Pops at the Paramount

Travel to a galaxy far, far away during Pops at the Paramount, a symphonic sci-fi spectacular. The Charlottesville Symphony, led by conductor and music director Benjamin Rous, performs highlights from iconic science fiction film and television soundtracks, including Back to the Future, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, “The Expanse,” Star Trek, “The X-Files,” and […]

Charlie Puth

From viral success on YouTube to the smash single “See You Again,” Charlie Puth built a name for himself in pop music—and he’s pushing it forward on his current tour The Charlie Live Experience. His third album, CHARLIE, has passed a billion streams and includes songs like “Left and Right,” featuring Jungkook of BTS. “Light […]

3 to see

Entertainment time is precious, and venue calendars are stacked with options. Music writer and on-air radio pro Samantha Federico says these bands are on their way up. You should see them live, and here’s why: Shagwüf  Latest release: Trendy Weapon EP, 2020  Staunton’s Shagwüf will make you howl, just like the band’s singer and bassist, […]

Two directions

Folk troubadour and 10-year Charlottesville resident David Wax befriended a fellow aspiring musician while studying at Harvard University. The students had a lot in common, Wax recalls, also having met briefly during high school trips to Washington, D.C., where they pursued their passion for politics. The two friends did not go on to found the […]

Dürty work

The weather was clear, and the pickup truck show was a go. Koda Kerl brought the idea to Dürty Nelly’s when he started managing the local bar’s music booking in spring of 2021. Nelly’s owner Jordan Brunk had hired Kerl to kickstart his sound coming out of lockdown, and one idea was to formalize “the […]

James Fernando

Pianist James Fernando gives a matinée performance as part of the Charlottesville Jazz Society/WTJU Jazz Concert Series. The virtuoso composer and musician merges influences from jazz, classical, and electronic into thought-provoking, genre-expanding original compositions on albums such as The Lonely Sailor and Piano Poetry. Fernando is joined by area vocalist Moji for select arrangements. Sunday […]

Scivic Rivers

On his eponymously titled new album, Scivic Rivers, the nom de plume of singer-songwriter and UVA alum Randy Bickford, explores the labor of starting a family within the context of modern society. The record pulls together harmonica, pedal steel, and pointillistic arrangements in songs like “Shenandoah Granite,” on which Bickford sings about climate grief as […]

Jacob Paul Allen

After a two-year stay in Nashville, Jacob Paul Allen returns to his Blue Ridge Mountain roots for an evening of his self-described “Appalachian red dirt” sound. The singer-songwriter flirts with outlaw country and dances with bluegrass, while leaning into ’90s and Americana sounds. Whether performing solo, or with his backing band The Flood, Allen is […]

Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia pairs global influences with a soulful, folk-roots sound on its album, Leylines. The quartet is joined by West African musician Arouna Diarra on the ngoni and talking drum, and Irish musician Duncan Wickel on fiddle and cello. The band, fronted by sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, tackles tough topics in its songs. “We’re […]

Rivanna Roots

Kick off your shoes, fill up your reusable cup, and rock out on the banks of the river at the Rivanna Roots concert series. Hunter + The Gatherers get the party started with heady grooves, virtuosic tenor, and spacey guitar work, then The Oversteppers (left) keep the party going into the night with reggae beats […]