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THURSDAY, July 3
FAMILY
World beat: Kids can
groove to the beat of a variety of rhythms including salsa,
mambo, calypso, and merengue with musicians Robert
Jospé and Kevin Davis of Inner Rhythm. Scottsville
Library at 10am. 330 Bird St. 286-3541. Northside Library at
3pm. Albemarle Square. 975-7893.
Party time: Crozet continues its
Independence Day tradition with the annual Firefighter's
Carnival at Claudius Crozet Park. See
Family feature.
Star struck: The view is out of
this world at Public Night at McCormick Observatory from
9-11pm (weather permitting). UVA's research telescopes on
O-Hill will be pointed heavenward, and Astronomy Department
staff and students will be on hand with a slide show and
answers to starry questions. Free. McCormick Road.
924-7494.
TUNES
Live Karaoke with DJ Wild Wes at
Buffalo Wild Wings: That's right, live Karaoke! No
longer are you stuck listening to prerecorded Karaoke as you
sip your beer, seething at your inability to participate! No
cover, 9pm. (W)
Jim Waive (country-folk) at the Blue Moon
Diner. No cover, 8pm. (W)
Chicken Head Blues Band at Dürty
Nelly's. $4, 9pm. (W)
The Jessup, Mills & Snider Trio
(jazz) at Escafé. No cover, 10pm. (W)
John D'earth and friends (freeform jazz)
at Miller's. $4, 10pm. (W)
The Neon Kings, Automag, and Book of
Kills at Outback Lodge. Free, 10pm.
Jimmy O at Wolfie's Bar & Grill. No
cover, 7pm. (W)
Anna Wolfe (soulful songstress) at
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. No cover, 9pm.
FRIDAY, July 4
PERFORMANCE
No Shame: Join the weekly
line-up of performers at this open mic for actors, if you
dare. Live Arts LAB Space, 609 E. Market St. 11pm. $5 at the
door. 977-4177.
Crimes of the Heart: The Heritage
Repertory Theater season begins with a Pulitzer Prize-winner
written by Beth Henley and directed by Marianne Kubik.
Audiences will welcome HRT veterans Nancy Snow (Carousel,
Anything Goes) and Jason Odell Williams (Proof, Comic
Potential) in this play that follows one day with the three
McGrath sisters: Lenny's sisters have forgotten her 30th
birthday, Meg is home after a failed attempt at a music
career, and Babe just shot her husband in the stomach. With
tears and laughter, together they find a way to get through
those "real bad days." Culbreth Theater, 109 Culbreth Road.
8pm. $14-25. 924-3376. See
Performance feature.
WALKABOUT
Scottsville's Fourth:
Independence Day in Scottsville will be celebrated today
with an all-American parade (11am), live music (2-6pm), an
antique show and crafts fair (9am-5pm), a flea market
and-&endash; of course-&endash; fireworks (9:30pm). Come
celebrate on the majestic horseshoe bend of the James River
in historic Scottsville. See
Family feature.
New Americans: Watch as 77 people
from 35 different countries become citizens of the United
States on the front steps of Jefferson's mountainside villa
at Monticello's 41st annual Independence Day Celebration and
Naturalization Ceremony. 10am. Free.
Buddhist Fourth: Try something a
little different this year by celebrating July Fourth in
Southeast Asian fashion at the 12th annual Wat Lao
Buddhavong Festival. The food is fabulous: papaya salad,
lemongrass sausages, and coconut rice with mangoes. Plus
there are Thai and Lao singers and dancers to entertain (and
provide a welcome change from all those high school marching
bands). Wat Lao Buddhavong is a Lao Buddhist temple located
about an hour and a half from Charlottesville at 3043
Catlett Road in Catlett. For directions, visit watlao.org or
call 540-788-4968. 10am-7pm today and tomorrow. $5 admission
to concerts and market fair.
Fun run: Beat the heat and
celebrate freedom at the 20th annual Kiwanis Independence
Day Fun Run this morning at 7:30am at the Forest Lakes
North. $14, $15, or $18. All proceeds are used to support
local charities. For more info, call Bob Fehse at 973-4856
or see avenue.org/kiwanis.
FAMILY
Frontier
independence:
The Frontier Culture Museum
celebrates the day in 19th century style beginning with a
reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon. Visitors
can take part in old-time contests and games like sack
races, watermelon seed spitting, and pie eating. Costumed
interpreters at each of the farms will focus on the lives of
our ancestors in the 1850s. Noon-4pm. And because it's also
the first Friday of the month, families are invited to bring
a picnic and enjoy a free visit from 6-8pm. The Declaration
will be read at the American farm at 7:30pm, and watermelon
will be served. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $6 for
children. Rt. 250 west in Staunton. 540-332-7850.
frontiermuseum.org.
Hot time in the city: The Science
Museum of Virginia celebrates our nation's independence with
"Family Fun Fourth of July." Held outdoors in Discovery Park
next to the museum, the fun includes Frisbee golf, bubbles,
a kids' challenge course, and refreshments. 6-9pm, weather
permitting. Free. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727.
smv.org.
Before five: In conjunction with
the summer exhibit "Good Vibrations," the Virginia Discovery
Museum offers kids a musical prelude to the city's weekly
weekend sendoff. This week's Friday's Before Five, called
"Squawkers, Hummers, and Drums," is a make-your-own
instrument activity. East end of the Downtown Mall.
