How many acoustic guitar players—let alone Black women guitar players—pick up the instrument because of the video game Guitar Hero II? Yasmin Williams did. The NoVA musician has been at it for roughly 15 years now, carving out a singularly playful and intentional style that pulls from disparate approaches. Unflinchingly instrumental, as reflected in her […]
How many acoustic guitar players—let alone Black women guitar players—pick up the instrument because of the video game Guitar Hero II? Yasmin Williams did. The NoVA musician has been at it for roughly 15 years now, carving out a singularly playful and intentional style that pulls from disparate approaches. Unflinchingly instrumental, as reflected in her […]
The numbers on Spotify don’t lie: Cannons is popular and it’s clear why. The group presents completely problem-free tracks that ooze a too-smooth style of stifled glam disco. You would be wrong to call it this decade’s version of easy listening, though—it’s bubbly pop music built for areas where they’ve had success: TV show placement. […]
A few years ago, Abhishek Kulkarni was just a guy getting a business degree who dabbled in comedy. Now, he’s a local open mic mainstay who’s learned to work a crowd. “Initially, I was writing a lot of new content for the U.S. audience, so I would go like three weeks of telling the same […]
By Tami Keaveny, CM Turner, and Ella Powell Charlottesville is a city of music fans and aficionados. We have an abundance of sonic riches in the national tours that touch down at our venues, and we’ve built a few careers here as well (looking at you, jam daddy DMB). There’s a lot of talk about […]
The fourth annual Soul of Cville Festival is a celebration of Black excellence across disciplines. Dance? You know it. Fashion show? For sure. DJ sets? Yup. Live music? Hell yeah. Beyond the performances, dozens of vendors and community partners will be on site. There’s awesome apparel, creative arts and crafts, meaningful mentorship, and a wide […]
Whether you love it, hate it, or have never heard of it, here’s your chance to see it on the big screen. It’s Pink Floyd—The Wall. Watch a whacked-out superstar musician spiral into an isolated state of paranoia as he relives his childhood traumas. Watch him lapse into episodes of anxious and fantastical thinking as […]
With enough soul-beat samples to make any crate-digger swoon, Nathaniel Star brings heady lyricism with heart to every track he touches. The C’ville local alternates gravel-voiced verses with honey-sweet hooks, moving seamlessly between driving hip-hop and smooth R&B. Writing with verve and witticism, Star celebrates Blackness and sonic expression through rich storytelling and riveting concept […]
By BJ Poss Barbecue is nestled as deep in Charlottesville’s roots as any homemade brine. You’d be hard-pressed to find a self-respecting plate of pork barbecue in Virginia that didn’t start out submerged in coarse salt dissolved in water full of sugar, spices, and citrus zest, a chef’s emulsion that absorbs into the meat and, […]
In the years leading up to the pandemic, artist Nym Pedersen could often be found on the Downtown Mall, peddling his small paintings, drawings, and collages, which he dubbed “art snacks.” Much like Steve Keene, Nym felt that art should be within everyone’s reach and priced his work accordingly. Nym died on March 9 at […]
To borrow phrasing from “The Golden Girls’” Sophia Petrillo, picture it: Warwick, New York. Late ’80s. Middle schooler me with my aggressively hair-sprayed ocean wave of bangs, oversized cable-knit sweater, and loud plaid Skidz pants (tucked into white scrunched-down socks, of course). Where was this obviously popular youngster headed to after school, you ask? Cross […]