Lifting spirits

Ivar Aass and his wife, Sarah Barrett, moved to Charlottesville from New York in 2012 with a singular purpose: to distill high-quality spirits in a place that, in Aass’ own words, has “heaps of local pride and an understanding and appreciation of all good drink and food.” In 2015, Aass and Barrett’s Spirit Lab Distilling […]

Howling and howling

Combining a classic whodunit with werewolves may seem like an awkward fit. But in Werewolves Within, the two elements complement each other, resulting in a hilarious, bloody blend that avoids feeling bloated or tonally confused. The second feature from actor-turned-director Josh Ruben, Werewolves Within comes hot on the heels of his directorial debut Scare Me, […]

The deep end

“You can’t paint swimming pools without thinking about class and thinking about race,” says Sharon Shapiro. Pools figure largely in “Social Fabric,” Shapiro’s show at Second Street Gallery. Originally drawn to swimming pools for aesthetic reasons and because “they’re fun to paint,” Shapiro began to dig deeper into their history. “We didn’t really talk about […]

Pick: Summer of Drag

Dragging your heels: The Summer of Drag celebration at IX Art Park features Virginia queens such as London Bacall, Christina Doll, and Enya Salad, who bring the glitz, glam, and body-ody-ody, as well as awe-inspiring death drops you never would have thought possible in stilettos. With hearty doses of lip syncs and laughs, summer is […]

Pick: Pride Party Happy Hour

Rally around the rainbow: Every day is pride day, but especially on Thursdays in June at Vitae Spirit’s Pride Party Happy Hour. The bartenders serve up rainbow-colored cocktails as they bop to a fabulous playlist, and you can peruse a selection of queer prints and artwork made by staff or enter a raffle benefiting the […]

Pick: La Bohème

Living on love: There’s something timeless about cash-strapped bohemians in love, which may be why La Bohème, first staged in 1896, has become one of the most performed operas in the world. Charlottesville Opera’s outdoor performance is updated to occur during the profound social changes of 1960s Paris, and the 90-minute abridged production features Charlottesville’s […]

Pick: Flower Party

Friendly arrangement: It’s hard to make a vase of flowers look bad, but an expert floral arranger can take your bouquet to another level. Debi Burdick of Fawn Over Flora leads a sunset gathering filled with flowers, wine, music, and friends at Flower Party at Cardinal Point Winery. Local farms provide the blooms, and copies […]

Galleries: June

Atlas Coffee 2206 Fontaine Ave. Colorful, abstract paintings by Kris Bowmaster. The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative 209 Monticello Rd. “Pa(i)n(t)demic,” an exhibit from Jum Jirapan that explores art as therapy and painting as a way to begin anew. Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. “The Frequency of Roses,” featuring nine egg tempera paintings […]

Take it from the top

When Sally Rose and her band Shagwüf take the stage for Fridays After Five at the Ting Pavilion on June 18, they’ll be the first musicians to play the venue since Jeff Tweedy and Wilco came to town on November 8, 2019. Wait, the what pavilion? A lot has changed in 19 months—including C’ville’s largest […]

Straight talk

Want to know what to order from the new Café Frank, acclaimed chef Jose de Brito’s newest proving ground? Don’t ask acclaimed chef Jose de Brito. “I am never happy with my dishes, and I usually do not taste my finished plates,” de Brito says. “I am way too scared to find out how bad […]