C-VILLE Weekly | May 31 - June 6,2023

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The Music Issue

Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly CIRCULATION: 20,000 WEEKLY

P.O. Box 119

Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard DiCicco richard@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

NEWS REPORTER

Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

COPY EDITOR

Susan Sorensen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Maeve Hayden

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Brielle Entzminger, Mary Esselman, Shea Gibbs, Mary Jane Gore, Will Ham, Erika Howsare, Justin Humphreys, Kristin O’Donoghue, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Courteney Stuart, Paul Ting, Sean Tubbs, David Levinson Wilk

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR

Max March max@c-ville.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tracy Federico designer@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Gabby Kirk (434) 373-2136 gabby@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Lisa C. Hurdle classyexec@c-ville.com

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DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & MARKETING

Stephanie Vogtman

REAL ESTATE WEEKLY

Theresa McClanahan theresa@c-ville.com

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Faith Gibson ads@c-ville.com

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER

Anna Harrison anna@c-ville.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Debbie Miller debbie@c-ville.com

A/R SPECIALIST

Nanci Winter (434) 373-0429

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Billy Dempsey circulation@c-ville.com

C-VILLE

Bill Chapman, Blair

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MEMBER Virginia Press Association

231 Fest presented by Castle Hill Cider

Saturday,

Wine,

5.31.23

Hello, Charlottesville! Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly. The first album I ever bought with my own money was Hot Fuss by The Killers. Before that, I listened to the radio or whatever my parents played in the car. Though my parents have good taste, picking an album of my own was a big deal because I’d found a band I liked and sought out more of its music. That Killers CD led me to years of record collecting, concertgoing, guitar playing, songwriting, joining a band, and DJing on college radio stations. Hot Fuss ignited my passion for music.

If you too love music, you’re in the right town. Our annual Music Issue (p. 22) celebrates the Charlottesville scene, from the musicians who call our city home to the venues that showcase their incredible talent. I contributed a profile of Kirby Hutto, the retiring general manager of the Pavilion. Hutto has been the GM at the amphitheater since ground was broken for it in 2004, and, together with his team, he’s brought figures as big as James Brown, Loretta Lynn, and even former President Barack Obama to the Downtown Mall.

Before I lived in Charlottesville, I drove here just to see shows at The Jefferson Theater or the Pavilion (and stop by Twisted Branch while we waited for the concert to start). While Richmond has its share of great music venues, Charlottesville has always had a little something more. I’m glad I no longer have to travel far to experience it.—Richard DiCicco

Dr. Deborah Lockman

Dr. Bonnie Straka

NEWS

City Council forum

Fruits of their labor

Five Democratic candidates for Charlottesville City Council convened for two forums ahead of the upcoming primary election.

While the general election for City Council is not until November, the winners of the June 20 primary are all but guaranteed seats due to the lack of Republican challengers.

The Democratic candidates vying for three open seats are Dashad Cooper, Bob Fenwick, Natalie Oschrin, Michael Payne, and Mayor Lloyd Snook.

At the most recent forum on May 24, the candidates were given an opportunity to introduce themselves before moving on to public questions.

Newcomers Cooper and Oschrin spoke about their policy focuses, and shared their backgrounds as longtime Charlottesville residents. Taking a different approach, former councilor Fenwick highlighted his environmental and zoning concerns during his

IN BRIEF

Veterans’ resources

Military Appreciation Month is coming to a close, but local veterans’ resources are still available. In the greater Charlottesville area, in-person resources for vets and their families can be found at the Charlottesville Veterans Affairs Office (va.gov) and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (dvs.virginia. gov). The Veterans Crisis Line is an additional resource that can be reached by dialing 988 and selecting 1, or texting 838255. For confidential online chats, go to veteranscrisisline. net/get-help-now/chat

WillowTree layoffs

On May 24, Charlottesville-based tech company WillowTree laid off 23 employees locally, and nearly 100 more workers nationwide. The layoffs come months after the company was acquired by TELUS Interna-

tional, and WillowTree claimed the acquisition would create more jobs. In a statement regarding the layoffs, WillowTree President Tobias Dengel called the move a “restructuring,” and said it would “optimally [position the company] for long-term growth and success.” The layoffs impacted approximately 12 percent of WillowTree’s total workforce.

Good says pay up

The House of Representatives has passed a resolution introduced by Rep. Bob Good that would restart federal student loan payments and prevent the discharging of debt. While the measure was mostly passed along party lines, two Democrats voted with the slim Republican majority. The resolution was introduced through the Congressional Review Act, which is a fast-track legislative tool used to quickly overturn rules made by federal agencies. If the resolution is adopted, the decision would be retroactive and could potentially reinstate payments due during the pause.

opening remarks. Current council members Payne and Snook focused on their accomplishments and desire to keep working on current projects.

For Snook in particular this election is crucial, as he must be reelected to council to be eligible for a second term as mayor.

The democratic primary for City Council is one of several local and state elections that will take place on June 20.

While the deadline to register ahead of time has passed, residents can still sign up to vote through same day registration. Voters can select up to three candidates for City Council on their ballots.

The full May 26 forum can be found on the Charlottesville Tomorrow website (cvilletomorrow.org) and the Cville Dems YouTube channel (youtu.be/bMv50qMiffk).

Major changes are coming to

The Daily Progress in June, when the longtime Charlottesville paper will switch from daily print editions to a thrice-weekly physical newspaper.

The DP will be delivered by mail on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday starting June 27, with a full e-edition available online. On days with no print edition, the publication will post condensed e-editions.

As the only daily newspaper in the Charlottesville area, the DP’s shift to three times a week print editions is notable. Since its founding in 1892, the

paper has been a major source of local news.

In its article discussing the changes, the publication cited advertising shifts, printing costs, and the changing job market. These challenges are not unique to the Progress, with the consumption of print media declining broadly due to the rising popularity of digital content.

While The Daily Progress will still have new content online every day, the long-running paper’s shift away from daily print newspapers marks the end of an era for Charlottesville.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

RAMMELKAMP PHOTO

SERA PETRAS PHOTOGRAPHY

EZE AMOS

SUPPLIED PHOTO

“Everybody’s got to play good. You look at the other seven teams in the field. They’re all good. They’ve all got five good players and ultimately, it’s going to come down to who plays [the] best golf, and that’s how it should be.”

Bowen Sargent, University of Virginia men’s golf head coach, on advancing to match play at the NCAA Championships

Dashad Cooper

Bob Fenwick

Natalie Oschrin

Michael Payne Lloyd Snook

RARE  BOOK  SCHOOL

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

MONDAY 5 JUNE

NEH-SHARP LECTURE

S. Max Edelson

university of virginia

2023 Summer Lecture Series

All RBS summer lectures are free and open to the public. Talks begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Dome Room of the Rotunda on Mondays and in the Auditorium of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA on Wednesdays.

The Surveyor’s Eye: Topographic Mapping and the Contest for Empire in EighteenthCentury British America

Describes the importance of survey knowledge in maps from empire to independence.

WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE

Leah Price

rutgers books initiative, rutgers university

Reader = Inessential Worker: Book History After Lockdown

Surveys data about the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on readers during and since 2020.

MONDAY 12 JUNE

MALKIN LECTURE

Barbara E. Mundy

tulane university

Visit rarebookschool.org for updates to our lecture schedule as well as for lecture recordings, which will be made publicly available later this year.

Books in the Contact Zone: Between Amatl Paper and the Printing Press, Mexico 1500–1600 Charts the history of an Indigenous book tradition in Mexico that was flexible and responsive to new conditions.

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE

RENDELL LECTURE

Walter O. Evans

Celebrated ColleCtor of frederiCk douglass and of afriCan ameriCan art

Why Collect?

Discusses how his early life experiences led him to a later interest in art, books, manuscripts, and letters.

WEDNESDAY 12 JULY

KARMIOLE LECTURE

Jeffrey Makala

furman university libraries

The Lives (and Afterlives) of Stereotype Plates in the NineteenthCentury United States Booktrade

Explores what happened to printing plates from set type that were bought and sold in the trades and at publishers’ annual trade sales in the nineteenth century.

WEDNESDAY 26 JULY

Craig Welsh

Penn state harrisburg

The Typesetting and Designs of the Declaration of Independence Broadsides

Examines the printing history of colonial America’s most influential document as we approach its 250th anniversary.

MONDAY 31 JULY

KRESS FOUNDATION LECTURE

Kailani Polzak

university of California, santa Cruz Pacific Encounters in Print: Revisiting James Cook Voyage Publications

Examines the flood of print documenting Captain Cook’s celebrated voyages to largely uncharted areas of the globe.

Power shift

Award-winning Living Energy Farm makes living off-grid sustainable

By Matt Dhillon

In the fall of 2010, Alexis Zeigler and Debbie Piesen set out to see if they could live independent of fossil fuels. On land just north of Louisa, they started building Living Energy Farm, their vision of a self-sufficient, off-grid community with zero carbon footprint. Last March, the offgrid systems and technology they developed won honorable mention and a $5,000 prize from Empower a Billion Lives, a global engineering competition aimed at designing energy solutions for the poorest 1 billion people on the planet.

When Living Energy Farm started, Zeigler had already helped a few friends in Charlottesville build off-grid homes and worked on some engineering projects at Twin Oaks, an intentional community in Louisa County, so he had a pretty good idea of what it would take.

“All of those systems failed over time,” Zeigler says. “You buy a big battery bank, you hook it up to the inverters, and it’s expensive, it turns off, it just doesn’t work very well.”

The pair knew they couldn’t just plug in solar panels in place of natural gas and expect the system to last. Living Energy Farm needed to be designed differently to truly be sustainable. The first step was to bring their energy consumption down.

The majority of an American household’s energy consumption comes from heating and cooling. Zeigler and Piesen knew handling heat would be a key part of their design. That meant building to a community scale, since larger systems for heat storage are more energy efficient, and giving the walls 18-inch straw bale insulation.

“If you get the cooperation part right, as much shared use as you can manage, and you get the insulation right, you bring your energy use way down, and then renewable energy becomes a very powerful thing,” Zeigler says. “If you just throw renewable energy at a mainstream middle-class house, you’re doing more harm than good.”

The other key was to store solar energy in places other than batteries, which are expensive and likely to break.

Non-electric solar panels collect heat from the roof during the day and a fan blows the hot air under the floor where it is stored in the dirt and rock through the night. A water pump draws water from the well in the day and stores it in large, pressurized tanks, where it is ready to go at night. The refrigerator cools only during the day and its thick insulation keeps it cold all night.

