C-VILLE Weekly | September 17 - 23, 2025

Blue Ridge Abortion Fund hits spending record P.9

Riverbend Development prompts potential rezoning P.13

Poet Chet'la Sebree confronts chronic illness P.33

SEPTEMBER 17 – 23, 2025

Room to play

We listened to more than 70 open-mic performances. Here’s what we heard.

introducing... ART UNLEASHED!

Where creativity meets compassion. A community-wide public art display and auction that brings together local artists, businesses, and dog lovers to support Service Dogs of Virginia (SDV).

Get Involved Today!

Artists – Paint one of 20 life-sized Labrador Retriever statues Businesses – Sponsor a statue and showcase your support Community Members – Check out the dogs on display and attend the auction

The statues will be displayed throughout Charlottesville in the summer of 2026 and auctioned in October 2026 to raise vital funds for SDV’s mission.

Join the fun, admire the art, and make an impact! Visit https://www.servicedogsva.org/art-unleashed-2026

SCAN TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AS A SPONSOR, SUPPORTER, OR ARTIST!

CVILLE SABROSO

THIS SATURDAY (9/20) 1-10PM • TING PAVILION

The 13th annual Cville Sabroso is a combination party (fiesta!) and Latino cultural festival; 9 hours of family-friendly entertainment with something fun for everyone:

LIVE MUSIC • KIDS’ ZONE • DANCING FIESTA BAR • ARTISAN CRAFTS

PERFORMANCES

1:00 Opening Ceremony

1:25 Casa de la cultura Peru (Peru)

1:50 Hermosa Venezuela (Venezuela)

2:00 Raices Ecuatorianas (Ecuador)

KIDS ZONE - free - 12 and under “ Copa Sabroso ” soccer shootouts

Musical Instrument “ Petting Zoo ” (MIMA)

Face Painting • Bouncy House • Craft Projects

FIESTA BAR (adults

only)

Margaritas, cuba libres, and beer

TICKETS

kids free! 12 & under 13+ $10 ONLINE OR AT TING ON SATURDAY

2:25 Panamanian Traditional (Panama)

3:00 Grupo Tahuantinsuyo (Peru)

4:15 Raices Ecuatorianas (Ecuador)

5:00 Tradiciones Bolivianas (Bolivia)

5:35 Elizabeth Lainez (Mexico)

6:00 Atrapado Musical (Mexico)

7:20 Kids’ Parade of Flags

8:00 Foreign Playerz (Social Dancing)

8:30 La Internacional Sonora Dinamita

www.facebook.com/cvillesabroso

Hello, Charlottesville.

Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.

My family visited Colonial Williamsburg over Labor Day weekend. We stuck our arms in the pillory, bought my daughter a toy bugle (which she honked in the direction of every passerby for the entirety of our trip), and rode in a horse-drawn carriage steered by a man in colonial garb whose son, it just so happened, had recently graduated from UVA.

To prepare for our visit, my husband and I watched “America: The Story of Us,” an early-aughts documentary-drama about the nation’s beginnings. What struck me, watching those reenactments back-to-back, wasn’t anything new but something undeniable: Early Americans solved practically every problem with violence—an ethos that, in many ways, has echoed throughout our almost 250-year history. And it continues. From the heartbreak of school shootings (100 in 2025 as of this writing, according to Everytown for Gun Safety) to the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus last week, we’re confronted again and again with how deeply violence runs in our national DNA.

But if violence has always been America’s reflex, art is its resistance. Which is why this week’s cover story (p. 19) feels so redemptive. Our Culture team went out to local open mics and reported back on what they found: art, in all its messy vulnerability, standing as the counter to our savage inheritance. If anything will save us, it’s that—people gathering in small rooms to share songs, stories, and poems, daring to connect instead of conquer.

Hey, thanks!

