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(11/16/21 2:01am)
The crowd at The Jefferson Theater was alight with near giddy anticipation Friday night — there was a certain innocence to the excitement, akin to a group of middle school students awaiting a field trip. In line for the door, audience members chatted and laughed, clutching onto each other and shuffling in from the cold, telling each other how long it had been since they had been to a concert — a month, a few weeks and for most, two years. There was perhaps no better artist to welcome so many back into the music scene than the notoriously no-frills Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves.
(09/23/21 2:25pm)
First Year Players — or FYP as it is familiarly known around Grounds — was founded in 1977 and is the University’s largest student-run theater CIO. But keeping a performance organization running over the last year and a half hasn’t been easy, especially an organization dedicated to reaching out to new students. Scheduling a changing cast, tech crew and pit is a challenge on its own, but when you factor in the limitations of the pandemic, it becomes even more difficult. FYP has managed to stick it out though. Last year they put on a filmed production of “Singin’ in the Rain,” and this year, they are diving back into the world of in-person performance with the mystery musical comedy “Curtains.”
(08/31/21 8:57pm)
The year is 2005, and Rick Riordan has just changed the face of young adult fantasy by putting out the first installment of what will soon be a hit series — “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” Riordan’s reinterpretations of Greek mythology quickly takes root in the hearts of young Gen Z readers and have continued to do so ever since.
(03/18/21 7:10am)
The University’s creative writing program hosted Pulitzer-nominated poet Jos Charles for a reading and panel discussion. During Charles’ week-long virtual residence — made possible by Elizabeth Rea and The Dungannon Foundation — she conducted individual manuscript consultations with students in the Master of Fine Arts program in poetry and spoke via Zoom with creative writing faculty, Brian Teare and Kiki Petrosino.
(03/04/21 2:37am)
Julien Baker’s third solo album, “Little Oblivions,” is not easy to listen to. The twelve-track record is by no means mindless background music — it demands the attention of the listener. Set to radio rock choruses and, at times, triumphant soaring vocals, this album still features Baker’s signature heart-wrenching lyrics.
(12/01/20 1:48am)
Phoebe Bridgers has long been recognized as a talented lyricist and is certainly an expert at getting her audience deep into their emotions. On her latest artistic endeavor — revamping four songs off of her sophomore album, “Punisher,” from this year — the lyrics do not so much change as acclaimed arranger Rob Moose’s accompanying instrumentals provide a translation for the world of COVID-19 melancholy. As Moose’s rich and haunting strings fill the background and resonate bone-deep, Bridgers in turn vulnerably lays out her gossamer voice alongside her lyrics. This new background allows for those frequently mentioned ghosts and skeletons wading in the back vocals — and at times muffled lyrics — of “Punisher” to come stumbling into the forefront of the new EP, “Copycat Killer.” There is so much more room for attentive listening on “Copycat Killer.” Lines that originally slipped away from focus were suddenly glaring and unignorable in our age of online introductions and Zoom farewells.
(09/04/20 4:31pm)
The Avett Brothers have been in the music game for a while now. They know what their audience likes, but they are not afraid to try new things — as can be seen on their last two studio albums, “Closer Than Together” and “True Sadness,” which had mixed reviews from fans. This time around, the brother-duo seemed to know that when releasing the third installment of “The Gleam” series in the middle of a pandemic, it was not the time to go big. Instead, the Avett Brothers returned to their roots in “The Third Gleam,” composing a beautiful and heartfelt eight-track album, touching on subjects they know well — family, faith, aging and love.
(03/31/20 7:25pm)
You may be wondering what Webkinz — the stuffed animal brand which includes an interactive online world — has to do with arts and entertainment, and above that, how it could possibly cure your stress during this time. You may be saying, this should not even be an article in this newspaper. What happened to concert coverage? What happened to book talks? What’s the hottest new movie in theaters? To that I say, settle down and stay a while in the childhood e-game renaissance.
(02/06/20 6:04am)
Poetry is often intimidating — whether this intimidation stems from learning about poetry in polarizing contexts, nursery rhymes or as high school literature curriculum, for many, poetry is a complex craft to master as a writer or reader. What makes poetry accessible despite this difficulty is studying it, spending time with it and eventually finding the music in it.
(10/31/19 12:49am)
“Non possum fugere.”
(10/15/19 3:48am)
I first fell in love with the Avett Brothers because of their poetry. Listening to “Laundry Room” or “Murder in the City” has always been a cathartic experience. Their attention to detail and the power of a turn of phrase is truly unique in today’s world of music. They have the sound that starts a conversation with strangers at my job, a friendship with a random woman at the pool or even an impromptu kitchen dance party with my mom. They tackle grief better than almost any lyricists I can name, and have the unique Bob Dylan-esque ability of making my father huff out a grunt of approval. The Avett Brothers are my favorite band, and that’s why my listening experience with “Closer Than Together” — their ninth studio album — was less than satisfactory.
(09/26/19 2:16am)
The best way to describe Brittany Howard's debut album “Jaime” is restless. Whether this is because much of the album was recorded after a cross-country road trip, or because that’s just the Brittany Howard Way is up for debate. No matter what, it masterfully dissects identity and self-reflection as a means of artistic epiphany. “Jaime” feels almost invasive — as though by listening to the 11 songs straight through you are looking too close into Howard’s history, into a diary entry or personal family conversation. But that may be the purpose after all — your discomfort is not going to keep Howard from telling her stories and it never has.
(09/23/19 3:47am)
The folk-rock band The Lumineers are known for their ability to tell a story within an album. Listening to their discography can often feel like a trip back in time, with lead vocalist Wesley Schultz playing the role of part-railway conductor ghost and part-grandfather telling a story about a girl he once knew. The band’s latest album “III,” released Sept. 13, is no exception.
(09/19/19 2:19am)
With the Cville Pride Festival happening this past weekend, it’s important to take some time to reflect not only on the roots of LGBTQ activism but also its erasure from art history. This past June marked the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. This movement, led by transgender women of color, was against discriminatory police raids on the Stonewall Inn and bar in New York City and was an important catalyst in the struggle for LGBTQ rights in the United States. “Otherwise,” a new exhibit at the Fralin Museum of Art, gives a perfect opportunity to think about where we have come from and where we might want to go.