ARTS Pick: Clay vs. Levi: Round 2

There’s a score to settle between the members of the famous Zac Brown Band, and they’re taking their gripes to the stage to determine who is the king of the country ballad at Clay vs. Levi: Round 2. Clay Cook lays claim to the title, boasting an impressive solo collection of rock-inspired albums, but the […]

Daniela Sandler explores activism in urban reinvention

For many, Brazil conjures images of rain forests, samba dancers, and favelas. It’s also the host country for this year’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. A great deal of news coverage has detailed both the construction that has gone into preparations for these global sporting events as well as resulting public demonstrations demanding stronger […]

ARTS Pick: Pierre Bensusan

There’s no place that isn’t home to Pierre Bensusan. The guitarist’s been on the road for four decades, picking more than singing, but still working a bit of both into his live shows. That schedule almost necessitates his being able to be comfortable anywhere. And he should be reasonably content in Charlottesville. As WTJU’s Folk […]

ARTS Pick: Nici Cumpston

Nici Cumpston sees landscape art as more than the simple depiction of world locales. Through photography, she tells the story of a place, preserves the history of a people, and enriches our understanding of the human experience. Her newest collection, titled “having-been-there,” focuses on artwork that demonstrates the rich presence of Aboriginal history and culture […]

ARTS Pick: Over the Rhine

In a music market that’s dominated by a cacophony of artificial noise, it’s always a pleasure to discover a band that embraces purity. Over the Rhine has reduced its music to a healthy core of soulful melodies and gorgeous lyrics. The lead songwriter, Linford Detweller, is a man whose modest words tell a profound story […]

ARTS Pick: Mike Birbiglia

Honesty has been the best policy for actor, writer, and comic Mike Birbiglia. He earned a slew of accolades for his one-man show Sleepwalk With Me, in which he chronicled his struggles with Rapid Eye Movement Disorder, an affliction that frequently found him in a state of dream walking, talking, and even jumping—he once leapt […]

Russell Crowe’s woeful heroism can’t save Noah

Forget all of the hype surrounding Noah. What really matters is whether the movie is any good. It isn’t. To paraphrase Edward Burns, it is dull, dreary, dry and a bore. Noah—and by implication its director and co-screenwriter Darren Aronofsky—can’t decide whether it’s a big head trip (an Aronofsky specialty) or an action picture or […]

April First Fridays Guide

First Fridays is a monthly art event featuring exhibit openings at many Downtown art galleries and additional exhibition venues. Several spaces offer receptions. Listings are compiled in collaboration with Piedmont Council for the Arts. To list an exhibit, please send information two weeks before opening to arts@c-ville.com. First Fridays: April 4, 2014 BON 100 W. […]

ARTS Pick: The Teetotalers

It may seem ironic that an Irish band would name itself The Teetotalers, but the name makes sense as soon as the tranquil and sobering melodies start flowing from the band’s fiddles and guitars. The trio is led by Paddy Keenan, a legendary Irish musician who has dedicated his life to the preservation of classical […]