This week’s contributors

James Sanford is a graduate of Western Michigan University and taught journalism there for seven years. He’s been an arts writer, film critic, reporter, restaurant critic, and section coordinator, winning three awards from the Society for Features Journalism. Read his work on page 35

Sarah Lawson is a writer and visual artist living in Nelson County. The child of two librarians, Lawson has always loved books of all kinds. They write about local authors and books that have a connection to the Charlottesville community. Read their work on page 33.

These generous benefactors of C-VILLE have supported our work through our Save the Free Word campaign. If you’d like to contribute, follow the QR code.

Towns Ackerman

Susan Albert

Catherine Anninos

Lori Balaban

Timothy Bambury

Catherine Barnes

Julie Basic

Susan Battani

Jennifer Beachley

Mayanna Bean

Denise Benson

Anne Bergamesca

Rebecca Berlin

Kim Biasiolli

Patrick Bird

Paddy Bowman

Paul Brewer

Claudia Murray

Brindle

Sumner Brown

Colette Brown

Jack Brown

Kate Buford

Cathleen Burgess

Carol Burger

Patricia Burkett

Michael Callahan

Linda and Pat Canzanelli-Dantona

Brian Carlton

Helen Cathro

Janelle Catlett

James Clark Jr.

Diane Cluck

Karen Collins

Lorraine Collins

Beth Croghan

Margaret Crone

Emily Currier

Maria-Eugenia

Dalton

Pam and Peter Dennison

Nancy Dettor

Martha Donnelly

Charlotte Drummond

Louise Dudley

Lee Elberson

Jane Elmore

Karen Emmitt

Ken Engebretson

Elizabeth Engle

Rosa Ellen English

Joe Ethier

Tom & Anna Ferrell

M. Fife

Lavonne Fitts

Kevin Foley

Barbara Fornoff

Joan Forrest

Georgia Garrett

Gerald Giammatteo

David and Janna Gies

Stephanie Goodwin

Trice Gravatte

Andrew Greeley

Jennifer Grover

Cara Hall

Kendra Hall

Jeremy HarrisMcDonnell

Madeleine Hawks

Ann Marie Haynes

Mary Haynes

Chris Hellings

Stephen Herrick

John Heyser

JoAnn Hofheimer

Lisa Hogan

Laura Horn

Christina Horton

Robert Inlow

Deb Jackson

Garth Jensen

Nina Johnston

Nicole Jones

Diane Jones

Janet Jospe

Brian Kelly

Trish Kenney

Tom Kirk

Kathryn Kluge

Julie Lacy

Marcia Langsam

Jacalyn LaPierre

Aaron Lawrence

Eric and Diane

Lawson

Elizabeth Lawson

Frances Lee-Vandell

Sean Libberton

Angeline Lillard

Peppy Linden

Jessica Lino

D. Little

Phillip Long

Rob Lynch

Catherine Maguire

Greg Mallard

Jeff Martin

Erin Mayer

Kieran Mcdowell

Mary McIntyre

Gretchen McKee

Ruth McWilliams

James Mernin

Nicolas Mestre

Tim Michel

Parthy Monagan

Vic Monti

Hilary Moorman

Michael Morency

Harold E. Morgan

Michael Moriarty

Catherine Moynihan

Jim Mummery

Karen Myers

Monica Newby

Sandy Newhouse

Kathy O’Connell

Dennis O’Connor

Diane Ober

Cynthia Van Osch

Annette Osso

Laila Ouhamou

Annette Owens

Timothy Palmer

Joe Peacock

Elizabeth Perdue

Joann Peters

James Peterson

Damon Pettitt

Elayne Phillips

Robin Powell

Anne Price

Ernest Pugh

Harry Purkey

Leslie Quenichet

Frances Racette

T. Radsky

Scott Ransom

Sarah Ratcliffe

Stots Reele

Marjorie Rein

Cindy Richards

Kevin Richardson

David Robinson

Julia Rubarth

Carol Gilbert Sacks

Audrey Sarate

Joan Schatzman

Sandra Schmidt

Eric Schultz

Karen Schuyler

James Seitz

Elaine Shaw

Chuck Shelton

Paul Shettel

John Smith

Kristina Smith

Meredith Smoot

Mickey Speck

Maria Spence

Jim Spencer

David Stackhouse

Rod Stoner

Robert Strickland

Nichole Taylor

William Terrell

Emily Thiede

Reid Thompson

Prue Thorner

John Titus

Jessica Tobin

Erica Toy

Rose Trapnell

Jill Trischman-Marks

Susan Uland

Rick Vergot

Christina Walker

Steven Ward

David Waters

Chris Waugaman

Phoebe Weseley

Kelly West

Gary and Anne Westmoreland

Jay Wildermann

Marcia Wilds

Andrew Wolf

Natalie Yancey

Suzanne Yeaman