“I can take a hot shower all year round,” Zeigler says. “It works great.”

But the breakthrough came when Zeigler realized how much more durable a direct current solar energy system is than the conventional alternating current. Everything at LEF, from the ovens to the saws, everything except lights and laptops, is powered through direct current from the solar panels with no batteries.

“Without expensive solar kits that break, I didn’t think we could keep the lights on,” Zeigler says. “I had no idea we could do what we’ve done here.”

Zeigler found that the DC system tolerates extreme voltage swings in a way that would shut down an AC system, meaning they can work on the energy supply they have, in cloudy or clear weather, and share energy among multiple devices. The devices just speed up or slow down depending on how much energy they’re getting.

“I had no idea you could do that,” Zeigler says. “With an AC motor, if you hook up an AC motor to a voltage supply that’s swinging all over the place, it’ll smoke and burn up right in front of your eyes. It won’t last 30 minutes.”

But with the DC system, Zeigler is able to run multiple motors, up to 5 horsepower, that overload his 1.5 horsepower supply, and they work just fine. Even in a heavy haze, he

can run multiple devices at once. On a sunny day, he could have every device in his shop running at once.

“So, it means you can have a radically smaller system powering a bunch of different tools and it works. Can’t do that with AC,” Zeigler says. “Everything you learn as a mainstream electrician you have to unlearn with our systems. If you would have told me 15 years ago you were going to do something like this, I could have given you a very clear lecture on why it would never work.”

That system, called the Direct Drive DC Microgrid by the farm, is radically simple, affordable, and durable, Zeigler says. He believes that if more communities adopted the method, it would drastically reduce carbon output and increase energy independence.

Engineers at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which sponsored Empower a Billion Lives, agree—at least in some measure. The farm itself is proof of the concept.

Zeigler, however, is skeptical that mainstream engineering designs are actually headed toward progress. He argues that renewable energy products are not truly sustainable solutions.

“What’s happened is, buildings are way better insulated than they were, but we’re occupying so much more square footage, cars are more efficient but we drive more, appliances are a little bit more efficient, but we use more of them. We’re not gaining any ground at all. And sustainability is not difficult. Compared to building rocket ships and flying people to the moon and building nuclear weapons and all these things we do, it’s easy. It’s a lifestyle choice.”

LEF’s major goal for its DC Microgrid is to help more communities adopt it. They’ve installed their system on Navajo/Hopi land in Arizona, communities in Jamaica, and are currently working on a large project in Puerto Rico with organizations focused on food and energy independence.

Saturdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

5 weeks, starting June 17th

info: HancockJohnA.Artist@gmail.com

register: johnahancock.com

Alexis Zeigler works the strawberry patch at Living Energy Farm, which grows the majority of its own food.

w/ John A. Hancock

Change of pace

Corner businesses pivot from students to locals in the summer

By Giulia Silverstein

Come May, there is an annual exodus from Charlottesville of the 23,721 undergrad and grad students who are enrolled at UVA. Some stragglers remain, but summer in the city, especially on the Corner, is quiet in comparison to the fall, winter, and early spring. The emptiness of University Avenue highlights the complex relationship between the university and the Corner.

Many businesses set up shop on the Corner because of UVA and its vast associated population. Paul Collinge, owner of Heartwood Books, has been there since 1975. “I chose the location because I was looking for something near a university,” he says.

His store appeals to an educated, yet bohemian clientele, the post-adolescents that the university harbors. The summer calmness, though, changes his business. Focus shifts from students to locals.

Rahul Patel is one of the newest business owners on the Corner. Hoos are regulars at his shop, the 7 Days Jr. Convenience Store. Patel, who is building a franchise, has two locations in Charlottesville, and came to the Corner because of the hyper activity.

“The Corner is the center of life at UVA,” he says. “I’ve been in that area for almost two-and-a-half years.” Patel hasn’t experienced a summer on the Corner yet, but he’s anticipating a lower volume. Still, he thinks the Corner is a good spot to build his franchise, “I’m building my 7-days-Jr. Chain. … I love this area, and that is a really good spot, and I strive to stay in the longer run.”

Laureen Megariotis’ only child just finished her first year at the university. While in Charlottesville for Days on the Lawn last summer, she was impressed by the serenity. “It reminded me of the quiet towns of

New Jersey,” Megariotis says. “It was one of the things I loved about UVA the most for my child. It wasn’t crowded or overwhelming like city schools.”

Her impression completely changed during a November visit. “I was shocked,” she says. “We were staying at The Draftsman, and walking our daughter back to her dorm on that Friday night, we saw so many students out wearing microscopic tops. We could hear the frat music from our hotel.” The partying young adults, though, support the bars, and late-night restaurants on the Corner.

Corner cafés, such as Corner Juice and Grit Coffee, are day-time watering holes for students and faculty. According to student Alex Vorbyeva, who is taking summer classes, the ambiance is completely different between the two times of year. “Finals season, you couldn’t even get a seat at Corner Juice. Sure, ordering was no problem, but you had to sit in the park, on the Lawn, or in 1515. … I don’t have any problems getting a seat now.”

Despite providing patrons to Corner businesses, UVA independently competes against the popular shopping and dining district. While he signed a non-compete agreement, Collinge recalls that “the university switched policies, and they decided to sell everything they could make money on the Grounds of the university.” A change in merchandise for Collinge followed.

“Universities now don’t sell a lot of books, but a lot of imprinted and actual sportswear, and the various restaurants that are in Newcomb Hall, and they opened a travel agency, and a barbershop there,” he says. “They opened all these things that are designed to compete with private enterprises in the City of Charlottesville, and that really did have an impact on the Corner. It really knocked the supports out from underneath a lot of business.”

“A” rating in overall grade, recent grade,andreviewperiodgrade.The SSA winners must also be in good standingwithAngie’sList,passa background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines. “Hereat Roofcrafters, in addition to the BOCA Building Code, we adhere to our own set of in-house specifications developed during my

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which include

“Hereat Roofcrafters, in addition to the BOCA Building Code, we adhere to our own set of in-house specifications developed during

Whether you’re thinking about replacing your old roof, performing a thorough roof maintenance, or merely fixing a pesky leak, think Roofcrafters Inc” —Damon

The emptiness of the Corner in the summer months highlights the complex relationship between UVA and nearby businesses.

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Met Live in HD: Die Zauberflöte

Presenting Sponsor of Classical Programming: The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

Cville Band Presents: Summer at The ParamountAround the World in 60 Minutes

Paramount Presents: David Cross - Worst Daddy in the World Tour

Paramount at the Movies Presents: Dazed and Confused [R]

Movie Sponsor: Carpet Plus

Charlottesville Symphony Presents: POPS at the Paramount - Symphonic Sci-fi Spectacular

JMRL Summer Reading Challenge

Log

Kickoff Events

LOUISA COUNTY LIBRARY

Tuesday, May 30, 2 PM

GREENE COUNTY LIBRARY

Monday, June 5, 6 PM

NORTHSIDE LIBRARY

Tuesday, June 6 10:30 AM (for young kids)

5:30 PM (for everyone)

NELSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Thursday, June 8, 2 PM

CENTRAL LIBRARY

Friday, June 9, 5:30 PM (for teens)

Saturday, June 10, 10 AM

CROZET LIBRARY

Monday, June 12, 5:30 PM

GORDON AVENUE LIBRARY

Monday, June 12, 6 PM

face painting 6:30 PM

SCOTTSVILLE LIBRARY

Tuesday, June 13, 5:30 PM

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library

Charlottesville Opera Presents: Guys & Dolls

Paramount Presents: National Theatre Live in HD - Fleabag

Paramount at the Movies Presents: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory [G]

Movie Sponsor: Carpet Plus 11

Paramount Presents: Exhibition on Screen™ - Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition - Encore Screening

Event Sponsors: Carolyn & Jay McClellan

Jack & Wendy Brown

Lynn & Kenny Brown

Pam & Frank Edmonds

Chris & Brad Eure

Janna & David Gies

Elizabeth LeVaca • Julie & Geoff Montross Susie Morris

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Future Community Clubhouse/Pool

Generational investment?

Albemarle supes moving ahead with contract to buy land next to Rivanna Station

By Sean Tubbs

Should Albemarle County supervisors pay a single landowner $58 million for 462 acres of land to help preserve the future of the area’s growing intelligence community? That’s the question for a June 21 public hearing.

“We know this project is a generational investment in our community’s vibrancy,” says J.T. Newberry, Albemarle’s interim director of economic development.

Rivanna Station makes up half of the estimated $1.2 billion economic impact the defense sector has in the region, according to a recent report from the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Tenants include the National Ground Intelligence Center and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The military base dates back to 1997, when the U.S. Army bought land to move NGIC out of downtown Charlottesville. NGIC is currently spending $90 million on an expansion for additional space and parking.

Jeff Richardson, a member of the county’s executive staff, says the question of whether NGIC might move to Missouri came up in 2018 when Albemarle met with Army officials about their future needs. At the time, new headquarters for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency were being planned in St. Louis.

Planning got underway for what the Army might want in order for Rivanna Station to expand. Richardson says the county used a real estate broker to enter into anonymous negotiations with developer Wendell Wood to purchase some of the land he owns under the firm Next Gen-

eration LLC. (At press time, officials with the Department of the Army had not returned a request for comment.)

“The Department of Defense had a strong preference to have as large a buffer from neighbors as possible, because it enhances base security,” Richardson says.

The future expansion of Rivanna Station would be about 100 acres, and Richardson says additional land could be developed for defense sector businesses that would be compatible.

With that in mind, they have also put forth a vision for something called the Intelligence Community Innovation Acceleration Campus, which is modeled in part after the future NGA facility in St. Louis.

“Based on the discussions that we’ve had with our partners at the state and their consultants, which are well connected with the intelligence community, we believe there is a strong desire to replicate this model on the East Coast,” says Deputy County Executive Trevor Henry. “Albemarle County sits in an ideal spot.”

Newberry says other partners would be needed to make this intelligence campus a reality, adding that Albemarle will work with state economic development officials and others.

“Not only do we need the land to be acquired but we also need to ensure the appropriate zoning is in place, due diligence has been completed, and that necessary infrastructure is in place,” Newberry says.

Five years ago, Albemarle purchased the former Readings by Catherine property on U.S. 29 North for $250,000, in order to preserve it for a future road connection. Supervisors will get more financing details at their June 7 meeting.

