Music Stories
Slim pickings: Rasta la vista, babyShayar and Krooshal Forceat Miller'sJanuary 1 Options were quite slim last Saturday night– the exodus of students for the holidays, the hangovers being nursed from the New Year's celebrations...read more Jan 6th, 2005
Pure grandeur: Spellbinding sound-scapes>>Ostinato: Left Too Far Behind  (Exile On Mainstream Records) F**k Phil Spector. Ostinato's Left Too Far Behind has the real Wall of Sound. The distortion on the group's second album,...read more Dec 23rd, 2004
Seasonal mix: Ho-ho-ho'ing around the townJeff Decker Quartet at Miller'sJamal Millner at the OutbackJay Pun at Michael's BistroWednesday, December 15 On December 15 at Miller's the smoke was pretty damn bad. Luckily, the music was pretty...read more Dec 23rd, 2004
Ain't gonna fall: A low-key sort of eveningHard Rainat Dürty Nelly'sSaturday, December 11 Saturday night, December 11, was a bleak one, where even the usual drunken revelers who lunge by my car window as I make my way toward the University...read more Dec 16th, 2004
Worldly: Zap Mama does it right>>Zap Mama: Ancestry In Progress  (Luaka Bop) In a strange twist on the spirit of the season, I ran into a friend last week who invited me to boycott big spending this holiday season in...read more Dec 16th, 2004
King of the Corner?: A room right for rockin'The Vacationers, Travis Elliott, and the New Jenkins at the Satellite BallroomFriday, December 3 Located in what must be one of the best locations for live music in Charlottesville, the Satellite...read more Dec 9th, 2004
Such a deal: Six bands rock on RidgeBenvolio, Among The Fallen, The Wave, Faith In Failure, Body For Karate, Bad Karmaat the Music Resource Center Saturday, December 4  "If I had one of these to go to when I was younger, I...read more Dec 9th, 2004
The little things: Impromptu jams unleash magicGreg Howard, John D'earth, Matt Weiss, Jamal Milner at Gravity LoungeSunday, November 28 It's the little things in life that bring one joy. Things like the squirting sound of cheese popping out of...read more Dec 2nd, 2004
Timeless tunes: Just one big good timeLester Bowers and Shelton Sprouseat Miller'sFriday, November 26 Summer would be my favorite time to be in Charlottesville, except I hate the heat. The streets are clear, the crowds dispersed, and...read more Dec 2nd, 2004
Empty Fields: Working on a weekday-- yawnDean Fieldsat OrbitTuesday, November 16 Thanks to work, the necessity of sleep, and attempting to keep interpersonal relations at least a stage away from iceberg, I usually review musical events...read more Nov 25th, 2004
Sparkly: 30 million fans can't be wrongEminemEncore  (Shady/Aftermath) Why Eminem? The answer is easy. The man has gone diamond. I'm sure you've all heard of platinum plaques. When an artist reaches platinum status he has sold at...read more Nov 25th, 2004
Loopy: Jazzy noodling casts a spellBill Frisellat Starr Hill Music HallTuesday, November 9 Bill Frisell coming to Starr Hill was an occasion special enough to draw me out of the warmth of my house on a chilly fall evening. Frisell is...read more Nov 18th, 2004
Shed show: Amy, Mongrel leave audience pantingGetting to Rapunzel's Coffee & Books in Lovingston is a bit of a drive down Route 29, but whenever I go, the trip proves well worth it. This time the old packing shed where Rapunzel has made her...read more Nov 18th, 2004
Price of freedom: Rock for a reasonThe Treatment, the Fingerpainters, and Races to Aprilat the Outback LodgeSaturday, November 6 Students for a Free Tibet at UVA held their annual benefit concert Saturday, November 6, at Outback...read more Nov 11th, 2004
Rat-a-tat: Drummer makes the showThe Steve Kimock BandStarr Hill Music HallSunday, November 7 Sunday shows at Starr Hill always start earlier than usual. In the past I've sometimes forgotten that. I usually arrive an hour late,...read more Nov 11th, 2004
All covers eve: Getting them just rightSierra atDürty Nelly'sSaturday, October 30 To me, the country-rock band Sierra seemed like a strange choice for Dürty Nelly's Halloween show, but what do I know? The turnout for the show was better...read more Nov 4th, 2004
Seeing double: Del, Zion 1, Opio mix it upBukue One, Zion I, Haiku D'tat, Del Tha Funkee HomosapienThursday, October 28at Starr Hill Music Hall It was Eric who showed up in a long-ago early December with the first Souls of Mischief album, '...read more Nov 4th, 2004
An improvement: Nowhere to go but upParticle Starr Hill Music HallSunday, October 25 This Particle wasn't the same Particle I saw before. There was more than a particle of difference. This Particle was more focused and controlled,...read more Oct 28th, 2004
King Wilkie: Bow when you say thatPublished October 28, 2004, in issue 0343 of the Hook King Wilkie and Duende at Starr HillFriday, October 22 BY MARK GRABOWSKI TUNES@READTHEHOOK.COM Oh King Wilkie, how do I love thee? Let me count...read more Oct 28th, 2004
Hip-hop split: Two groups, two (wild) viewsMos Def The New Danger  (Geffen) Mobb DeepAmerica's Nightmare  (Geffen) The election's coming soon, and to tell you the truth, I'm a little bit nervous. Last week at a friend's going-away...read more Oct 21st, 2004