The Festy balances male and female talent
When Erin Lunsford is on the road with her band, Erin & the Wildfire, she’s often overlooked. Because she’s a woman, Lunsford says, many assume she’s a groupie—even though she’s […]
The magical, emotional orbit of Sweet Tooth
On a recent weeknight, rainy and surprisingly chilly for early September, the four members of Sweet Tooth set up their instruments in the warm red and violet lights of the […]
ARTS Pick: Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival
NPR describes Brooklyn Rider as “one of today’s most technically accomplished string quartets,” but the group is more than its technical abilities. In its willingness to perform both faithful renditions […]
Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes looks ahead at Lockn’
Warren Haynes is one of the most prolific guitarists and songwriters of our time. After joining The Allman Brothers Band in 1989 at the request of Dickey Betts, Haynes formed […]
Portugal. The Man finds inspiration in the past
The old adage “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes” rings particularly true in 2017. You don’t have to search hard to find parallels between the current sociopolitical landscape […]
ARTS Pick: Dina Maccabee, Janel Leppin and Juliana Daugherty
Improvisation on viola, atmospheric cello and lush acoustics fill a unique bill of songwriters: Touring veteran Dina Maccabee (violinist, violist and vocalist) loops depth, space and complexity into the songs […]
ARTS Pick: Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band is no small venture—the 13-piece group backs Lovett on everything from violin to guitar to trombone, swinging through jazz and pickin’ out country with […]
Kishi Bashi confronts love through new sounds on Sonderlust
Kaoru Ishibashi ditched his violin for samplers, sequencers and electronics on Sonderlust, the third album released under his pseudo name Kishi Bashi. The composer—largely known for his mastery of the […]
ARTS Pick: Ween
Sometime in either 1984 or 1985 two junior high school kids with no interest in friendship were seated next to each other in typing class. It turns out they had […]
Reggae legend Culture keeps local connections strong
When a major band comes to Charlottesville, it doesn’t necessarily take the stage at the John Paul Jones arena or the Jefferson Theater. Culture, one of the most influential reggae […]