FOX RUN

Keswick Estate Exquisite

Albemarle County Country Estate set on 10 wooded acres. Gracious Manor Home offers peace and quiet! Home features 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, multiple wood burning fireplaces and a spacious 2.5 car garage. Fabulous kitchen features custom Jaeger & Ernst cabinets, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, expansive island, corner wet bar and a built-in Miele coffee maker. Beautiful primary suite with granite fireplace, custom walk-in closet and en-suite spa bathroom with a walk-in shower and marble tile floor with radiant heat. Extensive outdoor living area; gated courtyard, patio with wood burning fireplace and a 30’x15’ screened in porch with audio/visual hookup. Property features a stunning heated pool. Additional property available. $1,750,000

DELPHI LANE

Luxury Townhouse in Cascadia; End Unit! Excellent condition! Freshly painted and newly installed carpet. Open floor plan on main level. 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 half baths and a detached 2 car garage. Outdoor living space with a fenced yard. Quiet tree lined street. Neighborhood amenities include; pool, clubhouse and playground. $435,000

Annie Gould Gallery

County wants to spur

public-private partnership to build

thousands of square feet for military use and defense contractors. The image above shows a prospective future expansion of Rivanna Station superimposed over satellite data.

WOODLANDS ROAD

Stunning 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home with 4,115 fin.sq.ft. of immaculate living space situated on over 2 pristine and landscaped acres only 5 miles west of the City of Charlottesville. MLS#641366

$1,350,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 or Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

KESWICK ESTATES

3.5 acre waterfront parcel in Keswick. This building site provides country life mixed with resort living in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Bring your own architect and builder to create your dream home moments from all that Keswick Hall has to offer – golf at the Pete Dye designed Full Cry, dine at Marigold by Jean-Georges, newly renovated tennis and spa facilities, fitness center, walking trails, luxurious overnight accommodations, and more. Convenient to Martha Jefferson Hospital and UVA. MLS#641712 $540,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

HATTON RIDGE FARM

175 acre grazing farm with 2/3 mile frontage on the James River. 4-5-BR, brick Georgian home, c. 2000. Fertile James River bottomland for gardens, plus many recreational uses. MLS#632477 $2,495,000 Also available with 278 acres. MLS#634311

$3,495,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

HARDENDALE

Historic and stately 1800’s home with kitchen/ family room, LR, DR, 3-BR, 3.5 BA, and primary suite. Colonnades with bedrooms, offices. Detached cottage. Log cabin. MLS#640918

$1,985,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

1904 manor home on 753 acres. Grand center hall floor plan. Great land, streams, and ponds. 48-stall horse barn, indoor riding, paddocks, and trails. 25 miles from UVA. MLS#638899 $6,295,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

STONY POINTE

Spacious and meticulously maintained 4-6-BR, 5.5 BA, Manor home on 57 acres of tranquility. Panoramic views of the Southwest Mountains and winter views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Located 6 miles from Charlottesville. MLS#638292

$2,575,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

GIBSON’S HOLLOW

Ivy area! A 249 + acre hidden, private Arcadia controlling its own little valley up to the mountain ridge top building sites. Multiple parcels and subdivision rights make it a conservation easement candidate. MLS#634183 $3,250,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124 or Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

MILL HOUSE

Former house of noted local architect Floyd E. Johnson, the Miller’s House has been restored and graciously, lovingly and attractively added. On the banks of Totier Creek, which runs through the property, the house was formerly the home of the miller of Dyers Mill. Today, the beautifully renovated and expanded home is a delightful 5-BR, 3 full and 2 half bath home graced by tall ceilings, cozy rooms, numerous FPs and modern-day kitchen and baths. Guest house, 2-bay garage, pool, equipment shed plus 130 acres of open and wooded land. MLS#639196

$2,745,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

NORTH GARDEN

Located in a beautiful & tranquil pastoral setting of Southern Albemarle County - Property includes 12+ mostly wooded acres, a very well-built 2-story, 4-BR brick colonial w/full basement & attached 1-BR cottage. MLS#640697 $1,250,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 or Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

MEADOWLARK

22-acre equestrian property, 12 miles from Charlottesville, features a completely renovated residence nestled on a knoll overlooking the pool and the Mechums River and captures a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge Mtns. in the distance. MLS#640137

$3,195,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

FARM

GREENFIELDS FARM

10 miles south of Charlottesville, a beautiful 283 acres, rolling to hilly, mostly wooded tract, borders Walnut Creek Park, with lake and miles of trails. This land has pastures, trails, creeks and a river! Many homesites, NO EASEMENTS. MLS#634310

$1,995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

NORTH GARDEN

Lovely, partially open 2-acre lot with 3-bedroom ranch style home. Attached 2-car carport, spacious family room, DR, large kitchen and baths. A large creek runs across the back, plus a storage building. MLS #641330 $337,500 Steve McLean 434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen 646.660.0700

5-acre lot with mature hardwoods. Great opportunity to build with no HOA. Private building site amongst beautiful woods. Located between Free Union and Earlysville but so convenient to Charlottesville & UVA. MLS#621177 $119,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

GREENTREES

94+ acres 20 minutes from Charlottesville. Originally part of a 188-acre tract, two parcels may be purchased separately or together, with 2 developmental rights each. Mostly maturing pine and very long public road frontage. MLS#635861

$700,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

ARWOOD ROAD

Well constructed home just four miles north of the City. Set on 1.45 acres - great outdoor space for gardens. Home is in need of some renovation, but given quality construction and excellent location, it’s worthy of the investment. MLS#638788

$545,000 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

LYNX FARM LANE

Great building lot in Ivy! Over 2.5 acres less than 6 miles to Charlottesville and UVA. Your future dream home could sit on this beautiful, wooded land, the perfect combination of country and city access. Murray Elementary School District. MLS#634897

$165,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

CROZET AREA

Building lot -3.3 acres, fronting on a quiet paved county road. Land is mostly in pasture, some woods, creek and elevated homesite with panoramic views of mountains, pond, and surrounding pastoral area. Less than a mile to Harris Teeter at Crozet.

MLS#636349 $450,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

EDNAM FOREST

Wonderfully large 1.5+ acre building lot in Ednam Forest. Build your dream home on this elevated, wooded lot located in a single family community, minutes from UVA and within walking distance to Boar’s Head Resort. MLS#598537 $289,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

SOUTHWIND ESTATES

3 separate parcels with Blue Ridge Mtn. views, level building sites 15 minutes from Charlottesville. Sites have been perked, have wells, and ready for your dream home. MLS#632482 $375,000 (7.8 acres), MLS#632490 $275,000 (2.4 acres), MLS#632487

$175,000 (2.0 acres), Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

SIMMONS GAP/ ESTES RIDGE

10 acres of mature woods. Property has long road frontage and consists of two parcels being combined and sold as one. No HOA! Design and build your dream residence on this very well-priced parcel.

MLS#621178 $189,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

Wonderful gently rolling parcel of land with just under 26 acres, 18 miles south of Charlottesville. The land is wooded (mostly hardwoods) with an elevated building site, stream/creek, total privacy, and long road frontage. MLS#619394 $229,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

Mostly wooded preservation tract of 81.395 acres next to Frays Mill Subdivision in highly desirable Northern Albemarle. This beautiful gently rolling land has a great, private homesite with Blue Ridge Mt. views, and creek on property. MLS#608509 $995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

SIMMONS GAP ROAD

RED HILL

MURPHY’S CREEK FARM

FRAYS MILL

SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Promoting the Virginia Democratic Primary

Jefferson Theater

FREE SHOW! 7:00pm

hosted by

DAVE NORRIS & SHELBY EDWARDS

KENDALL STREET COMPANY with house band and featuring

MARLEY NICHELLE • DAVID WAX

DEVON SPROULE • SUZ SLEZAK

SALLY ROSE • ABBEY ELLERGLICK

TRAVIS ELLIOTT • TUCKER ROGERS

CHRIS KELLY • JOHN KELLY

JAMIE DYER • JOSH MAYO

MATT HORN • ALEX BRAGG

DAVE NORRIS PRESENTED BY: FOR DELEGATE votefordave.org

Safe at Home

SENIORS

“I had been living in a home that was not safe or healthy for me or anyone else. I don’t know where I would be living today if it weren’t for AHIP.”

—Seniors Safe at Home client

179

elderly neighbors are waiting for critical home repairs right now. Your support will keep them safe.

Seniors Safe at Home helps local senior citizens age in place by taking care of urgent repairs: leaking roofs, access ramps, plumbing and electrical issues, failed furnaces, and more.

SENIORS Safe at Home

AHIP + CAAR + BRHBA | AHIPVA.org

SPONSORS

Champion: Wells Fargo

Benefactors: Pape and Company, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care

Supporters: Better Living, Inc.; Central Virginia Waterproofing; and Blue Ridge Termite and Pest Management

PAVILION GENERAL MANAGER’S NEXT BIG GIG IS RETIREMENT

KIRBY HUTTO HAS BEEN INVOLVE D with the Ting Pavilion since ground was broken for the downtown venue in 2004. Together with his crew, he’s hosted James Brown, Loretta Lynn, Bruce Springsteen, former President Barack Obama, and the Dalai Lama, to name just a few. Now, the Pavilion’s general manager is passing the torch and stepping into the crowd.

“I’m 65. I’ve got a Medicare card, man,” says Hutto. “It’s time to start enjoying everything that I’ve worked so hard for.”

Hutto’s career was born out of a love for live music. He traces the spark to 1976, when he was a first-year at the University of Virginia. “Back in the day, when the drinking age was 18,” he says, “you would go to have dinner at Observatory Hill Dining Hall and there would be kegs and a band playing outside on the Lawn.”

But his first shot at managing live shows didn’t come until 1992, when he went to work for Fridays After Five, Charlottesville’s longrunning concert series. There, he transitioned the Fridays shows from booking corporate bands—“You know, wedding bands that would come into town. They had no local following.”—to tapping into outstanding local talent such as Charlie Pastorfield and The Believers, Wolves of Azure, TR3, The Casuals, bands that were “big in their time.” He remembers how, in 1995, The Subdudes accidentally drove to Charlotte, North Carolina, on the day of the concert while it was pouring rain in Charlottesville.

At FAF, Hutto learned to make sure the show went on no matter what chaos was unfolding backstage. That lesson has served him well in his GM role at the Pavilion.