977-1025.
Light up the town: Scottsville
celebrates the Fourth in style. See
Family feature.
Sparks fly: Charlottesville will
be glowing with fireworks for the Fourth at McIntire Park.
See Family
feature.
Summer on the slopes: Wintergreen
Resort hosts their annual Fourth of July Jubilee.
See Family
feature.
Party time: See Thursday, July 3.
Family night tonight.
TUNES
Willow Branch & The Jan
Smith Band at Scottsville's Rhythm on the River Fourth
of July Celebration: Join two-time Virginia State Bluegrass
Champs Willow Branch for their traditional take on the
classics, as well as the Jan Smith Band's melodious
combination of bluegrass/pop/folk into a rootsy stew, at
Scottsville's Rhythm on the River Fourth of July
Celebration. No cover, 6pm. See
Family feature.
Big Ray and the Kool Kats at Save the
Fireworks at McIntire Park: The nationally know BRKK has
been lighting up festivals, shows, and venues for a while
with their 10-member strong take on the classics-&endash;
from Motown to Swing. Free, 5pm.
Frontbutt with Aquanett and FFO at
Outback Lodge: Old School hip-hop covers from the boys
in Frontbutt will ring in national independence day with a
bang. Get your groove thang on while Frontbutt get all
patriotic on your ass. $7, 10pm.
Guitarist Mike Rosensky and Clarinetist
Dave Kannensohn (jazz) at Art Upstairs. 316 E. Main St.
(above the Hardware Store restaurant). No cover,
6:30pm.
William Walter & Co. at Orbit
Billiards. No cover, 10:30pm.
Jan Smith Band at the Wintergreen
Courtyard. No cover, 12pm.
SATURDAY, July 5
PERFORMANCE
Murder mystery: Join the Jefferson Players for their
weekly foray into the world of murder and intrigue over a
four-course buffet meal. They offer the comedy by Jason
Campbell, It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To.
Courtyard Marriott, 1201 W. Main St. 7pm. $29.90. 977-1144
or jeffmanor.com.
Crimes of the Heart: See Friday,
July 4.
FAMILY
All wound up: The Science Museum of Virginia celebrates
the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking discovery of the
structure of DNA. The exhibition "DNA 50" highlights some of
the contributions of scientists from the United Kingdom.
Opens today through August 31. Included in the price of
admission. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727.
smv.org.
The way we were: Nineteenth
century plantation life comes alive at Ash Lawn-Highland's
Plantation Day. Highlights include costumed crafters,
hands-on activities for kids, Highland dancing, a
Revolutionary War encampment, open-hearth cooking, and more.
Picnics welcome. Food is also available for purchase.
10am-6pm. Adults $10, seniors $9, children $5. 1000 James
Monroe Parkway. 293-9539.
Summer on the slopes: See Friday,
July 4.
Party time: See Thursday, July 3.
Fireworks tonight at 10:45pm.
Slave life: Montpelier guides
offer tours of James Madison's slave community every
Saturday now through October. 11am. Included in the cost of
admission. 11407 Constitution Highway (Route 20 in Orange).
540-672-2728. montpelier.org.
Estate tour: A special tour of
James Madison's Montpelier focuses on the legacy of William
and Annie duPont (who purchased the plantation in 1901) and
their daughter, the famed equestrian Marion duPont Scott.
Every Saturday through October. 2pm. Included in the cost of
admission. 11407 Constitution Highway (Route 20 in Orange).
540-672-2728. montpelier.org.
Rollin' on the river: The historic
Hatton Ferry takes tourists back in time with a trip across
the James River every Saturday and Sunday through October
12. Operated by the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical
Society, this is one of the last functioning pole ferries in
the country. 9am-5pm. Free. Just outside Scottsville on Rt.
625. Call ahead in case of inclement weather.
296-1492.
WALKABOUT
Buddhist Fourth: See
Friday, July 4.
British invasion: Veritas
Vineyards invites wine lovers to experience their wines and
other fun too-&endash; live music, scrumptious edibles, and
a few surprises. 10am-6pm. From Charlottesville, take I-64
West, exit 107. Head west on Rt. 250 for six miles to Rt.
151. Go South three miles to Rt. 6, then west 1.3 miles to
Saddleback Farm. Veritas Winery entrance will be on your
right. veritaswines.com.
TUNES
Magneto ("non-hippy
Appalachian rock band") at Staunton's Baja Bean. No cover,
9pm.
Jan Smith Band (rootsty
bluegrass/pop) at Gravity Lounge. $5, 9pm.
The Soft-Control D.J.s at Twisted
Branch Tea Bazaar. No cover, 9pm.
Left Foot Breaking at Mountain View
Grill. $3, 9pm.
Navel (hard rock) at Outback Lodge. $6,
10pm.
Karma Bums at Rapunzel's Coffee &
Books. $7, 7:30pm.
Jan Smith Band (rootsy bluegrass/pop) at
Wintergreen Courtyard. No cover, noon.
SUNDAY, July 6
PERFORMANCE
Sunday salsa: The Charlottesville Salsa Club sponsors a
weekly opportunity to learn and practice salsa and other
dances in a smoke-free nightclub atmosphere. A basic lesson
(usually salsa) gets the evening started at 8pm. Salsa mixed
with other Latin styles. The Outback Lodge, 917 Preston Ave.
