ARTS Pick: Blacko Da Rappa

Dig into your closet for your best throwback attire, and rehearse your Fresh Prince rap. Magnus Music and Wild Boyz Entertainment kick off 2014 with a hip-hop and go-go celebration of local musician Blacko Da Rappa’s 32nd birthday. A cash prize will be awarded to the best retro look, so don’t be afraid to get […]

ARTS Pick: Eli Cook and Ian Gilliam & The Fire Kings

Local blues prodigy Eli Cook and genre melders Ian Gilliam & The Fire Kings revive one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most revered guitarists in Bold As Love, a tribute to the psychedelic blues rock of Jimi Hendrix. Cook has mastered an exhaustive repertoire of flawless note-for-note covers of Hendrix’s iconic hits and deep cuts. The double bill, […]

ARTS Pick: Three Notch’d Road

The Charlottesville Baroque Ensemble’s Three Notch’d Road celebrates the revelry of Twelfth Night with spiritual and secular songs from the 18th century. The program includes familiar songs like the pastoral “Greensleeves,” and Michel Corrette’s French carol “A Noel Symphony.” Giovanni Antonio Guido explores sounds of crunching ice in “Winter,” and Biber’s “Nativity” sonata unfolds as […]

January 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. Angelo 220 E. Main St. “Maps of an […]

Further musings on 2013’s musical offerings

The default opening act for many of 2013’s concerts was the local duo Grand Banks, which sprang back to life in 2013 after several years of infrequent shows. While keyboardist/singer Tyler Magill’s other project Mss. went on hiatus, he and Davis Salisbury rekindled their improvisational ambient noise duo. Where Grand Banks’ material was once abrasive […]

ARTS Pick: Grits ‘n’ Gravy

DJs Robin Tomlin and Colin Powell retrofit classical American soul for modern dance parties under the handle Grits ‘n’ Gravy. Their spin repertoire spans the canonical masters of soul from James Brown to funk dynamos Parliament, while including a bevy of lesser known acts. The duo blasts infectious dance tunes such as the Heatwaves’ blustering psychedelic romp […]

ARTS Pick: Ruby Ross

New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Ruby Ross makes a hometown return with local guest musicians to celebrate the release of her new EP, Solid Ground. Emotional and unpretentious vocals showcase her Appalachian roots, and NOLA jazz influences her folksy acoustic Americana on tunes that recall feminine folk icons like Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. Saturday 12/28 $5, 8pm. C’ville Coffee, 1301 […]

Celebrating New Year’s Eve with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

It’s not likely you’ll find another band that’s opened for both Lionel Richie and Widespread Panic, in the same year no less. Call it a perfect example of the high-energy celebratory versatility of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a four-decade New Orleans musical institution that’s well known for delivering good time horn-driven grooves. “We just […]

ARTS Pick: Play On! at First Night Virginia

The all volunteer, not-for-profit community theater Play On! stages family friendly performances at First Night Virginia’s arts festival with an eclectic grouping of theater newbies and seasoned stage veterans singing children’s Broadway favorites. The shimmering medley of uplifting tunes includes hits from Annie and The Sound of Music, and Disney classics. The popular show tunes […]

Film review: Anchorman 2

Good news. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is not as bad as the following comedy sequels: Caddyshack II. Analyze That. Teen Wolf Too. Dumb and Dumberer. Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise. Fletch Lives. The Hangover Part II. In fact, Anchorman 2 is not bad. The sheer volume of jokes guarantees some will […]