Craig Jennings didn’t know Hannah Graham. But last fall, “after she disappeared under the eyes of cameras on the Downtown Mall, I couldn’t stop thinking about what her family was going through,” said Jennings, the choral director at Burley Middle School. That feeling grew stronger as days turned into weeks, and Jennings watched his students […]
Craig Jennings didn’t know Hannah Graham. But last fall, “after she disappeared under the eyes of cameras on the Downtown Mall, I couldn’t stop thinking about what her family was going through,” said Jennings, the choral director at Burley Middle School. That feeling grew stronger as days turned into weeks, and Jennings watched his students […]
Over two years after taking home a million dollar grand prize on “America’s Got Talent,” classic crooner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. continues to wow national audiences with his smooth Sinatra covers. While he’s not quick to forget his West Virginia roots, the once penniless car washer has catapulted to fame with interpretations of Old Blue […]
The (now Philly-based) group Left & Right spent its formative years on the streets of Charlottesville, where all four members worked as city transit bus drivers and shared road stories after work. Those long days in the driver’s seat might explain the band’s affinity for the high energy, grunge addled tunes that it calls “working […]
When I sat down to think about the best concerts I saw in 2014, the only events that came to mind were disappointments. Don’t get me wrong. There were highlights. Joe Pug got intimate at the Southern. Shovels and Rope entranced the Jefferson. But by and large, the most highly anticipated events of the year […]
When the weather outside gets frightful, you might not be eager to curl up in front of a band called Miss Massive Snowflake, but Shane de Leon’s witty contemporary pop tunes of love, family and loss of trust make for some truly heartwarming, emotive storytelling. With quirky simplicity and moody, sometimes psychedelic lyrics, the Portland, […]
Time warp your way back to the 1970s and the golden age of glam rock with Bowie, Bolan and Blondie, a triple tribute featuring all local bands. The multi-talented Thomas Dean (left) leads The Jean Jeanies through David Bowie’s expansive, psychedelic discography; Harrisonburg-formed septet P. Dactyl revives the classic hits of T. Rex; and Sunday […]
Going out on New Year’s Eve can feel like an obligation. You don’t want to be on your couch when the clock strikes midnight, so you grab a bar of soap, put on clothes that don’t have any holes and hand your money to whatever establishment has the least offensive-sounding, all-inclusive night out. We can’t […]
As the year draws to a close, we may opt to wrap ourselves in nostalgia for the past 12 months, making lists of what was great about 2014. Or we can choose to face forward with racing hearts, speculating on what will make the next year more interesting than the last. I’ll take the latter. […]
The longest running local community chorus returns for what has become an annual holiday highlight: The Oratorio Society’s Christmas at The Paramount. Celebrate with song as conductor Michael Slon (below) leads a program of classic favorites that soars to its highest point during an audience sing-along in this spirited seasonal event that joins area school […]
Over his 20-year career, singer-songwriter Ellis Paul has released 19 records, received 14 Boston Music awards (along with a slew of other honors and decorations) and played close to 200 shows per year across the globe. With a leading role in the folk revival of the ’90s, Paul is often compared to legendary predecessors Bob […]