Diet Cig’s Alex Luciano dances to a DIY beat

Don’t hang out with Diet Cig if you’re not willing to risk arrest or have your exploits immortalized in song. That’s not to say that every night the self-proclaimed “slop-pop” duo spent on the road over the past two years ended in flashing lights. It simply means that as in life, anything can—and will—happen. “I […]

ARTS Pick: Jason Burke

Local favorite Jason Burke draws from a broad range of influences, such as James Taylor, AC/DC and The Beatles, to create what he describes as a “California country sound.” His latest album, Burning Daylight, pulls jazz, blues and soul into the mix. Burke (who’s a big promoter of local musicians) had a setback due to […]

ARTS Pick: Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh started his career in bars and clubs as a solo act before James Gang showcased his guitar chops on a national level with “Funk #49.” In 1975, Walsh joined the Eagles, where he helped transform the rock music scene with the release of Hotel California, his first album with the band. Walsh says […]

ARTS Pick: Ships in the Night

Ships in the Night is the project of Alethea Leventhal, an experimental musician who pilots her music into uncharted dark waters. Her gauzy, earnest sonic constructions transcend the dismissive label of goth and place her at the intersection of decades-old new wave and the future of music. A recent show in Germany caused the webzine […]

ARTS Pick: Swagwüf

Sally Rose has all the charisma of a rock ‘n’ roll star paired with the grit and charm of an old-fashioned Southern girl. A woman of various musical incarnations, she brings attitude and solid chops to the bass in her rambunctious swamp-rock outfit, Swagwüf. The group returns after a summer tour to work on a […]

ARTS Pick: SEE/HEAR

Bassist Chris Dammann’s outfit Restroy plays contemporary tunes from the new release Saturn Returns, and duo Rick Parker and Li Daiguo perform a blend of folk-acoustics and electronica influenced by their respective homes, Brooklyn and China. The collaborative event SEE/HEAR invites guests to take in the Second Street Gallery’s exhibitions while listening to improvisational sounds […]

A word with EmiSunshine

At age 9, musician EmiSunshine shocked viewers around the country with her video of a 2014 flea market performance. After going viral, she landed performances with Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam and a gig at the Grand Ole Opry. Now 12 years old, EmiSunshine has developed an authentic folk voice and plays almost 150 shows […]

Charlottesville Municipal Band strikes new chord after funding loss

It’s 7pm on a Tuesday, and the Municipal Arts Center is filled with the sound of the Charlottesville Municipal Band filing into the large practice hall to prepare for another installment of its bi-weekly summer concert series. The evening resembles a family reunion: Musicians greet one other with smiles, pats on the back and familial […]

ARTS Pick: Orquesta Mammaye

Acclaimed Peruvian guitarist and composer Santiago “Coco” Linares is known for his dexterity as a player and his musicianship in orchestral arrangement and direction. In the course of his 30-year career, Linares served as the musical director for the national Peruvian TV program “Mediodía Criollo,” worked with prominent singers including Eva Ayllón and Pepe Vásquez […]