So says Candace Schoner, Executive Director and Founder of Virginia Artists In Action (VAIA).

VAIA is a new initiative dedicated to promoting artists who make a difference in the community, and their first show is scheduled for Friday, October 17th, from 5:00 - 7:30pm at 1924 Arlington Boulevard. Gallery space has been donated by Great Graphics and Discount Framing.

Schoner says that her love of art, combined with her desire to support worthwhile causes in Virginia, led to the development of the Charlottesville-based member organization. VAIA “provides increased visibility, profitability, and professionalism for artists who are both passionate about their work and charitable causes.”

This Friday’s event is open to the public and VAIA will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the Nature Conservancy in Virginia.

Featured artists at the inaugural event include locals Ellen Moore Osborne and Robin Hoffman.

To RSVP or to get more information about this week’s event or about the VAIA, Schoner may be reached at director@virginiaartistsinaction.org or at 434.295.4080.

NB: the invitation points you toward Wild Wings. My far-reaching wings knowledge suggests you should head toward BW3 instead to get to the show.

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The big concert in town this week will take place within the confines of Charlottesville’s biggest indoor venue as Elton John performs at John Paul Jones Arena on Friday, October 17.  In his career John has sold more than 200 million albums and earlier this year when Billboard released its list of the Top 100 artists which have appeared on the magazine’s Hot 100, Elton John came in at #3 behind Madonna and the Beatles.  Tickets for Friday night’s show range from $49 - $99 [ticket info].  The show starts at 8pm.

If you go to the show you can plan on hearing any number of Elton John’s hits from a list that is much too large to list here, but I’ll guarantee you this one gets played.  However I don’t think you’ll be seeing Elton performing with the band he’s assembled in the video above.  Taped in October of 1977, the video above is taken from The Muppet Show and features Elton John performing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” with Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem. As always, enjoy.

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It’s that time of the year. The Art in Place Foundation has chosen the sculptures which will be exhibited all around town until next Fall, in a program designed to make art accessible to the public. The 76 pieces are by local people as well as artists from all over the country and we’ve got the scoop on which works are going up and which are still waiting to be installed and who the artists are.

First up: “Opposing Forces” by Hanna Jubran, on 250 near Hydraulic.

Drive down the bypass and you’ll see a towering steel figure- a big red painted red O perched on red and blue legs. (Sorry for the low-res pic, you’ll know it when you see it). »Read More

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Thanks to Kate for also bringing this up -

Piedmont Council of the Arts presents its monthly arts gathering tomorrow (Wednesday 10.8.08) at Zinc.

Meet up with ‘fellow arts lovers’ from 5:30 - 7:30pm for drinks specials, conversation and a few raffles. A glass piece by McGuffey’s Chip Hall will be raffled off  - he has been blowing glass for 18 years and makes fantastic use of both color and form. See you there!

For more info on this monthly series, call the PCA office at 434.971.ARTS. I also encourage you to sign up for their email alerts - very relevant and not too wordy, I promise.

One more thing: check out Americans for the Arts Action Fund’s side-by-side comparison of where the presidential candidates stand on arts-related policy issues.

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Defying description and genre, Baby Dee performs at the Gravity Lounge tonight.  You should definitely check this one out.  I’ve got a brief preview, along with a song from her latest album and a few words of recommendation from Paul Curreri after the break. »Read More

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The bands Birdlips and Birdmonster performed last night at the Gravity Lounge.  The crowd was small.  The bands soared.  We sang and played along.  It’s why we came.  [My thoughts after the break.  Plus we’ve got a song from Birdlips (”Dream Within a Dream” from the band’s debut album Cardboard Wings) and WNRN’s live on-air interview and performance from Birdmonster, both in MP3 form, for your listening pleasure.] »Read More

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Here’s what’s up and what’s going down for all you First Friday-ers.

Shelby Fischer exhibits a collection (”The Eternal Now”) at Les Yeux du Monde. I implore you to go see her pieces: the Hook touches briefly on her “always-interesting” shows, but I don’t think their meager description does her justice.

Scrumtrulescent (mixed media collage)

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Cory Branan’s sound doesn’t fit nicely into one particular category or genre, but when your sound has been compared to the likes of Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, John Prine, and Pete Yorn, does it really matter how you label it?  The Austin-based singer-songwriter has made a name for himself over the past six years based on the strength of his two albums (The Hell You Say in 2002 and 12 Songs in 2006), a busy tour schedule, and most importantly, his ability to write a quality song.  Playboy had this to say about his last album:

“Intense dynamics, deep humor, brave productions, and heavy songwriting.  A new voice emerges to run with the greats“.

Equal parts folk-rocker and traveling troubadour, Cory Branan makes his first ever concert stop in Charlottesville on Thursday, October 2 at Rapture.  Showtime is 10pm.  No cover.  18 and over/age.  Cory begins work on his highly anticipated third album later this fall.  It should be released sometime in early 2009.  For your listening pleasure we’ve given you two songs from Cory Branan below.  [”Tall Green Grass” is taken from 12 Songs, “Crush” is taken from The Hell You Say]

Listen:
MP3:  Cory Branan–”Tall Green Grass”

MP3: Cory Branan–”Crush”

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[publicity photo:  Jim Waive (right) along with the rest of his band, The Young Divorcees]

Time for something a little different.  Time for a moment in song.

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Bentley Rhodes is no stranger to rock n roll.  For almost ten years he was the drummer in the hard-drivin’ Athens, Georgia-based band Bloodkin.  Bloodkin is probably best known to some for writing such songs as “Can’t Get High”, “Henry Parsons Died”, and “Makes Sense to Me”, all of which ended up being recorded and released by another little band you may have heard of, Widespread Panic. (Rhodes even joined Panic onstage during the band’s appearance at the Pavilion back in 2005).

After having re-located from Athens to Charlottesville in recent years, Rhodes has returned to the rock n roll game as the frontman and guitarist for Earl Knox, the Crozet-based band that just made its live debut in Charlottesville this past Saturday at Rapture’s Drive-By Truckers AfterParty.  And what a debut it was.

Armed with a set list that included a handful of original songs as well as a number of solid, choice covers, Earl Knox served up a memorable hour and a half set that left little doubt that we’ll be talking about this band a great deal in the weeks and months to come.  As introductions go, they didn’t just walk through the door, they tore the door down.

[photo:  Patterson Hood (of DBT, on left mike) joins Earl Knox at Rapture]

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