Living Picks: To-do this week

Festival       Fridays After Five Enjoy the weather, tunes from local jam band Kendall Street Company and eats from numerous area food trucks. Friday 4/22. Free, 5:30pm. nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Downtown Mall. 245-4910. Nonprofit Historic Garden Week Tour The 83rd annual event celebrates the beauty of local gardens, and feature visits to the historic Morven […]

Illiterate Light searches for moral middle ground

On a freezing-cold night in February, Harrisonburg band Illiterate Light played a set under a red light bulb in the kitchen of a house on First Street South, close to the graveyard. It was 1am and a dozen or so 20somethings leaned against walls and countertops, holding cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and passing around […]

ARTS Pick: White Denim

Four-piece band White Denim has changed its tune quite a few times since its inception nearly a decade ago. The group, based in Austin, makes a return to its rock roots with its latest record, Stiff, and the feverish ’70s undertow and looping on the new release are reminiscent of White Denim’s debut album. “We […]

ARTS Pick: Lauren Hoffman and the Secret Storm

After taking a hiatus to raise her daughter, Charlottesville’s Lauren Hoffman returned to the stage last year with a new band, The Secret Storm. The current musical incarnation defines Hoffman as a compelling frontwoman backed by myriad instruments such as the cello, electric violin, piano, synthesizer and guitar. When signed by Virgin Records America, Hoffman […]

ARTS Pick: Polaroid Stories

Gorilla Theater Productions presents Polaroid Stories, an interpretation of Roman poet Ovid’s narrative epic, Metamorphoses, which chronicles the history of the world beginning with its creation. The show portrays the outcasts of modern America’s youth living out enduring human compulsions. Thursday 4/14. 18-plus. $10-15, The Studio, 1713 Allied St., Ste. 2A. 547-7986.

ARTS Pick: Big Gigantic

Instrumental, livetronica jam duo Big Gigantic is popular on the festival circuit for its ever-changing live show that combines electronic and hip-hop rhythms, elaborate stage design and lighting for a dynamic, audio-sensory experience. Beyond the beats, saxophonist/producer Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken use their musical following to inspire compassion and activism through #ABigGiganticDifference and […]

The Milk Carton Kids play with traditional folk

The Milk Carton Kids’ Joey Ryan falls into a quirky pattern during taped interviews and between live songs. He becomes clueless, feigning ignorance about certain words and well-known musicians. He once claimed he’d never heard of Simon and Garfunkel. It’s a funny act—like one of the characters from Spinal Tap come to life. But it’s […]

ARTS Pick: Mavis Staples

Genre-defying, freedom-fighting diva Mavis Staples has woven her music into a fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock and hip-hop for the past 60 years. A pioneer of the Delta gospel sound created in the 1950s, Staples flourished as a solo performer and in her family group, The Staple Singers. She has collaborated […]

ARTS Pick: Keith Morris & the Crooked Numbers

Gritty, heartfelt rock ‘n’ roll meets gut-spilling soul on Keith Morris & the Crooked Numbers’ new album, The Dirty Gospel. Written during a period of mourning, the songs are personal, accessible and emotionally charged. Sarah White and The Pearls and Mister Baby open the CD release bash. Friday 4/8. $10, 7pm. The Ante Room, 219 W. […]

Cellist Ben Sollee bridges the gap between traditional and modern

Ben Sollee answers the phone but isn’t ready to chat. He’s still talking to his son, Oliver, and his mom. They’re in the car, “cruising down the road.” Turns out this is typical of Sollee, who’ll play The Southern Café and Music Hall on April 8. Scattered might not be the right word, but he […]