When Greg Thomas sent an audition tape of the Albemarle High School Jazz Ensemble to Swing Central last fall, he didn’t give it a second thought. He figured his group had no chance of being one of the 12 bands accepted to the elite three-day competition and workshop that are part of the Savannah Music […]
When Greg Thomas sent an audition tape of the Albemarle High School Jazz Ensemble to Swing Central last fall, he didn’t give it a second thought. He figured his group had no chance of being one of the 12 bands accepted to the elite three-day competition and workshop that are part of the Savannah Music […]
If Leon Russell had stopped making records after his eponymous release in 1970, the 73-year-old pianist-songwriter-producer would still be a legend today thanks to his extensive collaborations with the founders of rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s credits list Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Steve Winwood among other musical royalty of the […]
Fall Out Boy has evolved into a mainstream pop band, but you can still hear the angst that emanates from its formative years in Chicago’s hardcore scene. Its sixth studio album, American Beauty/American Psycho, is studded with chart-topping singles that comment on pop culture and the trials of modern living. Wednesday 3/2. $29.50-65, 7pm. John Paul […]
Billed as a day of “joyful sharing, support and empowerment,” the second annual WinterSongs brings together 200 female singers from Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia for an afternoon of sisterhood and music, to raise money for the Shelter for Help in Emergency. Burley Middle School choral director Craig Jennings, the event’s organizer, […]
In addition to the high-energy performances that have landed The Black Lillies at Bonnaroo, Stagecoach and the Grand Ole Opry, the band recently became known for overcoming artistic obstacles. Two weeks before entering the studio to record its fourth album, Hard to Please, two members gave notice, causing frontman Cruz Contreras to pull together new […]
A few years ago, Bob Boilen, host of NPR Music’s “All Songs Considered,” turned his work desk into a concert venue. Today, he invites musicians from all over the world to play intimate sets of songs between the desk and bookshelves in the Tiny Desk concert series. The short sessions are filmed and later posted online […]
While many symphonies and orchestras have seen economic challenges in recent years, they’ve also been given a facelift through fresh takes on classical arrangements and some budding new instrumentalists. Ray Chen falls into the latter category, bringing a passionate intensity to his instrument with every blazing stroke of the bow. Hailed as a “young violinist,” […]
Self-proclaimed “trippy trio” Ruckzuck digs live shows, feeding off of spontaneity and grooving on audience energy. The band’s loping sets are part psychedelic, part Krautrock and unlike any other fusion of musical forms. And although the group’s lyrics are sometimes dark and emotional, nothing makes brothers Nick and Matt Bedo and Faith Kelly happier than […]
Inspired by the poetry of Maya Angelou at a young age, Staunton artist Lady Taij delivers thought-provoking, silky rhymes that detail a rarely observed female perspective on a scene filled with “sex, drugs and rap.” Her edgy lyrics float over an infectious R&B accompaniment and confident social commentary. Thursday 2/18. $5-8, 8pm. The Ante Room, 219 […]
Jason Huber and Jordan Kelley burst out of a tiered cake wearing cowboy hats. Kelley pops and pours champagne. Both men strip down to nothing save metallic underwear, hats and boots. So begins the NSFW video for “Doses and Mimosas,” the Nashville-based electro-pop band Cherub’s breakout 2012 hit. As the video plays on, it’s clear […]