Gordon Sterling and The People at Rapture 8/23

The lyrics may be seriously connected to societal concerns, but the bluesy, high-energy funk from Gordon Sterling and The People tells you that this Washington, D.C., sextet comes to town to get down. It’s easy to get caught up in the hip-swingin’ freedom of the group’s groovy dance numbers—and Sterling’s charismatic leadership takes you there, […]

Todd Rundgren at The Paramount Theater 8/26

Digital wizard Todd Rundgren was making electronic music way before it was cool, and so naming his current tour Still Me (Still We) indicates we can expect him to bring out his rock radio classics—“Hello It’s Me” and “Bang the Drum All Day”—while plugging into some of the longplay prog and experimental suites of his […]

Musician and actor Jim Waive poured his heart into the joy of music

Long before he stepped onto a stage, Jim Waive was putting on a show.  “Our household was filled with music,” recalls Patti Rightmier, one of Jim’s three older sisters. “My mom loved music. My mom listened to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass…” “Tom Jones, the 5th Dimension—a variety,” adds Judy Crist, another sister. “And Jim—as […]

Oh He Dead at Rivanna River Company 8/9

Hailing from Washington, D.C., Oh He Dead brings funky rock with poppy vibes to every stage it graces. The five-piece outfit fronted by CJ Bowlin’ Johnson and her powerful voice are known for high-energy shows featuring incredible instrumentation and soulful sounds that only a close-knit crew can conjure. Local cultural pollinator Lua Project also performs, […]

No BS! Brass at The Southern Café & Music Hall 8/2

Richmond’s No BS! Brass has established itself at the forefront of live acts hailing from the commonwealth’s capital. Combining elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson, and Led Zeppelin with the spirit of New Orleans into an original modern-funk sound, the energetic 12-piece outfit keeps audiences moving all night long. Bolstering its bona fides, […]

Emmylou Harris at Ting Pavilion 8/1

Legendary singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris brings her talents to the Ting Pavilion in support of a benefit show for Charlottesville’s Free Clinic. Not many other top-of-list names excelling in her chosen genres can outshine Harris—neither for the soft power of her inimitable voice or her laundry list of records and recognition as a Country Music Hall […]

The Pollocks at Batesville Market 8/2

To say that The Pollocks own Batesville Market would be false, but the band does have a comfort level on the venue’s stage that comes with being local and legendary in a small community. Led by Jason Pollock, whose hit songwriting propelled his grunge band Seven Mary Three up the charts in the mid-’90s, The […]

Hot Water Music at The Jefferson Theater 7/28

If veteran Gainesville, Florida, band Hot Water Music is considered punk, then perhaps nothing is punk. In this stage of late capitalism and post-post-post-modern 21st-century rock, it may be pointless to even ask. We old people all realize our musical tribes have basically been absorbed by the monoculture of social media and the blurred boundaries […]

Üga Büga with Greenhead and Diseased Earth at the Southern 7/26

The best thing about Charlottesville’s Üga Büga is that it’s hard to describe. I’ve seen it called “Southern sludge beard metal” and “hog rock” (likely in reference to its debut, 2024’s Year of the Hog), but neither seems entirely fair. It’s sludge-ish, but not like those who plunder the slo-mo riffery of early Black Sabbath […]