Finding fabulous

Swan Song R, 105 minutesViolet Crown Cinema Debating answers to thought experiments is only frustrating when you need an answer: If a tree falls in the forest, do you feel stonewalled discussing the answer? Todd Stephens’ Swan Song is based on a similar riddle. Stephens wants us to enjoy the journey, allowing only one question: […]

Chicken and lobster

Lobs to love There’s still time to get your claws on some claws at Shadwell’s Lobstravaganza. Through the end of August, Shadwell’s is serving citrusy lobster ceviche, decadent lobbie sliders, and, for those ready to get crackin’, a whole steamed lobster.  Ivy Provisions is also riding the crustacean current with limited-time lobster rolls—take your pick […]

PICK: Elle Cosimano

Mystery machine: Finish up your summer reading list with a bang during an evening with mystery author Elle Cosimano. She’s got a stack of young-adult thrillers to her name, and the recently published Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the debut novel in her mystery series for adults. The reading is hosted by Bluebird Books, […]

Soul of Cville

Face forward: Soul of Cville wants to “bring the soul back to the city” with a celebration of Black excellence and culture in Charlottesville. The event includes a market featuring African American artwork and crafts, a showcase celebrating local community members, a fashion show, and lots of music. Headliner E&J Band is joined on the […]

PICK: Jake Blount

Setting the tone: The contributions of Black musicians to bluegrass and Americana are often ignored, and Jake Blount is here to change that. An acclaimed fiddler, Blount centers Black, Indigenous, and queer experiences at the heart of his music, paying tribute to the integral role those voices have played in the formation of Appalachian music. […]

PICK: Adama Delphine Fawundu

Expanded memory: With a range of work that explores “decolonization, memory, language making, transnationality, Afrofuturism, and radicalization of the imagination,” it’s fair to say that multi-media artist Adama Delphine Fawundu takes a broad approach. But her genius lies in powerful details: a transformative shower, a vivid line of paint, an indigenous mask, the light across […]

Power of perspective

By Julia Stumbaugh On August 23, 2020 a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer shot a 29-year-old Black man named Jacob Blake in the back. In the days that followed, Charlottesville actor and director David Vaughn Straughn sat down to write a play. “I felt this anger and intolerance and frustration,” says Straughn. “I knew that was […]

Fresh eyes

When Haitian American art collector and curator Jeanremi Verella first encountered the Sen Soley art collective during a residency in Port-Au-Prince, he knew he had to bring the artists to America. But he quickly learned that strict visa quotas made this nearly impossible. So he brought their artwork instead. Sen Soley is a Haitian art […]

Now serving

Alicia Walsh-Noel is no stranger to a career pivot. Seven years ago, she left her cubicle job to start as a busser at Zocalo. And in 2018, while working at Brasserie Saison, she approached Will Richey with an offer to run the marketing for his restaurant group.  “My background is a potpourri of photography, communications, […]

PICK: Magic City Hippies

Summer breeze: Like the turquoise sparkle in a backyard pool or the gritty glimmer of oceanside city lights, the music of Magic City Hippies perfectly captures that drowsy, summertime vibe. Hailing from Miami, the trio creates a dreamy haze with lonesome slide guitars, vintage organs, and languid, sun-drenched vocals. The band’s restrained cool can be […]