer the American folk tradition. Formed in Asheville in 2010 as a duo, the band is now led by frontwoman and classically trained musician Tina Collins. Her first solo release, Marigolds, is a fluid record about the cyclical […]