“You’re really, really fighting the good fight to make things happen,” he says. “And ideally, from the patron’s point of view, all they know is they came to a great show.”

In 1996, Hutto left Fridays After Five for more steady work in the corporate world. But soon, he caught wind that Coran Capshaw was looking to build an amphitheater on the Downtown Mall. Hutto contacted a good friend who worked for Capshaw, and asked to pass along a message, almost as a joke: “If you need somebody to run that amphitheater, tell him to give me a call.”

Months later, he got that call. “Next thing you know, I’m having dinner with Coran,” says Hutto.

At the Pavilion, Hutto has dealt with every manner of touring artist, from the well-worn veterans of the road to the discombobulated traveling acts that haven’t heard of an input list before. But regardless of a performer’s crew size or experience, he and his staff—many of whom have been with Hutto for five to 15 years—have worked tirelessly to ensure visiting musicians have a memorable time in Charlottesville.

“I know from talking with other venues, artist hospitality can be an afterthought,” says Hutto, who credits Allie Leffler, the Pavilion’s artist hospitality manager, for the effusive praise performers have for the venue. “And that’s how you, A, make an artist want to come back, but, B, it’s also how you sort of compensate for some of the challenges that we know our venue presents.”

The urban nature of the Pavilion’s downtown location means that space to unload gear is limited—and therefore that process takes much longer—but artists also have quick access to the amenities of the mall and surrounding attractions. David Byrne brought his mountain bike to town, and Pavilion staff pointed him to the Rivanna Trail. Neko Case went on a shopping spree.

“A lot of artists will take their day off here,” says Hutto.

That pride in the Pavilion’s situation in the center of Charlottesville extends to the non-musical events Hutto and his team book, from high school graduations to the Eid prayer for the city’s Muslim community. He stresses that the Pavilion is city-owned—“It’s a public-private partnership”—and that the way the venue represents, promotes, and supports the community is the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

“We’ve created this special little place … there’s not a whole lot of them exactly like us around the country,” says Hutto. “We find that balance between the ticketed shows with the big names, the Fridays After Five with the local names, and then all of the community activities. And between those three buckets, we stay damn busy.”

Though Hutto is stepping from part-time involvement into retirement in May, he’ll remain a resource for his successor through the end of the year. The new GM, Jonathan Drolshagen, has managed venues such as The Southern and The Jefferson Theater, and he shadowed Hutto last year.

“I hope he’s gonna be able to thrive in it,” says Hutto.—Richard DiCicco

AVERY FOGARTY GREW UP IN

Midlothian playing piano, singing in choir, and taking vocal lessons. When they picked up the guitar in high school, their musical world was transformed.

“When I started listening to Angel Olsen, Big Thief, and Snail Mail, that’s when I finally found a voice and I was like ‘I know what kind of music I want to make now,’” Fogarty says.

Fogarty began working the open mic circuit, where they met guitarist Kevin Ganley. The two decided to move to Richmond in a dedicated pursuit of music, forming Hotspit in 2018 with bassist Grant Tolber and drummer Kurt Bailey.

“The scene was incredibly welcoming. I feel like Richmond really takes care of new bands and really quickly we got to play some of the venues that I was going to and being like, ‘This is the venue I want to play; this would be the mecca for me or the big one,’” Fogarty explains. “I think we got to accomplish goals really quickly and that put us in a better position to be like, ‘Okay, how can we be even more serious? Maybe time to record and time to tour.’”

The group secured a date playing the renowned Audiotree series in Chicago, and thought it would be a good idea to release studio material ahead of the performance, so audience members would have a touchstone to listen to. Hotspit made its official recording debut in 2021 with CC, an EP tracked with Danny Gibney from the Harrisonburg group Dogwood Tales.

“That was the first time we had ever put out anything and realized how important recording is,” says Fogarty. “It’s funny because you think being a band is just recording, but for us, we thought we had to play every single show and cut our teeth first. So we did things a little backwards, but I wouldn’t change anything; I’m happy with how we approached it.

CC is a moody, melodic slice of indie rock, and this year, Hotspit picked up the pace with a follow-up EP, Memory of a Mirror Image. Standout track “Cave Dweller” was recorded at Drop of Sun in Asheville, with string arrangements by Jessika Blanks (of the duo Bedspread Radio) tracked back in Richmond at Bryan Walthall’s home studio.

“We try really hard to record what we can replicate live, so we don’t do a lot of overdubbing or extra elements that we aren’t also performing just so we kind of stay true,” Fogarty says. “Our live sound is similar to how we sound on our record.”

With two EPs under its belt, Hotspit plans a full-length release, and continues to tour, with stops in Harrisonburg, Baltimore, and New York City next month.—Desiré Moses

Hotspit has become a hot name in central Virginia music through continuous touring and an Audiotree studio session in early 2021.

THESE BANDS ARE MAKING A SPLASH

ENTERTAIN -

MENT time is precious, and venue calendars are stacked with options (see page 33). Music writer and on-air radio pro Samantha Federico says these bands are on their way up. You should see them live, and here’s why:

Shagwüf

Latest release: Trendy Weapon EP, 2020 Staunton’s Shagwüf will make you howl, just like the band’s singer and bassist, Sally Rose, who often starts howling into the microphone at a song’s conclusion. Rose makes up a third of the band, which also includes Pete Stallings on guitar, and Pablo Olivieri on drums.

3 to see Record breaking

Together since 2014, the trio commands whatever room it’s in with a dynamic combo of stoner pop, headbanging garage metal, and psychedelic glam rock, plus a hint of Latin flair. Shagwüf shows always bring love for the LGBTQ+ community, and fierce support of social justice issues. Rose, who identifies as trans, is a growing icon on the local music scene, and whenever Shagwüf has a show, it’s known as a safe space that welcomes all. The trio’s latest music video was recorded at the Chinchilla Café, where the group debuted new music that “will be released in this decade.” For upcoming show dates, go to shagwuf.com.

Ramona & the Holy Smokes

Latest Release: “I Honky Tonked Too Hard Last Night” single, 2023 Central Virginia has its share of bluegrass and Americana music, but an old-school, authentic country move-

ment is gaining momentum, thanks to Ramona & the Holy Smokes. Fronted by Ramona Martinez with a lineup that includes Kyle Lawton Kilduff (electric guitar), Brooks Hefner (pedal steel), Jay Ouypron (bass), and Porter Bralley (drums), the band plays honky-tonk originals in the vibe of Patsy Cline and George Jones. Martinez’s songwriting spans a range of colorful topics, including a smoking habit, ex-boyfriends, and her cat. Piloted by Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard’s “three chords and the truth” ethos, Ramona & the Holy Smokes have turned country music sneerers into believers (I can attest). Catch the band at one of its frequent Dürty Nellys gigs, or at The Southern Café & Music Hall on Friday June 2.

Disco Risqué

Latest Release: Joke Squad, 2022 Can’t decide between a concert or a comedy show? Go see Disco Risqué for a whole lotta both. Ryan Calonder, Charlie Murchie, Andrew Hollifield, Robert Prescott, and Sean Hodge make up the Charlottesville band (formed by Murchie and Prescott in 2014). Fans know it as D.R., and newcomers will come to know the fivesome as passionate musicians who are always ready to crack a joke on stage. D.R.’s latest album, Joke Squad, is a passion project that clocks almost 50 minutes of rockin’ musical exploration. It rides hard rock into metal, and then into soft rock with trumpet, keyboard, and guitar solos. The trumpet, played by charismatic frontman Calonder, gives D.R. an edge that makes the band’s live shows a one-of-a-kind experience. Live show info at discorisque. com —Samantha

Federico

RICHMOND’S HOTSPIT GAINS TRACTION IN AND OUT OF THE STUDIO

Disco Risqué

FOLK TROUBADOUR

and 10-year Charlottesville resident David Wax befriended a fellow aspiring musician while studying at Harvard University. The students had a lot in common, Wax recalls, also having met briefly during high school trips to Washington, D.C., where they pursued their passion for politics.

The two friends did not go on to found the successful pop-Americana duo known as David Wax Museum.

Instead, Pete Buttigieg would abandon his musical aspirations and turn to public service, first acting as mayor of a midsize Midwestern city, then launching a splashy presidential bid, followed by an appointment as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation.

Wax ventured in a different direction, leaving behind his political aspirations and launching a journeyman music career.

After college, Wax won a fellowship that took him to southern Mexico to study its storied folk music tradition. He returned to the Boston area in 2007 with a deepened understanding of the traditional sounds, and a penchant for songwriting.

That’s when Wax met yet another aspiring musician, Suz Slezak, who would have a far more profound impact on his career. The pair launched a band, David Wax Museum, as a vehicle for Wax’s Latin-infused take on American folk.

Wax and Slezak fell in love on their first national tour in 2008. Today, they have two kids, more than 1,500 live shows to their credit, and an eighth album, You Must Change Your Life, that came out on May 5.

“We recorded it several years ago. A big part of this record has been waiting,” Slezak says. “So much of us changes day-to-day and month-tomonth, and who we were when we made it was not who we are now, but … I can’t get tired of things that are rich and fun and danceable.”

The outcome has been hard won for Slezak, originally from Free Union, and Wax, of Missouri. The couple has steadily produced albums since forming David Wax Museum, the first in 2008 and six more over the next 11 years. They received national attention in 2010, winning a spot in the Newport Folk Festival, and critics acclaimed the band’s 2011 album Everything Is Saved and 2012’s Knock Knock Get Up. In 2015, Wax and Slezak came back with Guesthouse, which reached nine on the Billboard Heatseakers chart and 20 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart.

Along the way, David Wax Museum appeared on “CBS This Morning” and in an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, wrote songs for television, and shared stages with the The Avett Brothers, Old 97’s, Buena Vista Social Club, Guster, Josh Ritter, and The Wood Brothers. In 2018, the band played the wedding of Wax’s old college friend, Buttigieg.

Wax and Slezak settled in Charlottesville when they were pregnant with their first child in 2013. They’ve been residents ever since, and while touring as a band with young children in tow isn’t without difficulties, the biggest family crisis came just last year.

Late in 2022, Wax suffered what he’s described in statements as “a sudden and inexplicable collapse.” He doesn’t offer many details on the incident, largely because he still doesn’t have many. He was rushed to a hospital in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, and given a cardiac catheterization to assess his condition. The culprit turned out not to be a heart attack, which doctors initially suspected.

“It’s still a little bit of a medical mystery,” Wax says. “I’ve been seeing just about every doctor in the UVA medical system and at Martha Jefferson. But I’m feeling good now.”

