Over the moon for Maggie’s and ready for shakes

Maggie’s Midtown, the restaurant in the former Blue Moon Diner space from a three-person team that includes Smyrna’s Tarik Sengul is taking pub favorites to a new level.  The elevated comforts include pub oysters with rarebit and guanciale (pictured); shepherd’s pie of braised lamb and short rib, red wine reduction, mashed potato; and the weekend […]

Tom Tom Festival returns to take on our most pressing issues 

Speakers at the 2026 Tom Tom Festival have had six months to mull this year’s aspirational central theme: Courage. And mull it they have. Ahead of the festival—which runs April 22 to April 26 and will draw more than 27,000 attendees to various downtown Charlottesville venues for talks, music, dancing, food, and more—contributors ranging from […]

A local spin on Record Store Day

Ask vinyl enthusiasts what’s special about their collection—and then order another drink because you’re in for a passionate lesson on record-bin diving, rare releases, cover art, reissues, mint ratings, analog vs. digital audio superiority, and the nuances of the recording and pressing process.  Every year, on the third Saturday of April, audiophiles get their own […]

Billy Strings at John Paul Jones Arena 4/17 and 4/18

Bluegrass badass Billy Strings is back for more. The Grammy-winning Americana musician returns with his repertoire based in traditional roots improvisation, peppered with elements from rock, blues, and country. Strings’ earnest voice and adroit instrumentation channels the greats of the genre, whether he’s carrying on mournfully about life’s rocky roads, or jubilantly praising the simple […]

The North Country at The Stage at WTJU 4/18

To kick off WTJU’s Rock Marathon week, The North Country loads in for a high-energy show that blends indie-rock and art-pop. The experimental collective based out of Washington, D.C., pairs poignant and political lyrics with danceable beats reminiscent of ’80s synth-infused staples. Fronted by songwriter and singer Andrew Grossman, the band builds a big sound, […]

Erupcja at The Violet Crown 4/21

Screening as part of Virginia Film Festival’s year-round programming schedule, Erupcja (2025) offers an arthouse drama built around romance and driving dance music. On vacation together in Warsaw, Poland, Bethany (Charli xcx) discovers her boyfriend Rob (Will Madden) is about to propose. A volcanic eruption occurs, and Bethany uses the fallout from the event to […]

Tried It in C’ville: Intuitive Dry Cutting

What Getting an intuitive dry haircut. Why To have a ’do I love that grows out even better. How it went It’s been sunroof season ever since I got the cut—weather be damned! I arrived at an unassuming row of businesses and found master stylist Lune Wynyard’s workspace nestled in a therapist’s office. The cheery, […]

Charlottesville music scene mourns passing of patriarch

Johnny Sportcoat & The Casuals finished soundcheck at the Carolinian in Nags Head, North Carolina, and headed to their dressing room to relax. The Charlottesville-based rock quintet left behind their sound man, Chris Munson, to make a few more adjustments. While Munson set to work, the club’s PA system remained on, and that spelled trouble […]

Cameron Whitcomb at The Jefferson 4/8

Driven by bold lyricism and an emotive, competent voice, Cameron Whitcomb brings his Fragile Egos Tour to town. The British Columbia native left home at the tender age of 17, took a job on a pipeline, and realized he’d rather be making music. He explores a softer side in his country-folk stylings, leaning more toward […]