The college rock scene has no shortage of acoustic guitarists, so it is required of any polo-shirted crooner to bring something unique to the table—which is exactly why UVA alum Ben Arthur is getting some real buzz. His approach is two-fold: a mature process that has resulted in a poignant, experimental sound and a dogged […]
The college rock scene has no shortage of acoustic guitarists, so it is required of any polo-shirted crooner to bring something unique to the table—which is exactly why UVA alum Ben Arthur is getting some real buzz. His approach is two-fold: a mature process that has resulted in a poignant, experimental sound and a dogged […]
When The Whiskey Jar opened in February at the west end of the Downtown Mall, it came as something of a surprise. After all, Escafé had held down that spot for 17 years and several owners, before a recent relocation. Seven months later, The Whiskey Jar has become a reliable regular destination for many Mall-goers. […]
Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, is unapologetic about his art. The former biomedical engineer spends hours, days, months listening, capturing, and cataloging the work of other musicians—storing up thousands of samples that he then repurposes into new genius like some mad scientist digital composer. As Girl Talk, he puts on aerobically charged, frenetic, live laptop […]
Life in a big city is taxing in ways you don’t even notice, and sometimes the only sensible thing to do is disappear mysteriously into the woods. New York City’s avant-noise duo Blues Control traded the outer borough sprawl of Queens for Pennsylvania mining country. The result is a healthy smattering of tape loops with […]
The seductive croon, skilled guitar, and catchy lyrics of Mississippi folk rocker Charlie Mars would be enough to establish his talent and sex appeal. Tack on the devilish good looks, designer threads, and longtime relationship with “Weeds” star Mary Louise Parker to emphasize his stylish mystique. Mars passes through to promote the release of his […]
Using glass to tell the story, Australian Aboriginal artist Yhonnie Scarce confronts the ominous history of her people and the role of colonization. She conveys a fragile legacy of violence and oppression through personal memories and abstract representation in works such as “The Day We Went Away,” a found suitcase filled with blown glass. On […]
“Jean Hélion: Reality and Abstraction,” currently on view at UVA’s Fralin Museum of Art presents a small, yet rich collection of this under-appreciated artist’s work. The eight paintings and numerous works on paper are both handsome works of art and revealing souvenirs from Hélion’s artistic journey “through and then away from abstract art.” Curated by […]
The songs of Patterson Hood often tell vivid stories, even if they’re not always about the brightest subjects. Over a decade and a half and nine studio albums later, the Drive-By Truckers frontman has tackled rural economic plight, cancer clusters, and killing a banker to avoid foreclosure. His modern gothic tales are usually enhanced by […]
With more than 40 area theater productions under his belt, Doug Schneider can be called an institution. The UCLA-trained actor/singer/director/teacher is putting his star to good use as he mounts If I Sing, a two-night, showtune-studded cabaret featuring Greg Harris and the Tom Collins Trio, with all proceeds going to support Live Arts. Friday and […]
When John Whitehead drew the monsters and violent scenes from his imagination as a child, his teachers deemed his demonic drawings as “bad” and would snatch the offending doodles from his notebook, ball them up and toss them in the waste can. “I was always going to the principal’s office because of my drawings,” Whitehead […]