David Wax Museum

Successful husband-and-wife duo Suz Slezak and David Wax of David Wax Museum drop their most radio-ready effort yet. You Must Change Your Life is a catchy, hook-heavy reimagining of David Wax Museum’s signature sound—a Latin-infused take on American folk. The record transitions seamlessly from quirky pop anthems, like the album’s title track, to more traditional […]

Complicating the narrative

A deeply researched book, The House Is on Fire is Richmond-based author Rachel Beanland’s gorgeous new historical novel, constructed out of the archives and her own narrative license. Set in Richmond, Virginia, in 1811, the book traces four characters and their communities as they struggle in the aftermath of the historic fire that destroyed the […]

Song explorer

It’s a sunny day in Amsterdam when Josh Ritter checks in with C-VILLE, taking a phone call while sitting along one of the city’s many canals. When reached in early April, the Americana tunesmith was on a solo tour in Europe, the country where he first found success, playing with the likes of Joan Baez […]

May galleries

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library 2450 Old Ivy Rd. “Women Making Books” explores women’s contributions to English and North American bookmaking from the mid-18th to the 21st centuries, “Visions of Progress,” and other permanent exhibitions. Cavallo Gallery & Custom Framing 117 S. Main St., Gordonsville. Original works on paper and canvas by central […]

Evidence of transformation

Poet, pediatrician, and public health researcher Irène Mathieu follows her three award-winning poetry collections with milk tongue, a new book of poetry. Referencing the milky covering that can occur on an infant’s tongue after feeding, milk tongue is a collection that explores parenthood, family, and the intricacies of existence in this world, filled with Mathieu’s […]

Pure wonder

The moment you enter Second Street Gallery, you appreciate the variety of techniques featured in “Mirabilia naturae (Wonders of Nature)”—the precise, elegant line of Lara Call Gastinger’s works of paper; the poetic, emotive quality of Giselle Gautreau’s paintings; and the velvety tones and photographic verisimilitude of Elizabeth Perdue’s palladium prints. Each medium and style has […]

Marriage Play

After 30 years of marriage, a man tells his wife that he is going to leave her. Unperturbed by his declaration, the wife responds mockingly, so he tries again, and again. Edward Albee’s Marriage Play follows Jack and Gillian, the soon-to-be-divorced couple, as they reminisce about the various phases of their relationship—affection, passion, betrayal, and […]

Fridays After Five

Outdoor music is officially here, with the 35th season of Fridays After Five. The summer lineup pairs area acts, including Kendall Street Company, Beleza, and The Chickenheads, with local nonprofits, which work the concession stands in support of their organizations. This Friday, catch Ramona and the Holy Smokes (above) on the stage for an evening […]

The Wallflowers

After nearly a decade of silence, The Wallflowers make some noise with Exit Wounds, the band’s 10-song studio offering. The Jakob Dylan-led rock outfit meshes timeless songwriting and storytelling with a hard-hitting and decidedly modern musical attack. Exit Wounds opens with “Maybe Your Heart’s Not in It No More,” a gentle, Americana-inspired song with Shelby […]

Michael Ketola

Michael Ketola Chef and general managerMas Tapas, mastapas.com A steak in the biz Without formal training, I entered the world of professional cooking in 1996, when some college friends from JMU mentioned that the steakhouse they worked at was looking for a cook. So, eager to try something new (and not move back home) I […]