Wax has been given the green light to go back on tour with David Wax Museum. He and Slezak have been ramping up their efforts since February 26, when they opened for Los Lobos at The Paramount Theater.

“In my mind, it represents the culmination of a sound I’ve been chasing after for 15 years,” Wax says. “We were finally mature enough—or developed enough. We had the right team, the perfect producer. Everything had to come together for every song to hit in the right way.”

Produced by Dan Molad, who plays drums alongside Dirty Projectors singer Maia Friedman in Coco, and has produced records for the likes of JD McPherson, You Must Change Your Life transitions seamlessly from quirky pop anthems like the album’s title track to more traditional Museum canvases like “Luanne,” its first single. Indeed, the toe-tapping doesn’t stop much during the record’s 13-song tracklist.

Onstage, Wax says he’s been “walking on eggshells” for three months after his collapse, but David Wax Museum is emotionally recharged by You Must Change Your Life. As he lay in his hospital bed, Wax says he “felt at peace because this record exists.” Slezak agrees, saying waiting through the pandemic to release the new album now feels like the correct decision.

“I have to trust that this record is coming out at the right moment. Hopefully, this all means something,” she says. “I never listen to our older records, but I find myself listening to this one all the time. I feel like the messaging of the record and the way it makes us feel just never gets old.”—Shea Gibbs

Husband and wife duo David Wax Museum released the radio-friendly You Must Change Your Life on May 5.

DAVID WAX MUSEUM’S WINDING ROAD TO CHARLOTTESVILLE

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

A signature scent

NEW ZINE CELEBRATES AREA VENUES, BEGINNING WITH THE TEA HOUSE

IN THE OPENING PAGES

of the new zine, Under the Table and Screaming: Volume 1, musician Gina Sobel says, “If you run into a friend who just left the Tea Bazaar, you ask them, ‘Oh, were you just at the Tea Bazaar?’”

This is a reference to the distinctive smell of the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, a second-floor venue that has been hosting performers since 2002. Its mixture of loose leaf tea, vegetarian fare, and hookah provide a sensory effect that is a critical aspect of time spent sidled up to the bar or watching a band on the tiny stage. It permeates the air and defines the unique venue.

For those new to “the tea house,” as it’s often known, the zine details the physical space (smells and all), setting the scene for what it’s like to see live music performed there—or to be a band lugging gear upstairs, “a band’s worst nightmare … But oh, is it worth it.” Under the Table and Screaming: Volume 1, written by Erin O’Hare, marks the first in a series of zines published by WTJU that celebrates local music venues, past and present.

WTJU General Manager Nathan Moore says, “For years, I toyed with the idea that WTJU ought to literally write the book on Charlottesville music. It’s a way for us to celebrate the DIY

and independent venues and artists we love.”

Early in the pandemic, Moore reached out to O’Hare, a WTJU D.J. and Visible Records music booker, to see if she was interested in writing that book. As a former C-VILLE Weekly writer who covered the local music scene, O’Hare dove in, interviewing more than 60 people and writing a manuscript to submit to a local publisher. She recalls, “I knew that I wanted a diverse set of voices. … And, as always, people will lead you on the path, like, ‘Oh, you’ve got to talk to so and so.’”

When book publication plans didn’t work out as planned, O’Hare and Moore adjusted course, deciding to format the material as a series of zines, which could be more playful in format and content. “I wanted it to be approachable, fun, and have a ton of personality, because the places I’ve chosen to write about have a lot of personality,” says O’Hare.

In the decision to launch the series with a volume dedicated to the tea house, O’Hare had plenty to play with. “Because of the open-mindedness of Tea Bazaar and the people who’ve booked it, it has welcomed everything from avant-garde jazz to electronic music, from local folk to hip-hop and raucous indie rock. They’ve also held poetry readings, haiku slams, and country Christmas concerts complete with homemade cookies,” she writes.

Tea Bazaar founders Matteus Frankovich and Jason Andrews envisioned it as a place to celebrate tea traditions and host bands. “The energy [behind it] was to create a public living room and open it up to folks and whatever energy they brought in there that kind of resonated,” Frankovich says in the zine. The rest is history, captured by O’Hare through no-holds-barred interview excerpts alongside canonized menu highlights (when was the last time you enjoyed a matcha cooler?) and bands that have taken (and shaken) the venue’s small stage.

For those who rattled their cups and saucers dancing at Tea Bazaar shows in the aughts, sidebars about Borrowed Beams of Light, Dark Meat, Bucks and Gallants, Left and Right, and others, will spark plenty of memories. The zine also features an archive of selected show posters designed by (former C-VILLE Weekly columnist) James Ford, along with photos of live performances and celebrations at the venue. Still, O’Hare does not narrow her focus too tightly on any specific tea house epoch, acknowledging that, “in every music scene everywhere, the ‘best era’ is the one the person you’re talking to was involved in.”

Using this as a guiding principle, her work highlights a range of voices from the tea house’s past and present. Though O’Hare is open about the limitations to how much history she was able to include in the zine, the far-ranging perspectives she features are also a nod to the hundreds of others who have booked shows, worked behind the bar, hauled gear up those stairs, and cleaned up the afterparties, as well as the thousands who have attended shows over the years. “Honoring the work that people have put in to make these spaces is what I’m most proud of,” says O’Hare. “That was one of the best things about working on this: So many people talking about what they love and why they love it.”

WTJU plans to publish four more issues in the zine series, “highlighting 10 more venues and sharing a bunch of anecdotes about past venues,” according to Moore. In other words, if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into the history of the Pudhouse, The Bridge, The Front Porch, or Fellini’s, to name but a few, stay tuned.—Sarah Lawson

Erin O’Hare goes inside the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar in Under the Table and Screaming: Volume 1, the first in a series of zines that celebrate local music venues, past and present. Learn more at underthetablebook. com.

EZE AMOS

THE

Dürty work

CHAMOMILE & WHISKEY FRONTMAN KODA KERL MAKES A SCENE AT LOCAL BAR

WEATHER WAS

clear, and the pickup truck show was a go.

Koda Kerl brought the idea to Dürty Nelly’s when he started managing the local bar’s music booking in spring of 2021. Nelly’s owner Jordan Brunk had hired Kerl to kickstart his sound coming out of lockdown, and one idea was to formalize “the corral,” a casual outdoor gathering of musicians born at Brunk’s other bar and restaurant, Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar. “It wasn’t so much a performance, but we would try some new songs, and it grew,” Kerl says.

Riffing on the concept at Dürty Nelly’s, Kerl and Brunk decided not only to launch the “curated songwriter showcase,” but also to expand their usable outdoor space—weather permitting—by using the bed of a pickup truck as a stage.

Koda’s Corral has since hosted a bevy of local talents, including Adam Long, Emily Kresky, Kai Crowe-Getty, Rob Cheatham, Will Overman, and Kerl himself. But it was that first night when they rolled the pickup out as a perch that stuck with him.

“It was a special night—beautiful at sunset, tons of people crowded around,” Kerl says. “I grew up in Nelson County, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”

The songwriter showcase epitomizes the vibe Kerl and Brunk want to drive: A dusty Americana, Southern rocking and eclectic soundstage, where folks who like cheap drinks and dancing like no one’s watching can do their thing.

Kerl himself has spent a lot of time touring and exploring venues as frontman for Chamomile & Whiskey, and as a result, he knows the value of stepping-stone clubs like Dürty Nelly’s. They’re a place to be seen and grow recognition as bands climb to bigger houses. And they’re places where more established bands can stop in without stress between cities. Places with an easygoing vibe where you might not make a ton of money, but you can have a good time, play without pressure, stay sharp, and sling a little merch. “We don’t have an enormous budget, but we’ve been gaining a reputation for being fun and an easy stop on the way to more lucrative shows,” Kerl says.

Kerl says he tried to draw on diversity to keep the new Nelly’s sound interesting; his goal is always to bring in audiences where the faces don’t all look the same. That means that along with the traditional country sound of Richmond’s Deau Eyes, the bar has put up the ’80s-inflected garage rock of Work Wear, as well as the jaunty indie outfit Daddy’s Beemer from Charleston, South Carolina.

Nelly’s has hosted music video shoots for local friends like Lord Nelson and Shagwüf, and teamed up with Fry’s Spring Beach Club to host a doubleheader for Fredericksburg’s Elby Brass.

After the band’s horn players had graced the club’s pool, they processed down JPA to Nelly’s for another set. “They’re always up for things like that,” Kerl says of Brunk and his team at the bar, where he’s careful to point out he’s not actually an employee. “They want to work with everyone and build the scene.”

Kerl says Dürty Nelly’s won’t soon be hosting cover bands, and some genres, like extremely loud metal, might clash with the space’s acoustics, but otherwise, the team remains open. “It’s fun to see people in their 70s hanging out with college kids and people of different tastes,” Kerl says. “That’s the kind of stuff that makes us proud and happy to be a part of the scene.”

If fans of Chamomile & Whiskey are wondering how’s he gonna find time to make new music

himself—not to worry, he says. His band has a nearly finished new record, which Kerl’s begrudgingly acquiesced to leaking out streaming-style one song at a time, and they’re ready to hit the road to support it. He says he’s in a rhythm at Nelly’s; all he has to do is figure out how to be a little quicker with all the emails.

“We just finished our first longer tour a few weeks ago, so I can finally take a break from driving and scroll through my phone and get back to people,” Kerl says. “When I was younger, I know I made every mistake you could, but the funniest one to me is the blanket email that doesn’t even mention the name of the venue. So those get moved on from, but we don’t mind emails from wild acts. We’re all ears for that kind of thing.”—

Shea Gibbs

“IT WAS A SPECIAL NIGHT— BEAUTIFUL AT SUNSET, TONS OF PEOPLE CROWDED AROUND.” KODA KERL

Musician Koda Kerl has expanded the live music offerings at Dürty Nelly’s since he joined the booking team in 2021 and launched Koda’s Corral.