Nura Yingling

Kelly Zalewski

Kathleen Zenker

SCULPT TO RESULTS

THIS ISSUE

Center stage

32 Stages: Deafheaven at the Jeff.

33 Pages: Chet’la Sebree’s poems deal with chronic illness.

35 Extra: BRIMS turns 25.

37 Extra:

TORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Caite Hamilton editor@c-ville.com

ART DIRECTOR max@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR tami@c-ville.com

NEWS REPORTER reporter@c-ville.com

NEWS CONTRIBUTOR

ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR arts@c-ville.com

Susan Sorensen

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Claudia Gohn, Mary Jane Gore, Maeve Hayden, Andrew Hollins, Erika Howsare, Matt Jones, Sarah Lawson, Kristin O’Donoghue, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Paul Ting

Big Picture Clarification Last week’s “The price of a public square” (p. 9) should have said the city’s July 2025 vacancy report listed empty spaces at that time. It did not reflect downtown spots that are currently vacant.

ADVERTISING

advertising@c-ville.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES Bianca Johnson bianca@c-ville.com

REAL ESTATE & CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT MANAGER

Brian Hrozencik brian@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Stephanie Vogtman-Say stephanie@c-ville.com

Jacob Phillips jacob@c-ville.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tracy Federico designer@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 HOLDINGS, LLC

Bill Chapman, Blair Kelly

CELEBRATING THE 6TH ANNUAL CARING FOR COMMUNITY AWARDS AND THE 2025 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

At this year’s Day of Caring Kickoff Breakfast, United Way of Greater Charlottesville announced the 2025 Volunteer of the Year and the recipients of the 6 Annual Caring for Community Awards. These awards are based on public nominations and are determined based on voting by local community members. Each recipient represents an individual or organization who has gone above and beyond to serve our community and help others. Honorees demonstrate exceptional compassion, empathy, and service.

th Please join us in congratulating all who have been recognized!

2025 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

We are pleased to announce Carolyn Rathbun George, a longtime volunteer at the Emergency Food Network, as the 2025 Volunteer of the Year! The Volunteer of the Year Award is special because nominees must be personally recommended by a local nonprofit. This year, Emergency Food Network wanted to recognize Carolyn for her “phenomenal level of commitment to one of our most important, timeconsuming and challenging volunteer positions... and she does it all while treating visitors with the utmost dignity and respect.”

For over a decade, Carolyn has served as Emergency Food Network’s “Distribution Chair” on their Board in addition to training and supervising all food distribution volunteers. She ensures all shifts are covered and keeps track of how much food if leftover, which informs the next day’s order. Additionally, she always helps with special events: ”Carolyn is there with a smile.”

ABOVE AND BEYOND COMMUNITY ADVOCATE

AMY LONG INTERNATIONAL NEIGHBORS

ABOVE AND BEYOND VOICE FOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

SHANIECE BRADFORD

READYKIDS & SHANIECE BE

ABOVE AND BEYOND VOICE FOR EARLY EDUCATION

MARY JOHNSTON BURNLEY-MORAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ABOVE AND BEYOND VOICE FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

JANASHA BRADFORD MAHOGANY & FRIENDS

ABOVE AND BEYOND HEALTHCARE PROVIDER DR. PAUL WISMAN

PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATES JEFFERSON ST

ABOVE AND BEYOND NONPROFIT - TIE!

