Charlottesville’s newest race is a splash for the arts

Between last week’s Discovery Dash, the annual Ten Miler, the Women’s and Men’s Four Milers, and many others, Charlottesville is hardly in need of another running event. However, need and desire are different beasts—and this is a town that’s addicted to the runner’s high. To satisfy this craving, there’s a new 5K that aims to […]

ARTS Pick: Charles Owens

Sometimes there’s nothing more enjoyable than listening to a cool cat pound out the mellow beats of classic jazz, and nobody does it better than Charles Owens. Fully embracing the blues traditions of the 1930s, the exceptional saxophonist teams up with drummer Devone Harris and bassist Andrew Randazzo to perform smooth riffs of dreamy jazz […]

Album reviews: Needtobreathe, Nick Pollock, Lindsey Stirling

Needtobreathe Rivers in the Wasteland/Atlantic Records This Southern rock trio has made an album filled with hope and energy—seemingly with the intention of easing the weight of life’s challenges. Rock and soul numbers like “State I’m In” and “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” corner the market on encouragement, while the swelling folk pop track “Rise […]

ARTS Pick: Deer Tick

Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick has become the darling of the alternative-rock world, and while the press may have difficulty labeling the band (a certification of indie cred), Rolling Stone, USA Today, and even The Wall Street Journal have showered the group with accolades. Led by singer and guitarist John McCauley, the septet channels Nashville […]

Live action dominates the summer blockbuster season

It’s mid-May: The crushing tide of summer movies is just around the corner. Gear up. Actually, we don’t really have a summer movie season anymore. Of all the traditions Star Wars ushered in—it was released on May 25, 1977, just in time for Memorial Day—summer release dates have largely gone kerblooey. To wit: Captain America: […]

ARTS Pick: Bedroom Farce

Four marriages go through a series of situational calamities over the course of an evening in the contemporary British play Bedroom Farce. Through brilliant comic timing, several bed swaps, and a surprising lack of hanky-panky, the tale of generational differences cleverly reveals itself as a relationship survival guide. Through Sunday 5/25. $12-16, times vary. Four […]

ARTS Pick: Little Red Riding Hood

Countless adaptations of the famous folk tale “Little Red Riding Hood” portray the young hooded girl and her lone perilous pilgrimage to grandma’s house. The Albemarle Ballet Theatre’s rendition, however, is a lighthearted musical featuring friendly forest creatures and an antagonist that is more Wile. E. Coyote than Big Bad Wolf. This tippy-toe version of […]

Live Arts adapts cult novel

Peter DeMartino might never have spent nine months translating a 1920s Russian novel about Jesus, the devil, and a nine-foot-tall cat into a full-scale theatrical production if not for one strange affinity. “I met Julie [Hamberg, artistic director at Live Arts] after I got to play Edna in Hairspray,” said DeMartino, who works as the […]

Willie Watson looks to kick start his solo career

Willie Watson, formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show, is turning to the South to help build some momentum for his new solo act. “We wanted to hit certain markets right off the bat,” Watson told C-VILLE Weekly in a recent phoner. “The South is sort of the hotbed of my fan base.” Watson will likely […]

ARTS Pick: Elephant Revival

A beautiful thing happens when five earth-conscious activists harness acoustic music to spread their message of soulful living—you get Elephant Revival, a band whose sound is both a tribute to and embodiment of nature’s beauty. The music is deeply rooted in Celtic and folk tradition, accented by notes of rock and gypsy with lyrics that are […]