Musical loom: Dan Deacon weaves dense sonic delights

Dan Deacon is a busy man. Best known for his sweaty, gloriously fun concerts, his talents go far beyond the ability to get a crowd excited. Once you get past a surface-level wackiness his music is finely crafted, and sublimely structured, owing as much to Philip Glass or Aaron Copeland as it does to underground […]

ARTS Pick: Andrew Combs at The Garage

A country-folk revolution is gaining momentum in Nashville, and singer-songwriter Andrew Combs is one of the founding fathers. Defending the right to defy conventional boundaries, Combs plays deeply emotional tunes that borrow equally from traditional rural sounds, with indie intonations, and punk flair that sounds like it came straight out of a warehouse in Detroit. […]

Friendly foe: Kurt Vile pulls dark lyrics from a light heart

Prepare to have yet another of your rock star illusions dismissed. Kurt Vile is a pretty happy guy. Vile’s dark, sometimes raunchy lyrics belie the upbeat, irreverent manner that was on full display in his recent phone interview with C-VILLE. At one point in the talk, during which he was headed backstage for a show, […]

ARTS Pick: The Lenny Marcus Trio

Take a walk on the wild side with refreshing jazz renditions of Beethoven classics performed by The Lenny Marcus Trio as part of the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival. A protégé of the legendary Ray Bryant, Marcus brings a highly creative approach to his music, mixing flute, bluesy vocals, and cool jazz piano for a unique, […]

ARTS Pick: Red Wing Roots Music Festival

While some may drive hours to catch these acts on their own, the premiere of the Red Wing Roots Music Festival delivers the South’s best talent straight to Central Virginia’s doorstep. The three-day schedule includes performances by 40 bands on four stages, kids’ activities, and opportunities for outdoor leisure. With The Steel Wheels presenting, the […]

ARTS Pick: Shooter Jennings

The son of country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings has forged a name for himself that has nothing to do with family ties. Country rock’s bad boy came slamming onto the music scene with his rebellious Southern rock in the early 2000s, and has remained a favorite across genres. Although his […]

Pun Picks: Dan Bechdolt of Mingo Fishtrap

In the summer of 2010, Morwenna Lasko and I flew to Salina, Kansas to play the Smoky Hill River Festival. We played a total of five sets throughout the weekend with our full band (Pete Spaar, upright bass; Devonne Harris, drums; and our friend Lester Jackson, vocals). Kansas was HOT, dripping hot, but we had […]

ARTS Pick: Midlife Crisis at Carter Mountain Sunsets

With spectacular views, local wines, summer food favorites, and live music, the Carter Mountain Sunsets series is ironically the perfect setting for Midlife Crisis, the classic rockers who are performing next in the orchard’s family friendly concert run. Relax on the deck with your bag of fresh picked fruit and some of the bakery shop’s […]

With a twist: Live music at the tea house flourishes under new booking team

The Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar (affectionately known to locals as the “tea house”) has been hosting live music since it opened a decade ago. The first concerts were organized by Jason Andrews (whose business card read “Hospitality Czar”). But since Andrews’ departure in 2006, a dozen different individuals have taken turns working out arrangements with […]

ARTS Pick: Shantel Leitner

Music is in indie folk singer-songwriter Shantel Leitner’s blood. Following in the footsteps of her mother, aunt, and grandfather (all country singers), Leitner began singing at a young age. “I was pretty bashful, so I didn’t sing with them until my grandfather lovingly nudged me to,” Leitner said during a recent phone interview. Now at […]