8pm-midnight. $3-5. 979-7211.
WALKABOUT
Mountain morning: Join a Wintergreen Nature Foundation
naturalist for an interpretive hike through the mountains of
Wintergreen. Moderate difficulty. $3 members, $5
non-members. 10am. 325-7451.
FAMILY
Summer on the slopes: See Friday, July 4.
TUNES
The Hogwaller Ramblers (bluegrass mayhem) at
Escafé. No cover, 10pm. (W)
Dead Night (Grateful Dead live (on
tape)!)at Michael's Bistro. No cover, 10pm. (W)
Barling and Collins (cello-pop) at
Miller's. No cover, 10:30pm. (W)
MONDAY, July 7
WORDS
Nazis and negligees: Cloak and Dagger on the sexy
Romanian coast. Blood of Victory, the latest book by Alan
Furst, master of the atmospheric WWII spy novel, is under
discussion at Barnes & Noble's Newcomers Book Club
tonight. 7:30pm. Barracks Road Shopping Center.
984-0461.
PERFORMANCE
Crimes of the Heart: See Friday, July 4.
TUNES
Open Mic Night with Charles Davis at Baja Bean. No
cover, 8:30pm signup/9pm start.
Jackson Gibson at Coupe DeVille's.
No cover, 10:30pm. (W)
Max Collins at Michael's Bistro.
No cover, 10:30pm. Experimental acoustic. (W)
Open Mic Night at Miller's. Free,
9:30 sign up/10pm start. (W)
George Melvin (piano merriment) at
South Street Brewery. No cover, 9:30pm. (W)
TUESDAY, July 8
WALKABOUT
Habitual hiker: Experience the world by foot without
taking a step at backpacker Leonard Adkins' slide show
depicting, in sounds and images, his two month long hike
along the border of France and Spain. "From the Atlantic to
the Mediterranean: Along the Pyrenées High Route,"
starts at 7:30pm at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in the
Barracks Road Shopping Center. For info, call 977-4400.
See Walkabout
feature.
PERFORMANCE
Fully Committed: Catch this one-man comedy, written by
Becky Mode and directed by Richard Warner, featuring Sam, a
struggling actor who works the reservation line at the
hottest, trendiest restaurant in Manhattan. Dan Perez (of
HRT's Art) portrays a complete cast of characters including
Sam, the chef, the restaurant manager, and the desperate
callers who cajole and coerce, name-drop and name-call,
bribe and browbeat him in their quest for the prime
reservation at the perfect table. Helms Theater, 109
Culbreth Road. 7:30pm. $14-25. 924-3376.
FAMILY
Earth spirit: Tuesday is nature day at Scottsville
Library. Kids ages six and up can celebrate the beauty of
Mother Earth as they experiment with plant dyes, learn about
medicinal herbs, make herbal salve, and create crafts from
natural materials. They will also hear wolf stories and
legends and learn about this endangered animal's habitat.
2-3:30pm. Free. 330 Bird St. 286-3541.
Summer writes: Young novelists
entering grades 4-5 can hone their narrative skills at a
creative writing class at Northside Library. Instructors
from the Charlottesville Writing Center make this
one-session workshop fun. 2-3:30pm. Free. Registration
required. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.
Slitherin': Snakes and lizards
from various habitats around the globe will be visiting
Central Library today. Kids young and old can meet and greet
and see just how awesome these critters really are. 10:30am.
201 E. Market St. 979-7151, ext. 3.
WORDS
The Poet's voice: Poetry reading by the honors students
of Sutherland Middle School. Barnes & Noble, 7pm.
Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-0461.
TUNES
B.C. & Atsushi Miura upstairs
at Tokyo Rose: Join the clever boys of B.C. (Barling
& Collins) for an evening of untold cleverness.
Cello-pop songs, smarter than most, abound from this duo,
whose performance is often followed by the off-kilter
indie-rock of Atsushi Miura, owner of Tokyo Rose. No cover,
9:30pm. (W)
Jamie and Rolland (bluegrass
tunesmiths) at the Blue Moon Diner. No cover, 8pm.
(W)
Glenn Mack at Coupe DeVille's. No
cover, 10:30om. (W)
Steve and Timi Ryalls (guitar duo)
at Dürty Nelly's. $3, 8pm. (W)
Bennie Dodd Trio featuring Jeff
Cheers and Jordan Marchini at Shebeen. No cover, 9pm.
(W)
The Pearls at Twisted Branch Tea
Bazaar. No cover, 9pm.
WEDNESDAY, July
9
PERFORMANCE
Fully Committed: See Tuesday, July 8.
FAMILY
Slitherin': See Tuesday, July 8. Today's presentations:
Crozet Library at 10am. Free tickets required; available at
the circulation desk in advance. 5791 Three Notch'd Road.
823-4050. Also at Gordon Avenue Library at 3pm.
296-5544.
Writes of summer: Teenage
Trollopes ages 11-18 can work with instructors from the
Charlottesville Writing Center to perfect their prose at a
one-session creative writing class at Northside Library.
2-4pm. Free. Registration required. Albemarle Square.
973-7893.
Little literati: The
five-and-under crowd can hear about birds and flowers at
Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. Stickers and
cookies are part of the fun, too. 10:30am. Free. Barracks
Road Shopping Center. 984-6598.
