ARTS Pick: Eric Church

Country megastar Eric Church operates in threes. Hat, sunglasses, and stubble are his distinctive on-stage accoutrements. Blood, sweat, and beers are not only a lifestyle for the devout Church-goers who come to his concerts, but the name of his record-breaking arena tour. Chief, his recent platinum album, is his third studio output. Church seamlessly weaves […]

ARTS Pick: Stanley Ann

Stanley Ann Dunham falls in love and marries a Kenyan student in the early ’60s. She struggles through a second marriage to a corrupt civil servant in Indonesia, and comes through it to work in anthropology and assist poverty-stricken women in third world countries. All the while she is raising the 44th President of the […]

ARTS Pick: Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra

The Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra has more than doubled its original 23-member size since its debut performance in 1996.  This increase in membership has brought with it nothing less than musical growth and a series of memorable performances. Led by Music Director Dr. Peter Wilson, former conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, the group celebrates the […]

Years in the making: The silent thrill of being a luthier

The first thing I sensed after stepping inside Vacanti Violins on Fourth Street was a hush like I’d entered a shrine or a place of worship. The walls are lined with gleaming, caramel colored violins and the workshop area appointed with knives, planes, gouges, and scrapers of every shape and angle. Essence of varnish, wood, […]

The Avett Brothers Interview: I and Love and Charlottesville

The Avett Brothers have enjoyed a trajectory of success since the indie-Americana crowd picked up on their album, Emotionalism in 2007. Known for energetic live shows and musical versatility, the brothers from North Carolina and their band of ace players can incite the audience into a frothing mosh in one song, and then break their […]

Stacey Evans captures the American landscape by train in “Passenger”

Landscape photographer Stacey Evans loves maps.  She loves how they represent geography, the way they look, and the linear connections feed her interest in elemental design. “I look at maps quite a bit and I’m fascinated with maps,” said Evans.“I love knowing if I’m going north or if I’m going south.  I don’t use GPS […]

ARTS Pick: Milo Greene

Milo Greene is not a real person—it’s the result of some friends who decided to throw together a band and then created a fictitious agent (Milo Greene) to help land gigs. These are humble beginnings, but with a debut album issued in July, an ongoing headlining tour, and last month’s “Conan” performance all on the […]

ARTS Pick: Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer’s comedy is sweet like saccharine, and crude enough to shame a sailor. Leaving no taboo untouched, she charms her way through an act, oftentimes turning her most eviscerating jibes on herself resulting in some of her best material. Schumer’s rise into the upper echelon has been swift. She gave testimony at the roasts […]