For art’s sake: Let your imagination run wild at Arts Underground, a night of free-flowing creativity inside The Looking Glass. Grab a drink from the colorful bar as you descend into Dripstone Cave for artmaking (materials are available for a la carte purchase). Feeling blocked? Wander through the immersive museum for inspiration, or loosen up […]
For art’s sake: Let your imagination run wild at Arts Underground, a night of free-flowing creativity inside The Looking Glass. Grab a drink from the colorful bar as you descend into Dripstone Cave for artmaking (materials are available for a la carte purchase). Feeling blocked? Wander through the immersive museum for inspiration, or loosen up […]
Fast friends: Local musician Matthew O’Donnell treats every performance like it’s a gathering of close friends. His band, Blue Ridge Bards, plays traditional Celtic folk with a modern energy, infusing it with rock, pop, country, and jazz. The group’s live show mixes things up between accordion, kick drum, bouzouki, and tin whistle, and includes a […]
Screen to stage: Duo Dailey & Vincent have been performing their medley of traditional country, gospel, and bluegrass for audiences for over 10 years. Recently, Dailey’s tenor and Vincent’s harmonies were broadcast nationwide on their weekly RFD-TV series, “The Dailey & Vincent Show,” which boasts five seasons. The Grand Ole Opry members will perform songs […]
By James Keith Ford “Before social media, finding other spooky folks wasn’t easy,” recalls Bill Hunt. Then he discovered the goth scene at Charlottesville sushi spot Tokyo Rose. “Descending into that dark basement, I was amazed to see dozens of strangers clad all in black. It was the first time in my life that I […]
Didn’t it feel good to see that first live show after nearly a year without live music? The return of concerts this summer fall and marked one major bright spot in 2021, a year that was otherwise filled with uncertainty. (In some cases, even festivals came back!) But the pseudo-post-pandemic music scene looks much different. […]
Clown around: He’s tall, wears white face paint, and…he’s really sad. Puddles Pity Party features a morose seven-foot-tall clown with a hidden talent—he sings. Puddles’ booming baritone and operatic rendition of Sia’s “Chandelier” earned him a trip to the quarterfinals on the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” and his “Still Sequestered” streaming show has […]
On pointe: Christmastime favorite The Royal Ballet’s HD broadcast of The Nutcracker follows Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker doll as they battle the Mouse King, journey through the Kingdom of Sweets, and dance with a delightful array of characters. Tchaikovsky’s beloved music accompanies Peter Wright’s production of the Russian classic. Thursday 12/30. $11–15, 7pm. The […]
Cheers to the next one: Count down the last hours of 2021 with local favorite Chamomile and Whiskey at A Heartbreaker New Year’s Eve. The band rings in the new year with its signature blend of roots, rock, and Americana, and promises a fun night full of surprises, including a special Tom Petty tribute set […]
Party on Earth: E.T.s have crash-landed on Earth just in time for Studio 51: An Out of This World New Year’s Eve party. The Studio 54-meets-Area-51 event will feature dangerous intergalactic art installations, dancing, and a champagne toast at midnight. And the evening wouldn’t be complete without alien queens emerging from a wrecked UFO to […]
Reviewing 2021’s cinematic output is different from years past. Not only were more movies watched at home this year, but there are no clearly defined trends to speak of. (Showing grand productions like West Side Story and intimate actor showcases like Mass in side-by-side multiplex theaters is enough to induce cinefile whiplash.) One reliable throughline, […]