PICK: The 77z

Play dead: Picture this truly interactive Deadhead experience: listening to “Black Muddy River” next to a (considerably less black and muddy) river and then singing along to “Ripple” as the late-evening sun dapples the water. Grateful Dead cover band The ’77z performs at the June edition of The Front Porch/Rivanna River Company’s Rivanna Roots. Friday […]

PICK: Broadway in the Park

We hear a symphony: Beyond the wealth of live music that brings us outdoors in the summer, we have top-notch theater and opera folks who like to get outside too. Charlottesville Opera launches an exciting run of shows with Broadway in the Park, which features some of musical theater’s leading voices. Jennifer DiNoia has played […]

Day trip east

The greater Charlottesville area is overflowing with beverage producers who make delicious products. But if you’re up for a scenic drive, there are additional treasures to be found not too far away. In part one of our day-trip series, we head east toward Richmond to taste Virginia-made beer, wine, spirits, and cider.  Cunningham Creek Winery, […]

Three debut albums

John-Robert Healthy Baby Boy Pt. 1 Nice Life Recording Company/Warner Records John-Robert’s musical ascent is the stuff of dreams. Hailing from Edinburg, Virginia—a small town north of Harrisonburg—he was tapped to play Something in the Water, Pharrell’s inaugural Virginia Beach festival, before super-producer Ricky Reed offered him the opportunity of a lifetime: Come to L.A. […]

Staging the psyche

In the plays collected in his new book, Peter Coy includes a range of extreme human behavior, from fears most dreaded to murders most foul, from rank dishonor to impish perversity. He also infuses characters with love, hope, forbearance, and sometimes forgiveness. A House in the Country and Other Plays gives its audience a shot […]

Punishing words

Satire feeds on the contemporary. As new social issues and interests arise, satire helps us inspect them and make sense of their value in our changing world. Satire can disarm or emasculate through humor, but it can also be twisted into horror and used to heighten danger. The Columnist does both. First, the film makes […]

Drooling over new pastries, steak, and wine tastings

Hello to Cou Cou Charlottesville croissant connoisseurs and Danish devotees are buzzing about the debut of Cou Cou Rachou, the new bakery from Rachel De Jong. After receiving her pastry chef certification from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, De Jong spent the last 12 years refining her skills in expert kitchens, including Gearharts Fine Chocolates […]

PICK: Sincerely Iris

Ramblin’ Man: Having called Colorado and Georgia home, Todd Murray of Sincerely Iris is now based in Richmond, Virginia. He’s spent a fair share of time on the road, and his songs, which he describes as “road trip music,” evoke dusty drives down Southern backroads, hand tapping on the wheel, heading toward a distant horizon. […]

PICK: Hobby Horse Derby

Hold your horses: Get off your high horse and grab a pool noodle pony at the Hobby Horse Derby. All ages are welcome to saddle up and try their luck in racing or dressage. Winners will have a chance to compete in a stick horse race at the Foxfield racetrack in the fall. Spectators can […]

PICK: The Nature of Oaks

Solid oaks: Of all the trees in all of our yards, the mighty oak is extra special, according to Doug Tallamy, professor of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Delaware. In his latest book, The Nature of Oaks, Tallamy explains how oak trees support more life forms than any other tree genus in […]