ARTS Pick: Wale

On his recent release, The Album About Nothing, Washington D.C., hip-hop musician Wale has a lot of relatable things to say. The deeply personal album lightens up through its connection to the popular ’90s TV show “Seinfeld,” even featuring a guest appearance by the comedian as its narrator (Wale refers to Jerry Seinfeld as his “conscience”), and […]

ARTS Pick: Paulien

Dutch-born, Charlottesville-based singer Paulien brings an array of languages and talent to the stage through her French jazz interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Dubbed as a musical story, she captures everyone from Edith Piaf to Cole Porter in an afternoon performance to benefit the WTJU Jazz Marathon. Sunday, October 2. $15-17, 4pm. The Southern […]

ARTS Pick: Eric Brace and Peter Cooper

Washington, D.C., is not the first place that comes to mind as the center of folk and bluegrass music, but there’s a long history of accomplished players from the capital city, including Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, who honor their peers on the recent album, C&O Canal. The Grammy-nominated collaborators’ engaging songwriting, quick wit and […]

ARTS Pick: The Sally Rose Band and Erin and the Wildfire

Everyone knows that girls rule and boys…well, boys, too, will be wildly entertained by The Sally Rose Band and Erin and the Wildfire, two of Charlottesville’s most prominent female-led outfits. Sally Rose’s saucy Southern rock tunes about witches and ghosts, heartaches and moons, are packed with mother-daughter blood harmonies, good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll riffs […]

Gold Connections’ future looks bright

A couple of years ago, while home on winter break from the College of William & Mary, Will Marsh found himself feeling overwhelmed by thoughts that drift, and often race, through young minds. Marsh was studying English, playing in a few bands on campus and worried about choosing a path—the right path—then facing the consequences of […]

Lockn’ festival is groomed and geared up for more

Lockn’ festival returns to Oak Ridge Farm on Thursday, and while the musical acts including Phish, Ween and My Morning Jacket are expected to draw more than 30,000 fans to the area, event producer Dave Frey defines the key to enjoying the festival as “locality.” Pointing out the attributes of the recently established Nelson County Preserve, […]

ARTS Pick: The Stray Birds

When The Stray Birds wandered from the band members’ collective home of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Nashville, the group mingled in the songwriter scene and came away with rewarding collaborations, an intuitive producer and a list of talented guest musicians for the new record, Magic Fire, to be released on August 19. Building on momentum […]

ARTS Pick: The Pollocks

The Pollocks is the current project of Seven Mary Three founding member Jason Pollock, and it’s more like a country cousin to the hard-rock group that topped singles charts in the ’90s. Low-key and locally based, The Pollocks have put North Garden on the musical map, building a supportive community where the band can test […]

ARTS Pick: J.Cole

UVA’s Program Council welcomes students back with a performance by platinum-selling hip-hop artist J. Cole, as well as rappers Bas and Cozz. Known for his introspective lyrics and humble beginnings, Cole connects with his zealous fan base through his soulful musical identity. He plays from his latest release, Forest Hills Drive, a concept album that […]

ARTS Pick: Ellis Paul

Singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is equal parts folk artist and storyteller. His most recent album, Chasing Beauty, is characteristically ballad-centric and tells stories of real people and places that reflect larger truths about the human experience. In the style of  Woody Guthrie, the 15-time Boston Music Award-winner leans on his musical roots for an unfailingly genuine […]