‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ at Blackfriars Playhouse through 11/15

Spotlighting Shakespeare at his most playful, The Two Gentlemen of Verona follows Proteus and Valentine, two young men who swear nothing can come between them—until amorous affections enter the scene. Loyalties are tested, disguises donned, and hearts broken as friendship tangles with romance and characters stumble through the beautiful, messy chaos of growing up. And […]

MICO with Vaultboy at The Jefferson Theater 9/18

Here’s a failed movie pitch: A 1980s-era top 40 solo artist of some success finds his way into a time machine and emerges in 2025 with the songwriting and production knowledge of all the years he missed in between. Yet in spite of that new understanding, he stays comforted by the tastes that defined his […]

‘Oh, What a Beautiful, Enchanted, Impossible Evening’ at PVCC 9/18

Charlottesville Opera celebrates the timeless works of Rodgers and Hammerstein with Oh, What a Beautiful, Enchanted, Impossible Evening. Featuring performers James Robinson, Nicola Santoro, Kristen Marie Gillis, Andrew Payne, and piano by Jeremy Thompson, the show weaves selections from the golden age of musical theater with the opera company’s history of performing favorites such as […]

Tyler Childers at John Paul Jones Arena 9/22

Appalachian folk hero Tyler Childers returns with his neotraditional blend of country, bluegrass, folk, and honky-tonk. The Kentucky-born singer-songwriter has earned several Grammy Award nominations over six albums. On his seventh, Snipe Hunter, Childers rocks out, dabbles in ragtime, and connects with his interest in Hinduism. Ticket sales benefit Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund, as […]

Deafheaven with Harm’s Way and I Promised The World at The Jefferson Theater 9/17

Reverberating walls of guitars, manic drumming, screeching vocals, and ponderous lyrics with obfuscated motives give a sense of Bay Area-bred Deafheaven’s typical touchstones. Beyond those descriptors, the band has expanded its repertoire of sounds and arrangements to provide a freshness that demonstrates growth without abandoning its roots. The latest release, Lonely People with Power (2025), […]

Mannequin Pussy with Gouge Away at The Jefferson Theater 9/16

I am impressed by Mannequin Pussy. The band makes contemporary indie rock that excels without posturing or abducting the riffs of pre-internet college radio’s heyday. MP writes melodies that sound as if no other option would make as much sense or satisfy the notes. This forgone conclusion of artistry is especially true on the choruses. The […]

Adam Sandler at John Paul Jones Arena 9/12

Adam Sandler still makes jokes. You may be Gen X or a Boomer and think of him as the doofus next to Chris Farley on “Saturday Night Live,” but aside from being an extremely well-paid Hollywood movie star, writer, and media producer, he’s also a musician who plays for laughs.  It may surprise you to […]

‘A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant’ at Violet Crown 9/12–9/18

Chronicling the extraordinary life and career of a prolific artist, A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant illustrates how, over five decades and 10 U.S. presidents, the Australian transplant became America’s most renowned and feared political cartoonist. Featuring interviews with Oliphant, his family, friends, and colleagues, plus archival footage and hundreds of […]

Author Tochi Eze discusses ancestral curses and diasporic identity

Tochi Eze is a Nigerian fiction writer and scholar whose debut novel, This Kind of Trouble, explores the relationships between language and power through intergenerational identity, mental health, colonialism, and the African diaspora. Spanning a century and told through multiple perspectives in Nigeria and the United States, the plot follows how choices made by the […]