ARTS Pick: Boxwave

The Richmond-based rock duo Boxwave features John Mustachio on bass and Brad Ellsworth on percussion in a minimal act that strives to invigorate the often ignored rhythm section. Spartan and unassuming, Ellsworth provides enthusiastic backing to Mustachio’s gritty playing in a guerrilla rock attack that fuses funk and jazz into extravagant, melodic flights. The pair appears […]

Passafire likes its rock with a side of reggae

Passafire’s Ted Bowne says he has nothing but respect for his peers in reggae, but there’s one figure in the modern game he doesn’t like—Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg. “I thought the transformation was well-intended, but if someone starts coming around your house and wearing your clothes and talking like you, it is weird,” Bowne […]

ARTS Pick: The Whigs

Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2002, The Whigs have grown into a seasoned rock band. While teething, the group played with rock stalwarts Kings of Leon and The Black Keys before maturing a sound that is explosive and heavy, but not without infectious hooks. The Whigs’ newest album, Enjoy the Company, plays around with a […]

ARTS Pick: Blacko Da Rappa

Dig into your closet for your best throwback attire, and rehearse your Fresh Prince rap. Magnus Music and Wild Boyz Entertainment kick off 2014 with a hip-hop and go-go celebration of local musician Blacko Da Rappa’s 32nd birthday. A cash prize will be awarded to the best retro look, so don’t be afraid to get […]

ARTS Pick: Eli Cook and Ian Gilliam & The Fire Kings

Local blues prodigy Eli Cook and genre melders Ian Gilliam & The Fire Kings revive one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most revered guitarists in Bold As Love, a tribute to the psychedelic blues rock of Jimi Hendrix. Cook has mastered an exhaustive repertoire of flawless note-for-note covers of Hendrix’s iconic hits and deep cuts. The double bill, […]

ARTS Pick: Three Notch’d Road

The Charlottesville Baroque Ensemble’s Three Notch’d Road celebrates the revelry of Twelfth Night with spiritual and secular songs from the 18th century. The program includes familiar songs like the pastoral “Greensleeves,” and Michel Corrette’s French carol “A Noel Symphony.” Giovanni Antonio Guido explores sounds of crunching ice in “Winter,” and Biber’s “Nativity” sonata unfolds as […]

ARTS Pick: Sons of Bill & Friends Christmas Party

The Wilson brothers invite you to join their family for an evening of high-energy favorites and song sharing among friends at the annual holiday showcase Sons of Bill & Friends Christmas Party. When it comes to love and rockin’ harmony, there’s no place like home for these road warriors and their longtime pals. Monday 12/23. $16-18, 9pm. […]

ARTS Pick: Robert Jospé

Even before founding his own group Inner Rhythm in 1990, Robert Jospé never couched himself in one particular style. Marrying different ethno-musical elements such as Latin percussion, Caribbean dance, and traditional bebop and swing, his singular percussive voice snatches aspects from the ordered chaos of Brazilian polyrhythm, ’40s big band, and the feverish heat of […]

ARTS Pick: Sarah White Country Christmas

Sarah White and Sian Richards are the All-New Acorn Sisters, and bedecked in glittery angel wings and party dresses, full of holiday cheer and biting wit, they bring you the 10th annual Sarah White Country Christmas. Jim Waive & the Young Divorcees perform a variety of down-home country tunes, and the Acorn Sisters frequently join […]