WALKABOUT
Guided meditation: The Joshua Tree Mindfulness Center
hosts a weekly discussion-meditation series led by local
instructors. Topics include joy, fear, and anger. Brief
talks feed into meditation practice. Come to any or all
sessions. 7pm-8:30pm. Free. 2125 Ivy Road (in the plaza next
to Foods of All Nations). Info, 244-3144 or
joshuatree@cstone.net.
TUNES
Ezra Hamilton and Friends at Michael's Bistro: The
angel-voiced Hamilton mixes time signature-defying songs
with his radiant presence-&endash; and you never know just
who he's going to bring onstage. $3, 10pm.
Bennie Dodd (masterful covers) at Coupe
DeVille's. No cover, 10:30pm. (W)
Jeff Decker and Mike Rosensky (jazz)
Quartet at Miller's. No cover, 9pm. (W)
Peter Richardson Band (Latin jazz)
upstairs at Tokyo Rose. No cover, 9:30pm. (W)
THURSDAY, July
10
PERFORMANCE
Fully Committed: See Tuesday, July 8.
WORDS
Take that Tony Columbo!: How one real scumbag managed to
get 26 talented young writers together in one anthology.
Editor Meredith Broussard and authors Leslie Pietrzyk and
Colleen Curran discuss the stories of The Dictionary of
Failed Relationships: 26 Tales of Love Gone Wrong at Barnes
& Noble, 7pm. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-0461.
See Words feature.
FAMILY
Summer writes: See
Tuesday, July 8. Today's class is at Gordon Avenue Library.
296-5544.
Little literati: See Thursday,
July 9.
Slitherin': See Tuesday, July 8.
Today's presentations: Scottsville Library at 10am. Free
tickets required; available at the circulation desk in
advance. 330 Bird St. 286-3541. Also at Northside Library at
3pm. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.
TUNES
Jim Waive (acoustic folk-rock)
at the Blue Moon Diner. No cover, 8pm. (W)
Chicken Head Blues Band at
Dürty Nelly's. $4, 9pm. (W)
The Jessup, Mills & Snider
Trio (Jazz) at Escafe, No cover, 10pm. (W)
John D'earth and friends at
Miller's. $4, 10pm. (W)
Megan Huddleson at Mountain View
Grill. $3, 10:30pm.
Marzaks at Mudhouse (Downtown
Mall). No cover (all ages), 8pm. See
Tunes feature.
Full Minute of Mercury, This Means
You, and One Slack Mind (hard rock) at Outback Lodge.
Free, 10pm.
Shoestring Theater Education Project
presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at Rapunzel's Coffee
& Books. $5, 7:30pm.
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet at
Starr Hill. $16/$14 advance, 9pm.
Unnamed Jazz Band upstairs at
Tokyo Rose. Free, 9pm. (W)
Fire in the Belly (belly dancers +
instruction) at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. No cover,
9pm.
ONGOING
AND
UPCOMING
WALKABOUT and FAMILY
Monticello beer: Thomas Jefferson's interest in wine is
well known, but beer also played a significant role in the
daily life of his mountaintop home. Visitors to Monticello
can now learn about the brewing and storage of beer and ale
during Jefferson's time in a restored and furnished Beer
Cellar, located in the all-weather passageway beneath the
main house.
Madison's will: The last will and
testament of James Madison is now on display at Montpelier.
The four-page hand-written document plus codicil was
executed in April 1935, little more than a year before the
President's death in 1836. The will is visible in the
Document Gallery on the first floor of the Montpelier
mansion and joins a new exhibit of rare, early published
versions of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill or Rights.
9:30am-5:30pm through October. For more info and directions,
see www.montpelier.org or call 672-2728.
Farmers' Market: Why not enjoy two
farmers' markets per week? If you can't make it to Saturday
morning (when Charlottesville's City Market happens), the
Scottsville Farmers' Market will be open on Thursdays from
4pm-dark, through October. Vendors will be selling fresh
fruits, herbs, vegetables, and flowers as well as baked
goods, fresh-made lemonade, and handcrafts under a tent in
Scottsville's Town Park.
Flora and fauna: Each Sunday at
9:30am through the end of October, Monticello offers a free
guided walking tour of the Thomas Jefferson Parkway, the
linear park along the Route 53 entrance corridor to
Jefferson's mountaintop home. The leisurely walks led by
naturalist Jay Kardan cover three miles and last about 2
hours. Meet at Kemper Park, at the base of the Parkway. Rain
or shine. Call 984-9822 for more info.
FAMILY
Reading treasure: Barnes & Noble invites kids in
grades 1-6 to go on a treasure hunt and earn free books for
reading. Kids need to read and document eight grade-level
books from anywhere (no purchase necessary) and return their
completed Treasure Hunter's Journal before September 1 to
receive a coupon for a free book. Forms are available at the
store. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-0461.
Brush up: Young artists can refine
their talents at the University of Virginia Art Museum's
summer arts program. Kids entering fourth through twelfth
grades can sign up for two-week sessions offered three times
during July and August. Summer Arts @ the Museum allows
young people to study with nationally known artists as well
as create their own masterpieces. Sessions start July 7.
Cost is $440 for members, $500 for non-members. Scholarships
are available. Registration required. 924-4298.
