Pick: Brent Cobb and Hayes Carll

Travel buddies Acclaimed country musicians Brent Cobb and Hayes Carll are on the road for a special run of collaborative concerts. “We’re gettin’ together to give ourselves, as well as the crowds, something that I believe we’ll all talk about for a while,” says Cobb, who performs his new gospel album, And Now, Let’s Turn […]

Pick: Fall Concert for Youth

Spirited youth Albemarle Symphony Orchestra presents a program of contemporary and classical works at its Fall Concert for Youth. Conductor Philip Clark, who has played for the queens of England and Holland, will lead the orchestra through compositions from Harry Potter, Moana, Ghostbusters, Bach, and more. The evening also features a mystery emcee to keep […]

Pick: All The Best …From 6 Feet Away

Loving a legend Celebrate the life and music of the late Grammy-winning folk legend John Prine at a live performance of All The Best …From 6 Feet Away: A Charlottesville Tribute To John Prine. The album, produced by Jeff Sweatman, features 21 local artists’ unique take on Prine’s songs, including “Speed of the Sound of […]

Pick: Gary Clark Jr.

Landing it Gary Clark Jr. tells it to you straight on his third studio album, This Land. “Fuck you, I’m America’s son. This is where I come from,” he sings on the titular lead single, a song that arose from an encounter with a racist neighbor at his ranch “in the middle of Trump country” […]

Pick: PUP

Listen with caution: Canadian punk band PUP’s name may be an abbreviation for “pathetic waste of potential,” but don’t let that fool you—its fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, marks a clever new marriage between melody and chaos. And according to lead singer Stefan Babcock, chaos is where PUP feels most at home, saying “there […]

Pick: Willie Nelson & Family

We love you, Willie: With a career spanning seven distinguished decades, 89-year-old Willie Nelson is still at the top of his game—writing, singing, and playing with the signature wit and wisdom that comes from a lifetime on the road. In recent years, Nelson’s released four albums, received his 5th-degree black belt in GongKwon Yusul, and […]

Pick: Michael Bisio

Can’t touch this: Michael Bisio is one of the most prolific bassists working today—he’s composed over 100 works, appears on more than 100 CDs, and can jump from classical poise to jazzy fervor in a heartbeat. His 2022 release, Inimitable, is an album of solo bass improvisations that showcases the range of the bass, from […]

Pick: Tim O’Brien

Carrying a tune: Tim O’Brien went from singing in church and school in West Virginia, to being a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of country and bluegrass music. His latest release, He Walked On, explores what it means to be American with intimate histories and stories told through eight new original songs and five carefully curated […]

Pick: War on Drugs

Join together: Adam Granduciel is known for doing things on his own. Typically a loner in the studio, the frontman for American rock band War on Drugs assembles most of the group’s records by overdubbing pre-recorded tracks. It worked well for years, but in 2018 Granduciel was ready for something new—community. The band’s fifth studio […]

Back on stage

After over a year of empty stages, music lovers finally have something to look forward to. Last month, Governor Ralph Northam lifted all social distancing and capacity restrictions, meaning live music will soon be back at several Charlottesville venues. On June 18, the newly renamed Ting Pavilion will reopen with the return of Fridays After […]