John Johnson doesn’t spook easy. An avid fan of all things macabre, the film director built his career on mauled bodies, zombies, spine-tingling hauntings, and heinous murders. But the pending release of his latest work has him shivering. “The day Plan 9 gets released to general audiences I will be probably be hiding in a […]
John Johnson doesn’t spook easy. An avid fan of all things macabre, the film director built his career on mauled bodies, zombies, spine-tingling hauntings, and heinous murders. But the pending release of his latest work has him shivering. “The day Plan 9 gets released to general audiences I will be probably be hiding in a […]
“I’ve been drawing for 65 years. That’s not an exaggeration. I have a pile of stuff. In the end, I know they’re gonna pull a dumpster up, and there goes the stuff.“ Saul Kaplan, artist and poet, paused as he opened his self-published volume of drawings, ceramics, and paintings. “The way I explain it is, […]
Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt For Keeps/Red House Records Whether performing individually or as a duo, Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt have proven themselves to be two of Austin’s most engaging singer-songwriters in recent years. For Keeps only furthers this opinion. Whether marrying dusty vocals on the charming “If I Need to Know,” or singing about […]
If you’ve yet to see Moby Brown perform with his band, you’ve been missing a rock ‘n’ roll firestorm. Originally formed at UVA in 2002, the local power troupe’s line-up has evolved over the years resulting in high-energy gigs that draw comparisions to Otis Redding, Chris Robinson, and Joe Cocker and have made Moby and […]
It just so happens that Adam Sandler once made good movies. More than once, even. There’s Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. And on the odd occasion he acts in a drama, he gives good performances in the so-so Punch-Drunk Love, the flawed Reign Over Me and the highly flawed but watchable Funny People. But whatever. There […]
Few artists dare to reach as deeply into music and shake it alive in the way that Jami Sieber does. Donning her electric cello, the composer and musician invites audiences to explore the exhilarating arrangements of original music that know no boundaries and to approach music as a tool for powerful connections. Perhaps her most […]
What’s sweeter than the sound of one beautiful voice? Two beautiful voices harmonizing on popular tunes. Such is case in Two Ladies: A Musical Revue, the first offering from the recently rebooted Play On! theatrical group. The live show is an ode to the beauty of the duet featuring sixteen classic songs from pop and […]
The opening track to Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ Give the People What They Want is the burning and brassy “Retreat!” Nominally, it’s a song about the fury of a woman scorned, and Jones sings it masterfully, filling her vocal barbs with impassioned invective. But for Sharon Jones, the song has a deeper, unintended meaning. […]
When he’s not cradling a tearful Will Ferrell in Elf, comedy legend Bob Newhart is stirring up laughs with his offbeat, deadpan stand-up routine. Famous for his relaxed delivery and subtle wit, the comic explores universal moments of the human experience and shines a light on the ridiculous. His routines are marked by clever reenactments […]
A recreational choir, started by amateur singers around a coffee shop piano, shouldn’t last 30 years. The demands of everyday life and the challenges of finding new members simply shouldn’t allow it. But don’t tell that to the ladies of the Charlottesville Women’s Choir. “It has evolved,” said Estelle Phillips, who’s been with the group […]