For families only: Monticello
offers tours designed especially for children ages 6-11 and
their families. The tours include touchable objects and a
child-friendly focus. On the hour from 10am-3pm daily
through August 15. Included in the price of admission.
Register at the ticket office. Thomas Jefferson Parkway (Rt.
53). 984-9822.
Feel the buzz: An unusual
cacophony of sounds fills the Virginia Discovery Museum from
the Back Gallery exhibit "Good Vibrations." It's an odd
orchestra of strange instruments, new sounds, and acoustic
experiments where budding musicians can explore the art and
science of sound. Included in the price of museum admission.
East end of the Downtown Mall. 977-1025.
vadm.org.
Amusements: Albemarle County Parks
and Recreation Department has discount admission tickets for
Kings Dominion, Water Country, and Busch Gardens for sale.
You don't need to be a county resident to purchase these
tickets, which will be available through the summer while
supplies last. Third floor of the County Office Building.
401 McIntire Road. 296-5844.
Behind the scenes: Now through the
end of October, Montpelier guides take visitors on special
tours of rarely seen rooms in the mansion made famous by
James and Dolley Madison. Offered every half-hour from
10:30am-4pm. Included in the cost of admission. 11407
Constitution Highway (Rt. 20 in Orange). 540-672-2728.
montpelier.org.
Discovering plants and animals:
The Virginia Museum of Natural History at UVA offers
another Lewis and Clark exploration. Visitors can learn
about the plants and animals that the Corps of Discovery
encountered on their historic journey in the new exhibit
"Natural History Pioneers: The Flora and Fauna of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition." Admission is free. 104 Emmet St.
982-4605.
Take it to the limit: The
five-story IMAX screen fills with people pushing the limits
at the Science Museum of Virginia. The new film Extreme
offers a glimpse into the unique relationship between nature
and humanity including athletes involved in big wave
surfing, ice climbing, skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing,
and rock climbing. Now through January 9. Call or see
website for schedule and cost. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond.
800-659-1727. smv.org.
Because it's there: Now through
September 20, visitors to the Science Museum of Virginia can
stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the daredevils who struggle
to reach the vertiginous summit at 29,028 feet in the IMAX
film Everest. Tickets are $6.50. The combination ticket that
lets you see the exhibits too is $10.50 for kids 4-12,
$11.50 for adults, $11 for seniors. Call for times and
reservations. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727.
smv.org.
ART
Through August 16 the Kluge-Ruhe
shows "Object Lessons," an exhibit which answers frequently
asked questions about Aboriginal art, and "Manguri Weaving,"
a touring exhibition of weavings by women of the central and
western deserts. 400 Peter Jefferson Place, off Route 250
East at Pantops. 244-0234.
Bozart presents artist James Parker in
July. "The Eulipions," an exhibition of 2-D and 3-D works,
runs July 5-August 3, with an opening reception, Friday,
July 4, from 6-9pm. 211 W. Main St., Downtown Mall.
296-3919.
Sanjay Vora's "Love and a Video Store"
runs, appropriately enough, at Sneak Reviews through July.
2244 Ivy Road. 979-4420.
Rick Watson's new paintings will be on
exhibit at the New Dominion Bookshop through July 30. 404 E.
Main St. 295-2552.
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church
shows the paintings of Flame Bilyue through July 6. Opening
July 13 and running through August 3, the paintings of
Ramanan (Ralph Shultz) in an exhibit titled "Sangha." Greet
the artist at the opening reception on July 6 at noon. Rugby
Road. 293-8179.
Through July at Transient Crafters,
"Waking up Wool" with Laura Sabin of Heartworks. Opening
reception, Friday, July 4, from 6-9pm. 118 W. Main on the
Downtown Mall. 972-9500.
At the University of Virginia Art Museum,
Emilie Brzezinski's "New Directions,"runs through September
7. Also, Rodney Smith's photography exhibit, "Reverie and
Reality," runs through August 10. Rugby Road. 924-3952.
See Art feature.
At Art Upstairs, Nell Finger exhibits her
watercolors in an exhibit titled "Barns of Albemarle County"
through July 29 with an opening reception, Friday, July 4,
from 5:30-9pm. 316 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall above
the Hardware Store Restaurant. 923-3900.
At the McGuffey Art Center, for the
Annual Summer Group Show, all of the McGuffey galleries will
be dedicated to showing the work of both renting and
associate members through August 17 with an opening
reception, July 4, from 5:30-7:30pm. 201 Second St. NW.
295-7973.
Second Street Gallery presents Shannon
Kennedy's large-scale video installation, "Building
Project," through August 17. 201 Second St. NW.
977-7284.
Charlottesville-Albemarle Art Association
presents mixed media work by Amy Mitchell Howard and Matthew
Howard at the Albemarle County Building through the end of
July. 401 McIntyre Road. amitchellhoward@msn.com.
Radar
At the St. Jude Catholic Church,
"Summerfest 2003," a juried professional art and craft show,
takes place Saturday, July 19 at 1937 Davis Highway (Route
22) between the towns of Mineral and Louisa. The event is
open from 9am until 3pm. 804-556-6698.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts presents
"Despite Many Adversities, We Are Still Here," photographs
of Native Americans by Carolyn DeMerritt, through July 20.
Also "Uncommon Legacies," Native American art from the
Peabody Essex Museum. 2800 Grove Ave., Richmond.
