A look back at some of Charlottsville’s musical highs

Live music is one of the best aspects of life in Charlottesville, as each day of the week offers concerts in all genres from both local and touring musicians. Any personalized “best of” list is sure to be biased and idiosyncratic, but here are some of the most memorable musical experiences I have enjoyed since […]

Film review: The Campaign

The agenda of director Jay Roach’s new movie is obviously not to mine the finer nuances of American electoral procedures. This might come as a shock or a relief, depending on whether you go into The Campaign remembering Roach as the politically-minded maker of HBO’s Recount and Game Change or you only know him from […]

T.V.: “Oh Sit,” “Married to Japan,” “The Inbetweeners”

“Oh Sit”  Wednesday 8pm, CW When the fall of Western Civilization comes —and it is coming, I think we all know that —and someone asks you to pinpoint the moment you knew it had all gone wrong, I hope you say: extreme musical chairs. That’s the concept behind this new competition, in which a dozen […]

Film review: Total Recall

And so another Philip K. Dick story gets another shot at being another movie. Funny how hard it is not to go in feeling protective and skeptical, as if Paul Verhoeven’s admittedly singular Schwarzenegger staple from 1990 were some kind of inviolable masterpiece. This version, from director Len Wiseman and a complex web of writers, […]

Summertime thrill-seeking at the demolition derby

Charlottesville has a habit of slowing down during the summer months. Most UVA students and many faculty are on summer break, cutting the population by nearly a third. Some art galleries close, concerts and performances are comparatively sparse, and many local residents take a vacation. It’s true that Charlottesville has a wealth of worthy summertime […]

Jonny Corndawg returns to town with Dawes at the Jefferson

Jonny “Corndawg” Fritz began writing short country songs as a joke, but over the past 10 years — as the Esmont, VA native’s travels took him to Philadelphia, India, LA, Nashville, New York, and on an infamous 100-mile rollerblading trip — his songs grew longer, sadder and more touching, while losing none of their wit […]

Film review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

The feature debut from writer-director Benh Zeitlin, working with playwright Lucy Alibar and a New Orleans collective, rides in on a murky flood of festival hype. And what caused that anyway? The inevitable Sundance-stamped confluence of poverty porn and indie quaintness? Wow, already this is sounding cynical, but Beasts of the Southern Wild has a […]

Printer and illustrator Thomas Dean makes his mark in unusual spaces

Mention screen printing in Charlottesville, and one of the first names you’ll hear is Thomas Dean. The musician and artist is a prolific screen printer and illustrator, churning out T-shirts, prints, album covers, and gig posters, often for the many bands he’s played in or collaborated with. For local indie rock fans, it’s rare to […]

Josh Ritter talks about songwriting, novels, and the open road

C-VILLE Weekly’s Graelyn Brashear sat down with singer/songwriter and novelist Josh Ritter for a radio interview live on WTJU before his show last night at the Jefferson Theater. Ritter, a remarkably candid interview and a compelling communicator, talks about his friendship with C’ville musicians, his attachment to Appalachia, and his love of writing. Graelyn Brashear: […]