READYKIDS COME AS YOU ARE CVILLE

Carolyn spoke about the honor of being named as this year’s Volunteer of the Year: “I have to say that this was totally unexpected! This is really special and such an honor to be selected. The Emergency Food Network is such an important part of my life and it means so much that I can share this with such an incredible organization.”

Notably, this year’s Volunteer of the Year award is especially meaningful. With the support of Virginia Credit Union, the 2025 Volunteer of the Year award was accompanied by a $1,000 cash contribution, to be split evenly between this year’s volunteer winner and their nominating organization! As such, both Carolyn and Emergency Food network received $500 in celebration of their service and the positive impact they’ve both made on our community.

Thank you to the sponsors of this year’s Caring for Community Awards!

ABOVE AND BEYOND BUSINESS CHARLOTTESVILLE FAMILY MAGAZINE

ABOVE & BEYOND EMPLOYEE LAQUINN GILMORE THE HAVEN

ABOVE & BEYOND FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY OR GROUP LOVE IN THE NAME OF CHRIST CHARLOTTESVILLE/ALBEMARLE

Learn more about United Way of Greater Charlottesville at unitedwaycville.org or @unitedwaycville on all social channels.

The cost of abortion access is higher than ever for Blue Ridge Abortion Fund BY CATIE RATLIFF

NEWS HEALTH

In the three years since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision that ended federal abortion protections, the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund has spent more money than in the previous 33 years, combined.

Founded as a pickle-jar fundraiser by the local chapter of the National Organization for Women at the Albemarle County Fair in 1989, BRAF grew into a larger organization and established itself as an independent nonprofit in 2009.

BRAF is headquartered in Charlottesville, but its work extends beyond the Blue Ridge area. It’s one of roughly 76 abortion funds nationwide working to make sure that cost isn’t a barrier to abortion care.

“Immediately post-Dobbs, I noticed more and more people letting us know that, ‘Yes, I absolutely need the money to help pay for my abortion,’” says BRAF Executive Director April Greene. “More and more people were also sharing with us, ‘Oh, and by the way, I will be driving to you from out of state.’”

Greene started at BRAF as the nonprofit’s lead intake coordinator in 2021. Her work in reproductive care started more than 15 years ago in Georgia, where she struggled to access an abortion herself as a freshman in college. After graduating, she started an abortion fund that operated for almost a decade and provided financial and practical assistance obtaining reproductive care throughout the southeast.

Since the Dobbs decision, BRAF has become a key resource for people living in states with heavy restrictions on abortion— including Greene’s home state.

“Virginia is sort of holding the line in the South for abortion access,” she says. “People from Georgia, from communities that I’ve lived in and have been a part of, are now looking to Virginia for care and support … it’s been really, really wild to see that.”

Roughly 25 percent of the nonprofit’s clients now come from out of state, compared to less than 15 percent pre-Dobbs. But costs are up across the board.

For Virginians, medication abortion prescribed via telehealth is often the most affordable option available at approximately $150 to $200 for an appointment. In-clinic visits quickly rack up costs, with the price of a basic appointment starting at $500 to $600. Depending on the patient’s insurance, medication abortion prescriptions may not be covered, tacking on another $30 to $50.

These estimates do not include transportation or childcare expenses for the time-sensitive procedure. While Virginia law allows termination for any reason through 26 weeks

of pregnancy, the cost of abortion increases as the pregnancy progresses. Medication abortion is only prescribed through 10 weeks, and is only considered to be effective up to 11 weeks of pregnancy.

“When someone has to travel to Virginia for care … clinics are booking out those appointments, and so Virginians are having to wait longer for appointments sometimes,” says Greene. “People are still having to travel from southwest Virginia into Charlottesville or Richmond or Roanoke to get their appointments.”