804-204-2704.
Paula Henveld's "Machu Picchu… the
spirit of place," photographs and words, will be on display
at Caffe Bocce Gallery through July 30, with an opening
reception on Saturday, July 5, from 3-5pm. 330 Valley Street
in Scottsville. 286-4422.
FEATURES/FEATURES/FEATURES
WORDS
A to Z: 26 ways he can do you
wrong
By ELIZABETH KIEM WORDS@READTHEHOOK.COM
I can't help wondering if The Dictionary of Failed
Relationships fell into my in-box as some sort of reparation
for my failure to get on the Sex and the City bandwagon.
This, sisters, is the Diva of chick
books.
The Dictionary's 26 entries (from
"Ambivalence" to "Zero") are dedicated to one Tony Columbo,
the millennium's sorriest cad not a felon. Tony Columbo and
his graceless treatment of The Dictionary's editor, Meredith
Broussard, serve as the cynical glue binding the stories of
a gaggle of uniformly young and talented female writers,
who, if they have not necessarily all had their Tony
Columbo's , would certainly know how to make short work of
him if they had.
Now that the guys have been warned off,
here's my plug for the ladies: If you like quick stories
that leave you feeling like you have an irresolute hangover,
The Dictionary of Failed Relationships is a sure bet.
Like all good bouts of excess, this
anthology gets off to an exhilarating start. "Ambivalence"
by Heidi Julavits is one of the finest short stories I have
ever read. It tells the tale of two doomed lovers on a road
trip whose exquisite banter can't breach a fundamental
disagreement: Is taking the risk of running out of gas a
cliché or a rite of passage? We've all seen perfect
couples fall apart over that one.
On to "Berniced," a fairly trite
monologue saved (maybe?) by the (almost) irritating gimmick
of using the vernacular of washed-up youth of the early
'90s. In which everyone is a Valley Girl? Even if they,
like, live in some snowy city that appears to be on the
Great Lakes? Whatever.
The alphabet proceeds apace with tales of
obsessive behavior and sophomoric metaphors so that by
"Island," (lost virginity) the reader may start feeling
bloated, and by "Queer," (broken-heart inspires lesbianism),
the pheromones have set up an achy salon behind the
eyes.
Not to fear-- respite comes regularly.
The 'F' entry (FAQ) is a hilarious piece of self-deprecating
advice on men; "Honeymoon" is a delicate story of a first
fight in which the grrrrl wears kid gloves; and "Justice"
involves shoving raw shrimp into an ex's curtain
rod-&endash; take that Tony Columbo!
Most importantly, by alphabet's end, we
understand that none of these relationships have actually
failed… but that all humans seek to ferret out others'
flaws. As we all know from the Manolo Blahnik-wearing gals
from Sex and the City: no pain, no gain.
Editor Meredith Broussard and authors
Leslie Pietrzyk and Colleen Curran discuss the stories of
The Dictionary of Failed Relationships: 26 Tales of Love
Gone Wrong at Barnes & Noble, Thursday, July 10, at 7pm.
Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-0461.
ART
Boled over: Big trees suggest stories
BY AARON STEINBERG
ART@READTHEHOOK.COM
Emilie Brzezinski came to modern art by
an unusual path. Hardly the bohemian loft dweller,
Brzezinski inhabited instead the upper echelon of the
Washington, D.C., social scene as the wife of an advisor to
President Jimmy Carter. Somehow she survived the cocktail
party scene with her artistic sensibilities intact. Some
particularly recent examples are now on display as part of
her exhibit, the obliquely titled New Directions.
Brzezinski's choice of medium is just as
unusual as her personal history. Since the mid-'80s, the
artist has chosen to work with felled trees. She manipulates
her trees in a way loosely in keeping with the natural
contours and textures of the tree while at the same time
purposefully stylized-- one or two degrees removed from a
natural form.
The really big work in the exhibit, "La
Ronde," will certainly impress visitors with its sheer size.
Brzezinski has carved up the trunks of white oaks, some as
long as 20 feet, and stacked them on end. Her chainsaw and
axe have left them splayed open like a book or a hinge, and
their ragged gouges and cuts make them look like a
beginner's course in dugout canoes.
The gouges and cuts left in the surface
of the wood appear as if the artist has modeled her
aesthetic on the sorts of textures that occur naturally in
trees-- creases, rough edges, bends, and curves. However,
the markings-- a gentle slope of facets or deep, narrow
gouges equally spaced and running up the inside of the
trunk-- are a little too regular and clean to be
natural.
Other smaller works on display also use
wood as raw material, though with these Brzezinski seems to
be more interested in the suggestive capabilities of her
work. Strips of wood, deep and dark, hang on the wall like
strips of beef jerky ("Strokes"); desiccated strips of wood
and wood fiber have been laid out on the floor like some
sort of archaeological unearthing ("Dust to Dust").
"Ressurection" consists of wood fiber
strips shaped remarkably like human bodies or body parts
which hang rather ominously from steel wire at the back of
the gallery space. With "La Ronde," however, Brzezinski uses
her lightest touch and creates her most distinctive work.
Much of what defines contemporary art, it
sometimes seems, is finding unique materials with which to
work. To Brzezinski's credit, she has not only found in tree
trunks a unique material with which to work, she has also
bothered to learn a bit from it.
