As a founding father wine geek, Thomas Jefferson is typically the first person who springs to mind when discussing the history of our wine region. But it was Emma Randel who literally put Virginia wine on the map in 1982. Largely due to the efforts of Randel, who recognized the importance of the area as […]
As a founding father wine geek, Thomas Jefferson is typically the first person who springs to mind when discussing the history of our wine region. But it was Emma Randel who literally put Virginia wine on the map in 1982. Largely due to the efforts of Randel, who recognized the importance of the area as […]
Listen with caution: Canadian punk band PUP’s name may be an abbreviation for “pathetic waste of potential,” but don’t let that fool you—its fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, marks a clever new marriage between melody and chaos. And according to lead singer Stefan Babcock, chaos is where PUP feels most at home, saying “there […]
Metamorpho-sing: Revel in the atmosphere of a vintage jazz club at Love the Color of Your Butterfly, a deeply personal program from renowned soprano and Victory Hall Opera founding troupe member Janinah Burnett. Performing an original blend of “clazz,” a fusion of jazz and opera, Burnett musically explores her life and career with support from […]
Don’t skip the preview: The 35th annual Virginia Film Festival is less than two months away, and organizers are giving us a head start with the sneak preview screening of writer-director Rodrigo García’s comedy-drama, Raymond & Ray. Shot in Richmond, Virginia, the film stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke as estranged half-brothers who reunite at […]
Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras sought to find harmony, or the “music of the spheres,” in the vibrations of planets as they orbited through space. Two thousand years later, Music Director Benjamin Rous is bringing the music of the spheres to Charlottesville in a surprising way: with harmonicas. In Sonic Spheres, the opening show of the […]
Back in 2013, Alfred Goossens—a certified Virginia Master Naturalist—started to think about poisonous plants. How often, he wondered, were outdoor enthusiasts like him encountering species that might actually be harmful? “There are poisonous plants in our day-to-day life,” he says, “whether in the backyard or when you’re hiking, that many people don’t know about.” He […]
David Bowie was so ahead of his time that, even six years after his death, his music seems advanced. Brett Morgen’s concert film/documentary Moonage Daydream is a cause for celebration for the Thin White Duke’s millions of fans with its combination of musical footage, interviews with Bowie, other archival clips, and animation. Morgen has said […]
Having masterminded the Mad Max franchise, Australian director George Miller could have spent his entire career making billions filming high-octane chases around a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Instead, he consistently chooses unusual, disparate projects, ranging from The Witches of Eastwick to the animated Happy Feet. His latest, Three Thousand Years of Longing, again proves he’s anything but […]
She’s a six-time Grammy nominee who’s coming off a buzzy cinematic debut playing Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. So why isn’t Yola, who’ll take the Jefferson Theater stage with her band on September 17, a household name? A few answers come to mind when talking to the self-proclaimed “genre-fluid” British songstress. First, she’s […]
Genre smashing: Richmond-based Butcher Brown is breaking the rules in the best way possible. The band’s upcoming album, Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey featuring Tennishu and R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, deconstructs big-band jazz and reshapes it into “solar music,” a term coined to describe Butcher Brown’s Southern-leaning, sometimes psychedelic fusion. “We get daps from the jazz cats, […]