Pick: Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival

Hear it to see it: Music is multidimensional at Mozart in Virtual Reality: Music as Immersive Experience, a special presentation as part of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival. Following a demonstration from festival artistic director Timothy Summers, a randomly selected group of volunteers will have the opportunity to feel how music is made and heard […]

Pick: LANY

Coast to coast: Los Angeles-based duo LANY makes dreamy, atmospheric pop with a ’90s R&B spirit. Originally formed as a trio in 2014 with Paul Jason Klein, Jake Goss, and Les Priest (who recently parted from the group), the band’s name refers to its desire to break nationwide—from L.A. to New York. After a pandemic-forced […]

Pick: Joslyn & The Sweet Compression

Shake it up: Joslyn Hampton developed her dynamic, powerhouse vocals by performing in stage plays, singing in church, and playing covers at weddings and clubs. When she was ready to create a new act, she teamed with her stepfather, touring guitarist Marty Chambers, to form Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, and in 2019 the band […]

Only love will do

By Samantha Federico When the coronavirus halted live music in spring of 2020, and stopped most recording studios and radio stations from operating normally, Jeff Sweatman’s career suffered a familiar fate—he lost his job as the program director for Charlottesville’s WCNR 106.1 The Corner in a round of pandemic-related layoffs. In the same month, Grammy-winning […]

Pick: Magic City Hippies

Can you dig it?: The party never stops for Magic City Hippies (above), the Miami-based alt-pop group composed of Robby Hunter, Pat Howard, and John Coughlin. The trio embraces everything from AM radio rock and poolside pop to nimble raps and salsa—all layered over a current of psychedelic funk. Quarantine didn’t stop the boys from […]

Pick: POETRY LIVE!

Words matter: The power of verse steals the show at POETRY LIVE!, the third installment of Live Arts’ poetry showcase. Six local poets, including Audrey Parks, Sara Robinson, and Dr. Lesley Wheeler, will read work inspired by the theme “transformations,” a reference to Live Arts’ 2022-23 season. Poems explore the nature of change, the mutable […]

Pick: It’s Britney Bitch Burlesque

Oops! … let’s do it again: Don your denim on denim, low-rise bottoms, velour tracksuits, and flippy fedoras to celebrate the emancipation of the princess of pop at It’s Britney Bitch Burlesque: A Tribute to Britney Spears. The Britney-inspired routines will get your tail feathers moving as you sing, laugh, and cry along to smash […]

Pick: Soul of Cville

Reclaim your soul: The Soul of Cville festival returns for a second year with a three-day celebration of Black excellence. This year’s event marks the fifth anniversary of A12, and organizer Khalilah Jones says it’s programmed intentionally “to reclaim that day as our own, and like the phoenix, obtain new life by rising from the […]

Pick: Prima Facie

Smash the patriarchy: Jodie Comer plays Tessa, a young barrister on a winning path in National Theatre Live’s Prima Facie, an award-winning one-woman play from Suzie Miller. Tessa is at the top of her game—defending, cross-examining, and illuminating all shadows of doubt—until she is sexually assaulted by a colleague, and finds herself grappling with the […]

Star we there yet?

Ramona Martinez began writing songs when she was 15 years old. Then, she stopped. Now, 15 years later, she’s back to penning tunes—this time in cavalcades. She’s written more than 20 songs in less than a year. And she’s unapologetic about her mission: “Country music stardom is my goal,” she says. Martinez, a former NPR […]