Adding another layer to the exhibit, UVA
Professor and computer music composer Judith Shatlin has
created a soundtrack which modifies itself based on movement
within the gallery space.
At the University of Virginia Art
Museum, Emilie Brzezinski's "New Directions" runs through
September 7. Also, Rodney Smith's photography exhibit,
"Reverie and Reality,"runs through August 10. Rugby Road.
924-3952.
FAMILY
Wave that flag! Celebrations sparkle all over
BY LINDA KOBERT
FAMILY@READTHEHOOK.COM
"This is going to be the biggest and best
Fourth of July ever," declares Tim Carr of the Scottsville
Volunteer Fire Department. Carr is helping to organize his
town's Independence Day celebration that starts with a
parade down Main Street at 11am.
The procession of floats, a fife and drum
corps, political candidates, and the District 5 girl's
softball champions is only a part of this super
star-spangled party.
At 6pm, folks are invited to bring a
picnic basket to Dorrier Park for Rhythm on the River. This
free outdoor concert presents the bluegrass sounds of Willow
Branch followed by the popular Jan Smith Band. The evening
ends with a bang as fireworks ignite the sky over the James
River.
Sparks will fly over the City of
Charlottesville too, despite the fact that this year's
fireworks nearly fizzled from lack of funding. McIntire Park
will indeed glow this July Fourth with both pyrotechnics and
pride, thanks to a partnership of private funding and public
services that is really something to celebrate.
The festivities get started at 4pm and
include an inflatable slide and moonwalk to keep the kids
bouncing, live music, and food vendors (picnic baskets are
also welcome). Fireworks are set to go off at about 9:15pm.
The party lasts all weekend in Crozet,
where the Volunteer Fire Department hosts their annual
Fourth of July Carnival at Claudius Crozet Park. This family
fair offers games, rides, food vendors, live bands, and
bingo. Fireworks are featured on both Thursday and Saturday
nights. Friday is family night where kids can ride all they
want for one price.
And just to make things extra special,
the fire trucks, twirlettes, boy scouts, Lions Club, and
antique tractors--115 units in all-- will parade down Crozet
Avenue from the elementary school to the park on Saturday at
5pm.
At Wintergreen Resort, the Fourth of July
Jubilee is the biggest event of the year. This old-fashioned
block party lasts all weekend with storytelling, an arts and
crafts fair on Friday and Saturday, hayrides and hikes, face
painting and sidewalk art, a free concert by the local
Beatles tribute band #9 Dream, fireworks on Friday night,
and oh, so much more.
This weekend there's no excuse for not
getting out to wave that flag and have a great time.
The town of Scottsville is due south
on Rt. 20. 826-2623. Parking is prohibited at McIntire Park
on the Rt. 250 bypass in Charlottesville, but free shuttle
service is available from lots at K-Mart and the County
Office Building, and handicapped parking is available at
Walker Elementary School. You can also park at
Charlottesville High School and walk across the bridge to
the park or view the fireworks from the grassy knoll at the
school. 970-3589. Crozet's carnival happens from 6-11pm on
July 3-5. 823-4758. Admission is free for the Wintergreen
Jubilee July 4-6. Rt. 664 off Rt. 151 in Nelson County.
325-8180.
PERFORMANCE
Dramatic sizzle: Summer shows warm local stages
BY TOBY EMERT
PERFORMANCE@READTHEHOOK.COM
Local stages are continuing to heat up as
summer moves along. Live Arts preps for its annual festival;
Ash Lawn opera singers rehearse for opening night (July 12);
the Four County Players gear up for their yearly Shakespeare
production; and Heritage Repertory Theater, the UVA company
that just finished its run of How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying, unveils two new shows this week:
Crimes of the Heart and Fully Committed.
Just in time for an after-the-picnic bit
of entertainment, HRT begins its rotating repertory with the
July 4 opening of Crimes of the Heart. A Pulitzer
Prize-winner written by Beth Henley and directed by Marianne
Kubik, the play follows one day with the three McGrath
sisters.
Lenny's sisters have forgotten her 30th
birthday, Meg is home after a failed attempt at a music
career, and Babe just shot her husband in the stomach.
Audiences will welcome back HRT veterans Nancy Snow
(Carousel, Anything Goes) and Jason Odell Williams (Proof,
Comic Potential) in leading roles.
The play has been a hit in theaters
across the country since it burst onto the scene in the
mid-1980's and was made into a movie starring Diane Keaton,
Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek, who received an Oscar
nomination for her comic portrayal of the youngest McGrath
sister, Babe. Henley offers a picture of Southern life and
Southern women, in particular, that is both touching and
hilarious.
In the Helms Theater on July 8, HRT opens
Fully Committed, a one-man comedy directed by UVA acting
professor Richard Warner. It's the story of Sam, a
struggling actor who works the reservation line at the
trendiest restaurant in New York. Dan Perez (of last
season's production of Art) portrays a complete cast of
characters including Sam, the chef, the restaurant manager,
and the desperate callers who cajole and coerce, name-drop
and name-call, bribe and browbeat him in their quest for the
prime reservation at the perfect table.
Both productions continue through
July. For schedules and information, visit HRT on-line at
virginia.edu/drama. Crimes of the Heart plays at 8pm and
Fully Committed plays at 7:30pm. To purchase tickets, which
range from $14-24, contact HRT at 924-3376 or stop by the
box office at the Culbreth Theater, 109 Culbreth Road. M-F
10am-6pm.