RICH TARBELL

2023 Best of C-VILLE Voting Begins NOW! VOTING ENDS JUNE 30....Make

ENTERTAINMENT

ART MUSEUM OR GALLERY

Ix Art Park

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia

McGuffey Art Center

Quirk Hotel Charlottesville Gallery

Second Street Gallery

The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia

BAND

Chamomile and Whiskey

Free Union Kendall Street Company

The Barons

The Hard Modes

CLASSICAL MUSIC GROUP

Charlottesville Band

Charlottesville Symphony

The Oratorio Society of Virginia

The Virginia Consort University Singers

DRAG VENUE

Botanical Plant-Based Fare

Ix Art Park

South and Central

The Southern Café and Music Hall

Umma’s

DRAMATIC ARTS VENUE

Live Arts

Four County Players Paramount Theatre

Culbreth Theater, UVA Drama and Virginia Theatre Festival

American Shakespeare Theater

FESTIVAL

Fae Festival at IX

Tom Tom Festival Virginia Festival of the Book Virginia Film Festival

FIRST DATE

Milkman’s Bar at The Dairy Market Mudhouse

South and Central

The Alley Light

Tilman’s

GALLERY ARTIST

Brittany Fan

Camille Gerrick

Frank Phillips

Kori Price River Hawkins

LOCAL AUTHOR

Emily Theide

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

John Grisham

Sean McCutcheon

LOCAL INFLUENCER

Jason Elliot

Katie Cox

Sidney Blair

TheBoysToyReviews

Will Curley

LOCAL TV PERSONALITY

Dan Schutte

Josh Fitzpatrick

Kasey Hott

Kathryn Young

LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY

Joe Thomas

Kevin Graham

Samantha Federico

Sherry Taylor

Tom Morgan

LOCAL RADIO STATION

WNRN 91.9

106.1 The Corner

WTJU 91.1

99.7 CYK

Hot 101.9 Cville’s Hit Music Station

MOVIE THEATER

Alamo Drafthouse

Regal Stonefield

The Paramount Theater

Vinegar Hill

Violet Crown

MURAL

Friends of Cville Music Room Wrap

I Love Charlottesville a Lot

Ix Art Park

Rita Dove Poem at The Graduate

Theo’s Secret inside The Bebedero

MUSIC ARTIST

Matthew O’Donnell

Lily Graciela

John D’earth

Eli Cook

MUSIC VENUE (LARGE)

John Paul Jones Arena

Old Cabell Hall

The Jefferson Theater

The Paramount Theater Ting Pavilion

MUSIC VENUE (SMALL)

Eastwood Farm and Winery

Pro Re Nata

The Front Porch

The Southern Café and Music Hall

The Whiskey Jar

PODCAST

Allison Egidi, “How Long ‘Til Bedtime?”

Derringer Discoveries - A Music

Adventure Podcast

Green Light Podcast with Chris Long

Sincerely Your Small Business

The Rising Mind with Sidney Blair

FAMILY + KIDS DAYCARE

Bright Beginnings

Mighty Minds Little Hands International Preschool

Playful Learners

YMCA Early Learning Center

FAMILY

PHOTOGRAPHER

Alisa Foytik

Amy Yang

Firefly Photography

Jen Fariello

Jill Merriwether

Sarah Cramer Shields

KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

Eastwood Farm and Winery

FIREFLY Restaurant & Game Room

Kardinal Hall

Dairy Market

Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewery

KIDS’ CLOTHING STORE

Green Bean Baby Boutique

Kid to Kid

O’Suzannah for Littles

Whimsies

KIDS’ PARK

Greenleaf Park

IX Art Park

Pen Park

Wildrock

MUSIC LESSONS

DMR Adventures

Musicology

Rebecca Muller Music, LLC

Stacy’s Music

The Front Porch

PEDIATRICIAN (INDIVIDUAL)

Jocelyn Schauer (Piedmont Pediatrics)

Karyn Wolf (Pediatric Associates)

Mary Anne Mayo (Piedmont Pediatrics)

Morgan Newsome (Pediatric Associates)

PLACE FOR FIRST

EAR-PIERCING

Acme Tattoo & Piercing

Ben Around Tattoo

Claire’s

Pediatric Associates

PLACE TO THROW

A KID’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Bounce and Play

Decades Arcade

FlyDog Yoga

Ix Art Park, Looking Glass

Scrappy Elephant

PRESCHOOL

ACAC Preschool

Charlottesville Waldorf School

International School of Charlottesville

St. Anne’s-Belfield School

YMCA Early Learning Center

PRIVATE SCHOOL

Charlottesville Catholic School

Covenant School

Field School

Regents School of Charlottesville

St. Anne’s-Belfield School

SUMMER CAMP

CAYA (Come As You Are Cville)

Light House Studio

Piedmont Family YMCA

The Living Earth School

Triple C Camp

TOY STORE

Alakazam

Bricks and Minifigs

Shenanigans

Whimsies

TUTORING

Clayborne Education

Dr. Dawn Anderson

Math Tutor LLC

Emerson House Learning

JABA - FISH Program

FOOD + DRINK

BBQ

Ace Biscuit & Barbecue

BBQ Exchange

Mission BBQ

Moe’s Original BBQ

Vision BBQ

BAKERY

Albemarle Baking Company

Belle

Chandler’s Bakery Cou Cou Rachou

MarieBette Café & Bakery

BARTENDER

Andrea Rouillard (Alley Light)

MJ Padilla (South and Central)

Mederio Venable (Bebedero)

Mike Gottier (Decipher Brewing)

Wil Smith (Vitae Spirits)

BREWERY (LARGE)

Blue Mountain Brewery

Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Pro Re Nata

Random Row Brewing Company

Starr Hill

Three Notch’d Brewing Company

BREWERY (SMALL)

Decipher Brewing

Patch Brewing Company

Rockfish Brewing Company

Selvedge Brewing

Southern Revere Cellars

BRUNCH

Beer Run

Belle

Chickadee

Guajiros Miami Eatery

South & Central

BURGER

Burger Bach

Citizen Burger

Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint

Riverside Lunch

South and Central

CHEF

Chris Reynolds (Duner’s)

Jose Alves de Brito (Cafe Frank)

Kelvin Barrera (South & Central)

Laura Fonner (Siren)

Melissa Close-Hart (Mockingbird)

Tim Moore (Early Mountain Vineyards)

Tucker Yoder (Broadcloth)

CHINESE

Asian Express

Ming Dynasty

Peter Chang China Grill

Red Lantern

Taste of China

COFFEEHOUSE

Atlas Coffee

Grit

Kindness Cafe + Play

Mudhouse

Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters

CRAFT COCKTAILS

Bebedero

Bobboo at Quirk Hotel

South and Central

The Alley Light

CULTURE

SUNDAY 6/4

ON THE KEYS

Pianist James Fernando gives a matinée performance as part of the Charlottesville Jazz Society/WTJU Jazz Concert Series. The virtuoso composer and musician merges influences from jazz, classical, and electronic into thought-provoking, genre-expanding original compositions on albums such as The Lonely Sailor and Piano Poetry. Fernando is joined by area vocalist Moji for select arrangements. $15–20, 3pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. cjs.ticketbud.com

FRIDAY 6/2

RIVER FLOWS

On his eponymously titled new album, Scivic Rivers, the nom de plume of singersongwriter and UVA alum Randy Bickford, explores the labor of starting a family within the context of modern society. The record pulls together harmonica, pedal steel, and pointillistic arrangements in songs like “Shenandoah Granite,” on which Bickford sings about climate grief as a couple slowly drifts apart, and “Instruction After the Fact,” a piece offering advice to the next generation that’s set to the disquieting pulse of an Optigan synth. Bickford is joined by local musicians Ned Oldham and Jordan Perry. Free, 7pm. The Garage, 100 E. Jefferson St. thegaragecville.com

SATURDAY 6/3

GETTIN’ BACK

After a two-year stay in Nashville, Jacob Paul Allen returns to his Blue Ridge Mountain roots for an evening of his self-described “Appalachian red dirt” sound. The singer-songwriter flirts with outlaw country and dances with bluegrass, while leaning into ’90s and Americana sounds. Whether performing solo, or with his backing band The Flood, Allen is known for his captivating stage presence, stories, and banter. Come ready to hit the dance floor at this pub-style show. $10, 7pm. Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd. batesvillemarket.com

CULTURE THIS WEEK

Wednesday 5/31 music

Jim Waive. Classic country tunes from the man with a velvet voice and impressive beard. Free, 7pm. Blue Moon Diner, 606 W. Main St. bluemoondiner.net

Open Mic Night. Charlottesville’s longestrunning open mic night. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Mr. Sun. A night of live music and community brought to you by The Front Porch. Price TBA, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Wavelength trio. Jazzy bluesy vibrations and vintage rock. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. the whiskeyjarcville.com

Karaoke. Have a drink, it will sound better. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Wine Down Wednesdays. Wind down the work day with live music, wines, eats, and sunsets over the vineyard. Free, 5pm. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com

dance

Sunset Salsa & Bachata. A night of dancing, drinks, food, and beautiful sunset views. $10, 6pm. Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com

classes

Community Intensive: Hip Hop & Mindfulness. This intensive with teaching artist Chris Jeter (also known as i.D.) focuses on understanding the meaning of resilience through the use of mindfulness and hip-hop. $30, 6pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Community Intensive: Self-Tape Audition Workshop. Learn the tools of how to appear alive and in the moment on camera. $30, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

The Art of Cocktails. An afternoon of mixology, education, and, most importantly, tasting. $25, 4pm. Quirk Hotel, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com

Wine Down Wednesday. Grab a glass and work on a floral-themed art project. $65, 6pm. Bluebird & Co., 5792 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. rosesinspirationstation.com

etc.

Block Night. An informal session for those interested in the art and craft of book and printmaking. Free, 5:30pm. Virginia Center for the Book, Jefferson School City Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. vabookcenter.org

Shin Ultraman The ever-popular TV superhero gets a makeover for a new generation. $10, 7:30pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

The Last Starfighter A kid from a trailer park must face his destiny as the savior of the universe in this 1984 favorite. $10, 7:15pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Trivia. Show off your trivia knowledge and win prizes, including gift cards, merch, and free drinks. Free, 7pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

Wednesday Night Showdown: Trivia. A battle of wits. Free, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesville market.com

Thursday 6/1 music

Arcadian Wild. A four-piece indie-folk-pop group from Nashville. $22-25, 8pm. The

Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Berto and Vincent. Wild gypsy rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. the bebedero.com

Jazz 1-2-3. Straight-ahead, swinging jazz, including ballads, bossas, and standards, with piano, bass, and saxophone. Free, noon. The Center, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org

LockJaw. Classic rock covers from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. $10, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chiles familyorchards.com

Travis Elliot & Friends. Live music and cider specials. Free, 5pm. Castle Hill Cider, 6065 Turkey Sag Rd., Keswick. castlehillcider.com

stage

#CHARLOTTESVILLE Constructed verbatim from interviews with local survivors and others directly impacted, this work witnesses deeply personal narratives of the violent attacks of August 11 and 12. $15, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Locally Sourced One Act Plays. Readings and performances of new theatrical works. $10, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Talking Tenderloin A professional woman goes from being in the top one percent to the bottom one percent because of circumstances both within and outside her control. $10, 6:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Watch Us Burn In the midst of his country’s civil war, a man disassembles a bomb lying dormant in the ruins of the new city he calls home. $10, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes

Paint & Sip: Tote Bag. Create a one of a kind tote bag. $35, 7pm. Pikasso Swig Craft Bar, 333 Second St. SE. pikassoswig.com etc.

