Has anyone else noticed lately that the Gravity Lounge has been booking more and more music acts in the indie / alternative rock vein?  It’s not an entirely new approach for the downtown music venue that recently celebrated its five-year anniversary, but it seems to be happening with a greater frequency these days.  That’s not to say it’s happening on a night-in, night-out basis, but it’s definitely a welcome addition to the Gravity’s already solid line-up of singer-songwriters, acoustic acts, and touring Americana artists.

[Gravity photo by Carey Clutts] »Read More

Popularity: 17% [?]

While summer isn’t officially over, the Labor Day weekend is in many ways the beginning of the end.  School is back in session, football season is underway, and the music festival season is winding down.  [We’ve got one more big regional festival on the horizon though:  The Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol on September 19 - 21.  They’ve got a great line-up and it’s relatively inexpensive ($15 - $20 each day)].

It’s been a pretty jam-packed summer for at least one dude who writes for cvilleMUSE and has two thumbs.  That would be THIS GUY!  So I thought I’d re-cap some of the highlights of the summer season as I experienced them first hand right here on these very pages.  [Check out the links to some of my favorite music moments after the break and feel free to share some of your summer highlights with our readers!]. »Read More

Popularity: 23% [?]

Eight bucks can’t buy a whole lot these days.  Two gallons of gas.  A couple packs of smokes.  A beer or two, depending on your tastes.  But if you happen to be on the Downtown Mall this evening and looking for some live music, eight bucks sure will go a long way.  That’s exactly how much it will cost you to see 19 bands at five different venues in Charlottesville tonight and all of them are seperated by only a few blocks.  I swear I am not making this up. 

The wealth of musical talent on display tonight is such that in some ways it’s almost going to feel like a musical festival in that you can literally move from show to show as you would from stage to stage, and you’ll have to be ever mindful of who’s playing where so that you don’t miss some of your personal favorites.  And here’s the real clincher, every act on every stage has at least one connection to Charlottesville.  The details on a jam-packed night of music after the break.

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Popularity: 28% [?]

Halloween came early on Saturday night at the Charlottesville Pavilion. A booming and sometimes scary sonic landscape, stunning visuals, a few creepy costumes, and of course, Smashing Pumpkins. It was quite the treat.

[ Photos by Tom Daly ]

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Popularity: 50% [?]

Over the years I’ve seen quite a few shows in quite a few different places around the United States.  From coffeehouses to roadhouses, huge theaters to .  From Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve to Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July.  Festivals, basements, backyards, and even in barns.  As I was thinking about them all a few venues really stood out above the rest.  Places that were so beautiful or so historic or so unique that in many ways where I saw the show was just as important as the musicians I saw perform. 

After the break I’ve gathered together five such venues and I have included the artists I’ve seen perform there.  Check them out, add any thoughts or comments, and at the end of it all, I’ll be asking you to add your own special concert moments where the venue was star of the show.

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Popularity: 30% [?]

While there are a lot of great music performances coming up this weekend (Black Crowes, Jesse Winchester, and Bill Kirchen to name just three), all eyes will be on the skies come Friday evening as fireworks will light up July 4th in Charlottesville and surrounding areas.  There are a number of 4th of July events on tap and Haidee over at cvilleStyle has the details a-plenty.  Check ‘em out here:  Guide to July 4 festivities in Cville.  As for your music calendar for the holiday weekend…. 

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Popularity: 34% [?]

After a brief one week hiatus our Weekend Reminders post returns.  (Apologies for missing out last week, but I was damn busy!)  And speaking of busy…this weekend should be a humdinger!  We’ve got Fridays After Five, Modest Mouse, a birthday celebration for Gravity Lounge, and a big show at the Paramount Theater all coming up this weekend.  And that’s just for starters!  So let’s not waste anymore time talking about it.  Here are your weekend reminders: »Read More

Popularity: 69% [?]

I never saw Emmylou Harris perform with her Hot Band.  I became a fan of her music in the years after her performances with the Nash Ramblers.  Going into Monday’s performance at the Charlottesville Pavilion, the best band that I’d seen Emmylou perform with was Spyboy (Buddy Miller, Brian Blade, and Tony Hall) at the Warner Theater in D.C. back in 2000.  I didn’t think it could get much better than that.  Boy was I wrong.  Joined by an all-star band on a clear evening that was filled with countless stars, it was Emmylou Harris who shined the brighest and most brilliant.

Rolling through and hour and half set that touched on every musical aspect of Emmylou’s legendary career, long-time fans and new converts alike were treated to an evening of music that stretched from Harris’s early beginnings with Gram Parsons although through to her latest songs from her new album All I Intended to Be.  With her extraordinary band The Red Dirt Boys providing back-up for one of the most extraordinary voices of our time, Emmylou Harris proved once again why she is one of the most celebrated figures in American contemporary roots music.

[Emmylou Harris publicity photo]

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Popularity: 34% [?]

Three shows in six days.  From Innsbrook Pavilion oustide of Richmond to the always delightful intimate setting of the Gravity Lounge, to a perfect summer evening at the Charlottesville Pavilion, it’s been a pretty good week for live music.  I saw the Avett Brothers at Innsbrook for the first time since their Satellite Ballroom appearance in Charlottesville last September.  I caught the always entertaining Scott Miller and his solo acoustic set at Gravity last Friday.  And I definitely kicked off the work week in fine style with Emmylou Harris’s stunning performance at the Pavilion last night.  Like I said, it’s been a pretty good week.

I’ve got a couple more shows on tap for this coming weekend as the Hackensaw Boys help celebrate Gravity Lounge’s Five Year Anniversary on Friday, June 27th and then there’s that little show at the Pavilion on Sunday, June 29th as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Modest Mouse come to town.  But before we go putting our cart in front of our horses so to speak, let’s recap the The Music Seen over the past seven days.

[Scott Avett Banjo photo by Hollie]

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Popularity: 30% [?]

It’s the last day of spring everyone!  The summer solstice rolls around tomorrow, bringing us the longest day of the year while kicking off weeks off good times to come.  We’ve got lazy Sundays floating on the James, the smells of backyard barbecues, fireworks on the 4th of July, and plenty of outdoor music events to pretty much keep you busy all summer long.  So to celebrate the upcoming summer concert line-up at the Charlottesville Pavilion I’ve put together a ten song music video sampler featuring the artists that will be filling the east end of the Downtown Mall with tasty treats for the eyes and ears all the way up through the first days of fall.  Enjoy and save some of that watermelon for me! »Read More

Popularity: 33% [?]