WALKABOUT
Armchair hikers: Cross the Pyrenees and don't leave
home
BY CHRISTINA BALL WALKABOUT@READTHEHOOK.COM
If you love hiking but just can't take
the summer heat, or if you're just in the mood to sit back
and be inspired by someone else's encounters with the
wilderness, then Leonard Adkins is your man this week.
Affectionately known as "the habitual
hiker," Adkins has hiked more than 16,000 miles exploring
landscapes and seascapes from the Appalachian Trail to the
Arctic Circle, from the Continental Divide to the Caribbean.
He has crossed deserts in 100 degree heat, ascended 13,000
foot passes, and witnessed spectacles such as steaming
geysers melting into adjacent glaciers, 100-foot waterfalls
dropping into narrow canyons, flower-carpeted meadows, and
fields of ice.
When he's putting one foot in front of
the other, Adkins is either writing books and articles based
on his travels, or sharing his journeys directly with
hikers, writers, students, and armchair travelers across the
country. How does he share the wild, exactly? Not by making
his audience hit the Stairmaster and spray themselves with
Deet, but through an engaging, inspiring multi-media, slide,
music, and voice-narration presentation that basically
brings his hikes to dramatic life-- indoors.
On Tuesday, July 8, at 7:30pm, Adkins
will transport the Pyrenées to the tent- and
Teva-outfitted interior of Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. In a
presentation entitled, "From the Atlantic to the
Mediterranean: Along the Pyrenées High Route,"
audience members become virtual companions on a
two-month-long hike across the mountain range bordering
France and Spain. You'll traverse-&endash; with the
suggestive guidance of Adkins' narration-- terrain more
rugged than the Rockies, pass through foggy Basque
sheeplands and Catalonian vineyards, and cross
breathtakingly steep passes as you make your way from the
wave-tossed Atlantic to the deep blue Mediterranean. If you
get tired along the way, the images and folk-classical music
soundtrack will encourage you pick up the pace. Missed
something along the way? Just ask That's what the
post-slideshow Q&A session is for.
Leonard Adkins presents his slide show
hike, "From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean: Along the
Pyrenées High Route," July 8 at 7:30pm at Blue Ridge
Mountain Sports in the Barracks Road Shopping Center. Free.
977-4400.
TUNES
New band? Marzaks 2.0 sounds
familiar
BY MARK GRABOWSKI TUNES@READTHEHOOK.COM
For a band that's been together for less
than three years, the Marzaks have had line-up changes
similar to the member-swapping fiasco that was (and
according to their webpage, is) Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson
Starship/Starship/Jefferson Starship-&endash; The Next
Generation. The band who won first place (and $500!) in the
Non-Traditional Band segment of the 11th annual Appalachian
String Band Festival in 2000, and the band that recorded the
2002 album, Superhuman, is no more. The latest incarnation
of the Marzaks could be called Marzaks Version
2.0.
But thanks to the fact that the two
remaining members of the original group, Peter Markush
(stage name: Mark Rock) and Joey Vigour (Ben), have always
been the band's main vocalists and songwriters, not that
much seems to have changed. In spite of the loss of 3/5 of
the original group, the Marzaks-- whose duo show I caught
fairly recently-- accurately recreate the sound, the humor,
and the pop know-how of their debut. And that's something to
be thankful for.
Citing influences such as the
smarter-than-all-hell pop/rock They Might Be Giants, the
quirky indie Shonen Knife, and constantly trampled lo-fi
pioneers Violent Femmes, the Marzaks are a group that could
only have arisen in Charlottesville (or maybe another
bluegrass-wild college town, but I can't think of
one).
Combine the wit behind such tracks as
"Toaster"-- where that common household item becomes the
last link to a past relationship-- with the old-time
sensibilities this town is famous for, and you come up with
a genre that I, for one, have never heard before.
The first real song on Superhuman is the
title track, and right from the start things get exceedingly
wacky. "Once I fell into a pit / Containing radioactive ooze
/ And now I'm superhuman," sings Vigour on guitar, backed by
mandolin, tambourine, cello, and some exceedingly
lightweight drums. The song recounts a tale of a prospective
lover who tells the superhuman narrator that he's "a real
nice guy" but she is "not attracted to men who are faster
than a speeding bullet."
Zing! The chorus of the track is
exceeding "aww" inspiring, as the deposed narrator sings,
"Now that I'm superhuman / I can do anything / But I can't
make you fall in love with me." I'm starting to tear up
here, too, folks.
Other highlights in the duo's songwriting
portfolio on Superhuman are the aforementioned "Toaster,"
probably the most rocking song on the album (relatively
speaking, of course), and the Vigour-penned "She Likes To
Bite," the story of the worst date ever (unless you
regularly keep company with cannibals).
Recently the duo that was the Marzaks
picked up two new members, fiddler Jason Ankney (Happy
Goth), and drummer/percussionist Issac Slutzky (Peanut Kid),
to help flesh out the group's sound for future performances.
If your tastes range from quirky-pop to bluegrass, why not
give the Marzaks a try? They'll satisfy both your cravings
at the same time.
Marzaks at Mudhouse July 10. No cover
(all ages), 8pm.
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