Baby Buds. Meet other new parents and caregivers as newborns, infants, and toddlers explore, interact, and play. Free, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St. vadm.org

Tailgate Thursdays. Live music by FarAway, wine, and mountain views. Free, 6pm. Stinson Vineyards, 4744 Sugar Hollow Rd. Crozet. stinsonvineyards.com

Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy live music, food trucks, drinks, and a stunning view of the sunset. $10, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Friday 6/2

music

Fridays After Five: The Gladstones. With Mojo Pie. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com

Rare Bird Alert. Bluegrass heat. Free, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

The Wilson Springs Hotel. High-powered country and bluegrass. $12-40, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

stage

#CHARLOTTESVILLE See listing for Thursday, June 1. $15, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

FIRST

June

EXHIBITION: May 30–July 2, 2023

HALL

201

Work

Play

McIntire Plaza, a well-established and vibrant community, is home to many of Charlottesville’s favorite shops. Ideally located between Route 250 and Downtown, McIntire Plaze features an eclectic mix of food, art, retail, and local entrepreneurship of all shapes and sizes.

What separates Jordan from others:

- Cville native, alumnus of M. Lewis, Henley, WAHS, JMU

- Over $16M in annual sales

- Ranked in top 20 out of over 1,000 realtors

- Owner and Broker

Seller Review: Jordan sold our home quickly and helped us select the best offer out of the 8 we received in one weekend on the market. He was wonderful and insightful in what was an extremely stressful event. His ability to market our home was impressive. It never looked better in the pictures he took. The 3D touring technology he used was amazing. Highly recommend Jordan. - Ben and Tracy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Lizzie Borden: Life After Death The play begins in June 1905, 13 years after the bloody murder of Andrew and Abby Borden. $10, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella A refreshing musical take on a classic fairy tale. $10-20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

Talking Tenderloin See listing for Thursday, June 1. $10, 6:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

words

Friday Night Writes: A Reading Series for Emerging Writers. Emerging writers performing short stories, poetry, and music. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbook shop.com

outside

Playdates at the Playscape. BYO snacks and buddies and enjoy outdoor play. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org

Saturday 6/3

music

Drag Bonanza. With hosts Bebe Gunn and Cherry Possums. $12-15, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com

Goth Takeover. With DJ AudioRapture and DJ Orlox. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Jacob Paul Allen. A pub-style, country show, with limited seating, and lots of room for socializing and dancing. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Moondance: Dance Party & Karaoke. Let your alter ego come out for a spellbinding night of dancing, karaoke, and fun. $25, 9pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Season Finale—La Musique. The Albemarle Symphony Orchestra completes its first season under its new name with a joyful program of music by French composers. Free, 7:30pm. Grisham Hall, St. Anne’s Belfield School, 2132 Ivy Rd. albemarle symphony.org

stage

#CHARLOTTESVILLE See listing for Thursday, June 1. $15, 7pm. Live Arts, 123

E. Water St. livearts.org

Lizzie Borden: Life After Death See listing for Friday, June 2. $10, 2pm. Live Arts, 123

E. Water St. livearts.org

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella See listing for Friday, June 2. $10-20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

words

Storytime. Readings of recent favorites and classics. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

classes

Community Intensive: Intro to Shakespeare Techniques. Delve into the world, language, and structure of William Shakespeare’s works with teaching artist David Minton. $52, 10am. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

Pushing the boundaries

Polly Stewart’s The Good Ones explores small-town intrigue

By Sarah Lawson arts@c-ville.com

In The Good Ones, Polly Stewart’s new novel of literary suspense, a woman’s family and friends struggle to find answers about her disappearance in a small Blue Ridge town. Set almost two decades after Lauren disappeared, leaving behind a bloodied washcloth and little more, the novel centers on her old friend, Nicola, the protagonist, who remains haunted by the loss and continues to try to make sense of what happened.

“I’ve always been most interested in unsolved disappearances,” Stewart says, “and I think it’s because of what the brain does when faced with a story without an ending—you try to work out a resolution for yourself, the same way we’re always trying to predict the ending of the story we’re reading before we get to it.”

After spending many years away, Nicola reluctantly returns to her small-town home to manage her own family matters, and long-hidden truths around Lauren’s unsolved case—and her problematic past—seem like they might finally be revealed. The Good Ones is a story of mothers and daughters, girlfriends and wives, and what it means to be “good” in any of those roles—and what the consequences may be for failing to do so.

“Writing ‘bad’ women, and in particular bad mothers, is always difficult for me, but I also think it’s really important,” Stewart says. “We hear so much now about whether women in literature need to be likable. ... I love reading about women pushing the boundaries of what’s seen as acceptable, and in my own work, I try to let the women in my books take full advantage of their agency, even if that means making choices that some people might think of as negative or destructive.”

Growing up in Radford, Virginia, and attending Hollins University before venturing elsewhere to eventually earn her Ph.D. in British literature in St. Louis, Missouri, Stewart now teaches creative writing at Virginia Military Institute and hosts The Craft of Crime Fiction interview series. Her debut novel, Wild Girls—written under her legal name, Mary Stewart Atwell—also explored themes of female friendship and the longing to escape small-town life, both of which are aspects of her own life that she grapples with in her fiction.

“When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait to get out of the small town I grew up in,” says Stewart. “I was truly shocked by how much I missed the Blue Ridge when I moved away. I felt an almost physical longing for the landscape here, the feel of the air, the particular rhythm of the seasons. I’ve known people who grew up in beautiful places who don’t

feel this at all, so it’s definitely not a universal phenomenon, but I’ve had to accept that I wouldn’t be happy living anywhere else.”

For Virginia readers, the connection jumps off the page, with descriptions of tubing on the river, watching local news, attending the big football game, and exploring abandoned houses, among other aspects of the day-today, that perfectly conjure regional smalltown life. Still, it’s not all rose-colored nostalgia, as Stewart says, “At the same time, there are problematic aspects of Southern culture that I wanted to explore here, particularly white Southern masculinity.”

This particular form of masculinity shows up in a number of ways throughout the novel, and is not without psychological and physical violence. Through these interac-

tions and dynamics, Stewart explores questions of power, gender, and sexual control while maintaining a focus on agency and empathy for survivors.

Further, she reflects, “As I got to know the characters, I realized that their private and public selves diverged quite a bit, and I was interested in exploring that as a theme. It probably comes back to that question of what is and isn’t seen as socially acceptable for women: so many of us still internalize taboos when it comes to talking about sex and voicing desire, and I found that those questions played themselves out over the course of the novel.”

Though typically a planning-oriented writer—“I have the book I’m working on right now outlined on note cards on a giant bulletin board in my office”—Stewart found that that method did not work for these characters and the questions they explore in The Good Ones. She recalls, “I had Nicola’s voice from the beginning, and I knew the basic facts of Lauren’s disappearance, but nearly everything else came together through a process of writing, failing, and writing again.”

In line with that process, the novel’s most interesting theme is perhaps its exploration of how our past selves may influence who we become and whether it is possible to change, or to write our own ending. “For me, the realization that the possibilities for changing my life are pretty limited has come with a commensurate longing to live different lives and be different people,” says Stewart. “Luckily, because I’m a writer, I get to explore that longing through fiction rather than through a midlife crisis.”

Polly Stewart will sign

The Good Ones on June 6 at Bluebird & Co. in Crozet.

CULTURE THE WORKS

She wrote

‘Women Making Books’ celebrates female authorship across centuries

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Saturday 6/3

outside

Family Watershed Walk. Explore the watershed along the Highland Rustic Trails with representatives from the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. Free, 10am. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org

etc.

Charlottesville City Market. Shop seasonal local produce, homemade baked goods, authentic cultural foods, wares from artisans of various disciplines, and more. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov

Met Live in HD: Die Zauberflöte A daring vision by renowned English director Simon McBurney of Mozart’s opera. $18-25, 12:45pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Sunday 6/4

music

Bluegrass Brunch. Come out for Bloody Marys and Cidermosas, local food trucks, and live music from Bluegrass Destroyers. Free, 11am. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

By Maeve Hayden arts@c-ville.com

Commonplace books, private scrapbooks, and zines are presented alongside traditionally published works at “Women Making Books,” an exhibition currently on display at the UVA’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. The show forces viewers to let go of their preconceived notions of what a book is, so they consider the idea of authorship and explore the ways in which women have been involved in North American and English bookmaking from the mid-18th to 21st centuries.

“The [exhibition] is thinking about women writing books, but writing in scare quotes,” says curator Annyston Pennington. “What does it mean to be a writer? What does writing look like? And what are the different ways that women have actually participated in and also intervened in print culture?”

Read between the lines of the exhibition’s 23 pieces, and you might begin to uncover the answers.

The exhibition, arranged chronologically, opens with a familiar frontispiece illustration of Phillis Wheatley, found at the beginning of her 1773 work, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Though the publication of the book made Wheatley the first published African American author of poetry, her control over the design of the book itself was limited. Wheatley was enslaved by a Boston family, and her enslaver’s words forward her own. What would it have looked like if Wheatley had been able to call all the shots regarding the design of her book?

Questions of agency and intent arise at all the installations, which include works by other well-known authors like Virginia Woolf and Louisa May Alcott, as well as pieces from unknown women who likely would not have even considered themselves writers.

One such piece is a commonplace book from 1782, belonging to an unidentified woman who filled the blank pages with quotations, translated Latin, and bits of writing from contemporary authors, much like the way we use modern-day Tumblr blogs or Pinterest boards.

Another installation includes a poetry book, in which a grieving mother found solace following the death of her son. Her annotations in the margins of the page could be considered defacement, but by including her in “Women Making Books” she is presented as an author. Whether she meant to or not, her words have altered our perception and reading of the book, making it impossible to detangle the two writings found within.

