Just seconds into my conversation with Todd Snider, he’s telling me about some LSD that was “going around the neighborhood” a few months back. The next moment, he’s on to a story about dodging fruit hurled by Jimmy Buffett. He then deadpans that if young musicians come to him asking for career advice, “they’ve already […]
Just seconds into my conversation with Todd Snider, he’s telling me about some LSD that was “going around the neighborhood” a few months back. The next moment, he’s on to a story about dodging fruit hurled by Jimmy Buffett. He then deadpans that if young musicians come to him asking for career advice, “they’ve already […]
It’s been almost a year since Vinegar Hill Theatre closed its doors, and we’re still months away from the promised renaissance of the Violet Crown Cinemas, so it’s hard to know where to watch a movie in Charlottesville these days. I’m talking about a movie that’s neither mainstream nor blockbuster; one that experiments with and […]
Three years before the Ramones launched their iconic schtick, a trio of brothers started the first American proto-punk band in Detroit. They wrote short, fast songs with driving rhythms and lyrics about politics, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and of course, existential crises. Their pure originality and aggressiveness made them a hard sell commercially in the […]
The Wood and the Wild The Wood and the Wild/self-released Singer-songwriter Jon Perry is spot-on when he refers to this debut recording as “supernatural cinematic folk.” Part concept record, part proverbial soundtrack to your life, the album manages to amble along with a sense of purpose. The opening track, “Loveless Traveler/Belles on the Tye,” encapsulates […]
What’s with all the Kevin Costner movies lately? In the past 12 months he’s appeared in Man of Steel, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and 3 Days to Kill. Given the quality of these movies, maybe he should have stayed semi-retired. It’s not like the movies he made beforehand were much better, but at least his […]
The beauty of the Blue Ridge is an unparalleled testament to nature’s splendor, and the Wild & Scenic Film Festival showcases that magic through a dazzling collection of documentaries from around the region. The festival dives headfirst into the wild, capturing breathtaking moments while examining its delicate relationship with humanity. Wednesday 4/16 & Thursday 4/17. Wednesday: $10, […]
Three graphic designers decide to start a band… It sounds like the beginning of a joke about Brooklyn, but is actually the basis of the inspirational documentary If We Shout Loud Enough about Baltimore’s now defunct trio Double Dagger. Started as a concept band, Double Dagger gained a passionate following and reinvigorated the Baltimore music […]
Nici Cumpston sees landscape art as more than the simple depiction of world locales. Through photography, she tells the story of a place, preserves the history of a people, and enriches our understanding of the human experience. Her newest collection, titled “having-been-there,” focuses on artwork that demonstrates the rich presence of Aboriginal history and culture […]
Inventions Inventions/Temporary Residence Ltd. The mark of a truly great artist is one that despite being entrenched in a genre, still has the power to surprise you. Inventions is the side project of Matthew Cooper (Eluvium) and Mark T. Smith (Explosions in the Sky), and just as atmospheric instrumental music is the name of the […]
Forget all of the hype surrounding Noah. What really matters is whether the movie is any good. It isn’t. To paraphrase Edward Burns, it is dull, dreary, dry and a bore. Noah—and by implication its director and co-screenwriter Darren Aronofsky—can’t decide whether it’s a big head trip (an Aronofsky specialty) or an action picture or […]