The great unknown

Lots of great out-of-town bands will stop in town in the next couple weeks, with Yo La Tengo (www.yolatengo.com) and Jonathan Richman at Starr Hill, as well as SH presenting Jeff Tweedy (www.wilcoworld.net)  at The Paramount Theater. MV and EE can sound like the Flaming Lips or the Velvet Underground or just their own bad-ass […]

Bowl-ing for dollars

“Top Design” Wednesday 11pm, Bravo First, let me just say: Did not see that coming. I’m referring to the finale of “Top Chef,” which precedes the debut of this new Bravo realty/talent competition. I had pegged either Sam or Elia as the winner pretty early on, and the fact that it’s Ilan vs. Marcel for […]

Capsule reviews of films playing in town

Babel (R, 142 minutes) Alejandro González Iñárritu (director of 21 Grams and Amores Perros) contributes another weighty ensemble piece. This complex, occasionally sluggish rumination on communication (or the lack thereof) in modern-day society takes place in three places at once. In Morocco, a couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) gets involved in a shooting crisis. […]

1st Friday – February 2

Art Upstairs “A Plein-Air Journey Through Albemarle County,” oil paintings by David Golden, 6-9pm. BozArt Gallery Mixed-media abstract works by Amy Mitchell Howard, 6-9pm. The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative “Cast Off Your Idylls! Cast Off Your Sloth!” works by various artists, 6-10pm. Charlottesville Community Design Center UVA architecture student designs for The Learning Barge, 6:30-8:30pm. The […]

Whole lot of love

Yo La Tengo has been through town a number of times now since the late 1980s, and for one member, James McNew, the upcoming Charlottesville gig is a sort of homecoming. Did The University bring him here, I asked? “Oh God, no!”

Talkin’ trash

“Dirt” Tuesday 10pm, F/X Critics have savaged this new F/X drama based on the seedy underbelly of Hollywood tabloids. The subject matter is pitch black, with pregnant starlets ODing, schizophrenic photogs maiming themselves to get a prize shot, and rap moguls beheading greedy performers. But if, like me, you occasionally enjoy wallowing in the worst […]

Capsule reviews of movies playing in town

Alpha Dog (R, 117 minutes) Mr. Sexy Back himself, Justin Timberlake, stars in this controversial crime drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a notorious drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Hollywood is still on trial, so prosecutors wanted the film pulled from […]

The sweet sound of desperation

“American Idol” Tuesday 8pm, Fox I literally spit in disgust when I think about how Taylor f’ing Hicks actually won last season’s “American Idol” competition. I mean, come on, people! I gave y’all a lot more credit than that. But I guess this is how things like Urkel or Jessica Simpson happen. Now is your […]

Nothing to be blue about

If the first week of 2007 has given you the blues, you are in luck. Eli Cook (www.elicook.com) and his trio will release their new CD, Electric Holy Fire Water, on January 27 at Uncle Charlie’s in Crozet. The disc was recorded at Sound of Music in Richmond, and Cook says that Richmond-based metal band […]

Capsule reviews of films playing at Charlottesville theaters

Alpha Dog (R, 117 minutes) Mr. Sexy Back himself, Justin Timberlake stars in this controversial crime drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a notorious drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Hollywood is still on trial, so prosecutors wanted the film pulled from […]