“Women Making Books” concludes with “She Feels Your Absence Deeply: A Family History Woodblock” by artist and UVA alum Golnar Adili. Text is written on multiple wooden blocks, which can be arranged to show different images. It turns the traditional book model on its head, and refashions it into something new.

Together, the works offer an intimate look inside the minds of various talented women and what they deemed important enough to write down, in a collection that serves to memorialize a feminine bond of creativity when creating, deconstructing, and reimagining books.

Bully. Rock-solid melodic sensibilities and a widescreen sound. $18-20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. the southerncville.com

James Fernando. Music that lies at the intersection of jazz, classical, and electronic. $15-20, 3pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.org

Scivic Rivers. An outdoors concert. Free, $7pm. The Garage, 100 E. Jefferson St. the garagecville.com

dance

The 2023 Charlottesville Tea Dance. Kick off Pride month with DJ Neon Grace and drink specials and noms from Umma’s. $5 suggested donation, 1pm. Umma’s, 200 W. Water St. (209) 677–7430

words

Thrillers & Chillers Book Club. Sip on wine and discuss The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. Free, 4:30pm. Bluebird & Co., 5792 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. bluebirdcrozet.com

stage

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella See listing for Friday, June 2. $10-20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

classes

Paint & Sip. Learn a variety of techniques and skills and practice them on your very own canvas. $35, 2pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. catelynkelseydesigns.com

Monday 6/5

music

Berto & Vincent. Fiesta. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. south andcentralgrill.com

Gin & Jazz. The Brian Caputo Trio performs in the Château Lobby Bar. Free, 5:30pm. Oakhurst Inn, 100 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurstinn.com

words

Storytime. Storytelling, songs, movement, and bubbles. Free, 10:30am. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

etc.

Cabaret The groundbreaking, Oscar-winning musical drama, starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey and directed by Bob Fosse. $5, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Tuesday 6/6

music

Batesville Sessions: Louis Smith and Ryan Wood of Kendall Street Company. An intimate show with a chill vibe. Free, 7:30pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Josh Mayo & House Sauce. Tunesday Tuesday. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Summer at The Paramount: Around the World in 60 Minutes. The Charlottesville Band opens its summer season. Free, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. cvilleband.org

Thunder Music Karaoke. Show off your singing skills or just enjoy the show. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. With Mavis Staples. $40-76, 7pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

Vincent Zorn. Olé. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Vinyl Night. BYO record to play and get $1 off pints. Free, 4pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

words

Polly Stewart: The Good Ones Virginia-based writer Polly Stewart celebrates the release of her new thriller. Free (RSVP required), 7pm. Bluebird & Co., 5792 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. bluebirdcrozet.com

outside

Three Notch’d Run Club. Log some miles and enjoy a $5 post-run beer. Free, 6pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com

Family Game Night. Games for all ages, including corn hole, Jenga, and board games. Free, 5pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night. Teams of two to six people play for prizes and bragging rights. Free, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

To Catch a Thief Suspected cat burglar Cary Grant steals the heart of Grace Kelly on the Riviera in Alfred Hitchcock’s delightful mystery. $7, 8pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Questions of agency and intent arise at all the installations, which include works by other well-known authors like Virginia Woolf and Louisa May Alcott.

Golnar Adili’s “She Feels Your Absence Deeply: A Family History Woodblock” is on display at “Women Making Books” through June 10.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE GALLERY

Why is the aging population growing so slowly in Charlottesville?

In May 1963, when Older Americans Month was established, only 17 million Americans had reached their 65th birthday. Today, there are over 55.8 million Americans 65 and older. Between 2010 and 2020, according to the 2020 census, the number of people 65 and older increased by 15.5 million, the largest-ever increase in a decade. The next largest increase, between 1980 and 1990, was less than half that number. What does all this mean? It’s complicated.

In Virginia, the percentage of those 65 and older went from 11.2 percent in 2000 to 16.2 percent in 2020, putting us near the bottom of the list, with states like Maine and Florida at more than 20 percent. In Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and our surrounding counties the older population has also increased a lot between 2010 and 2020, but the localities have their own characteristics.

For example, Charlottesville’s older population (how we’ll refer to those 65 and older now) only grew from 10.1 percent in 2010 to 11.7 percent in 2020. By comparison, Albemarle County’s older population grew from 12.5 in 2010 to 19.4 in 2020. Likewise, Fluvanna, Greene, and Louisa counties saw increases between 7 and 8 percent in their older populations. Nelson County saw the largest increase, from 16.8 percent in 2010 to 28.9 percent in 2020.

So why such noticeably slow growth in Charlottesville’s older population?

According to Hamilton Lombard, a demographer with UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center, it’s a pattern he’s seen in other independent cities in Virginia, which had relatively larger older populations 20 or 30 years ago.

“In Charlottesville, the area neighborhoods around downtown were 25-30 percent over 65 in 1990,” he says, “ but today they are probably under 15 percent.”

Lombard attributes much of that to neighborhood turnover.

“If you think about a neighborhood like Belmont, 30 years ago the residents were disproportionately over 65. As housing has turned over in many independent city neighborhoods, the new residents have tended to be young adults, often buying their first home or renting,” he says.

He also attributes it to city boundaries being frozen with annexation moratoriums or in Charlottesville’s case the revenue-sharing agreement.

“It meant that there was often little new housing being built for young couples, instead they moved to nearby counties,” says Lombard. “ Meanwhile, during the 1970s and 1980s,

neighborhoods in many of Virginia’s independent cities aged as many couples who had bought the homes when they were new in the 1950s-1970s stayed in those neighborhoods.”

Lombard also says that many of those Baby Boomers who moved to suburbs in nearby counties have stayed in the homes they raised their children in. As a result, the neighborhood turnover that has occurred in the city isn’t happening in the nearby counties. It’s to be determined if the same kind of turnover dynamic will occur in the suburbs as the Baby Boomers get older, he says.

Meanwhile, housing built in the city in recent years has disproportionately been apartment complexes, says Lombard, which is more likely to attract younger people than older people.

“One way of thinking about the different age dynamics in Charlottesville and Albemarle is that the city is building relatively little housing that would be attractive to most people over 65,” he says.

And by attractive, that would mean affordable for most older people, who are trying to figure out how to survive on set incomes for longer. Indeed, a recent study/survey from JABA showed there were three main factors causing seniors to leave Charlottesville: a lack of affordable housing, transportation, and social engagement, with an emphasis on affordable housing.

However, the census data also shows that older people and younger people may be in the same boat. Because the city also has relatively little housing that would be attractive to most younger people hoping to put down roots and raise a family, which is causing many young people to put those ideas on hold.

Nationally, the growth of people renting is continuing to outpace the growth of people buying, as it has since the turn of the century, a trend that shows how homeownership is getting out of reach for more and more people. Meanwhile, as Lombard mentions, a drop in fertility rates across Virginia and the country shows that younger people are putting off having children.

“In a few years, unless births rebound,” says Lombard. “I would expect the population under 18 to start declining in Virginia as a whole.”

Of course, if young people do decide to have kids, there will be plenty of older babysitters available, at least out in the counties.

David McNair handles communications, media relations, and social media efforts for JABA.

What

Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

#1 solution

#1 #4 #2 solution

#3 solution

#2 #5 #4 solution

Meat

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. “When it comes to ...”

6. Conclude by

11. Where Wizards play with Magic, in brief

14. John ____, husband of Pocahontas

15. Affect emotionally

16. Test by a neurologist, for short

17. “Deep!”

19. Zoomer ’s parent, maybe

20. Still

21. Geological span

22. ____ Dame

24. Exams for future attys.

26. “Check out this trick I can do!”

29. Predicament

30. Spotify or TikTok

31. Follower of open or pigeon

32. It goes from about 540 to 1700

35. One of eight vegetables in V8

37. Tofu, e.g. (or what can be found at the ends of 17-, 26-, 51- and 60-Across)

43. Laugh hard

44. Honey brand since 1921

45. Jul. 4 cookouts

49. The “S” of RSVP

50. Social position

51. Perfectly suited partner

53. Lena featured on the U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage postage stamp series

55. “Schitt’s Creek” matriarch

56. Sloth, for one

57. “Sound of da Police” rapper ____-One

59. Engine st arter: Abbr.

60. Some members of a presidential candidate’s campaign staff

65. ____ for tat

66. Cit y home to the 1,000-year-old Al-Azhar University

67. “Under the Redwoods” author Bret

68. “Isn’t ____ bit like you and me?” (Beatles lyric)

69. Beginning

70. Mend, as a torn seam

DOWN

1. Like many student films

2. “I swear ...”

3. Pop with no fizz

4. O’er and o’er

5. Go from 60 to 0, say

6. School on the Thames

7. ____ de plume

8. Expected

9. Play a role

10. “____ you!”

11. Neighboring

12. “Brewski! Now!”

13. Shook on it

18. “Help!”

23. Cheerios grain

25. Bickering

26. Patti in the Grammy Hall of Fame

27. Abbr. on old phones

28. Warms up the crowd

29. Singer Cooke

33. Foot rub reaction

34. Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas ____

36. Delt a ____ Chi, house in “Animal House”

38. Nincompoop

39. Alternative to a prov.

40. Cert ain financial advisers, informally

41. More than look up to

42. “A mouse!!”

45. Lifestyle expert with a Bed Bath & Beyond line

46. Get down on the dance floor

47. “Abbott Elementary” creator/star ____ Brunson

48. 35mm camera t ype, in brief

52. “Uh-oh. Better get ____” (auto repair slogan)

53. Hyphenated beverage brand

54. Daylight saving time adjustment: Abbr.

56. Annoying little twerp

58. Eurasian duck

61. Levy of “Schitt’s Creek”

62. “____ for Vengeance” (Grafton novel)

63. Verb that sounds like its second letter

64. ____ kwon do

ANSWERS

What’s your favorite Dave Matthews Band album?

Under The Table and Dreaming.

Before

Before These Crowded Streets.

The Lillywhite Sessions.

Live at Luther College.

The bootlegs from their live shows in the ‘90s.

Wow—hard choice!! Pretty much wore out my CDs of Under the Table and Crash when they both came out—and now I find myself drawn to Busted Stuff when I play the band … but I think I’ll stick with Under the Table and Dreaming because it just never gets old.

All of them when they are over and I don’t have to listen.

DMB released its 10th studio album, Walk Around The Moon, on May 19.