IN BRIEF

All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)

Beyond the procedure itself, BRAF offers practical support, such as paying for travel and childcare. These costs are also a factor for Virginians seeking abortions, especially those in the southwest part of the state.

While there is an abortion clinic in Bristol, Virginia, it’s become “the primary access point for people coming from western Tennessee,” according to Greene. “That one clinic alone cannot hold all of the needs of an entire portion of the state.”

“We’re paying for travel for those folks too,” says Greene. “It’s just sort of, I think, compounded the barriers that already existed for people.”

Between in- and out-of-state clients, BRAF is currently supporting between 40 to 60 people seeking an abortion every week. The nonprofit’s weekly budget of $20,000 often isn’t enough.

“We really do want to help everyone who calls us every single week,” says Greene. “We are not going to judge someone’s worthiness to receive support from us based on why they are getting an abortion, or what’s going on for them that means that an abortion is the best choice.”

With the New River Abortion Access Fund, which focuses on abortion access in southwest Virginia, dissolving by June 2026, Greene says BRAF hopes to meet the needs of those who may have previously utilized NRAAF. The Charlottesville-based nonprofit is in near constant communication with other abortion funds across the commonwealth, and the entire country, to make sure those seeking an abortion can access one. Still, the core of BRAF’s budget comes from monthly donations.

“There are about 500 people who currently support Blue Ridge Abortion Fund every single month with donations ranging from $5 a month all the way up to $500 a month,” says Greene. “Those monthly donations—that reliable, sustainable support—right now is so critical because that tells us exactly what we can expect in terms of our entire budget.”

University of Virginia medical center names Teresa “Terrie” Edwards as its interim CEO and Mitchell Rosner CEO of UVA Health System. Two suspects in custody after shooting at tow truck driver in Albemarle County. Albemarle County Schools reports case of whooping cough at Mountain View Elementary. Virginia Department of Transportation earns overall winner and design-build grand prize at Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance Awards for bundle of six Albemarle County projects. Virginia Tourism Corporation reports visitors brought $1 billion to Charlottesville and Albemarle in 2024. UVA Director of Athletics Carla Williams cuts ribbon on Harrison Family Olympic Sports Center. In winning game against William & Mary on UVA Strong Day, the Cavaliers break singlegame yardage record from 1968. Botanical Garden of the Piedmont announces $10 million raised for planned project. Former Shenandoah Valley-based registrar tapped as interim registrar in Albemarle. Storm-damaged Fray Road reopens following repairs.

EDUCATION NEWS

Lining up

As of September 10, Virginians 18 years and older with at least one underlying condition, and everyone over 65 years old, can obtain a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription.

The statewide order comes as health officials grapple with regulations ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s September 18-19 meeting. The existing CDC schedule utilizes last year’s formulation for the COVID-19 vaccine, creating confusion around the newly released doses, which are designed to better protect against strains likely to circulate this year.

“We realize this has been top of mind for many Virginians in the past several days,” said Virginia State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton. “We are resolved to increase access to the updated formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible Virginians.”

The Virginia Department of Health “encourages” those 18 to 64 years old without an underlying condition, and everyone under 18, “to speak with their healthcare provider regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.” Qualifying health conditions include, but are not limited to, asthma, cancer, heart conditions, lung disease, mental health conditions, obesity, and smoking. Catie Ratliff

Top marks

Five projects across Albemarle County and Charlottesville City schools were awarded a total of $11,395 by the Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence in Public Education on September 10. The benefits span elementary to high school classrooms, and subjects from physics to visual arts to literature.

The largest award, $4,927, was given to Charlottesville High School’s art department for a three-dimensional design program exploring pottery and sculpture. CR

Common Grounds

UVA approves Oak Lawn lease for city schools BY SEAN TUBBS

Anew chapter is about to begin for a historic Fifeville property that for many years served as the home of two city mayors.

The University of Virginia Board of Visitors has agreed to lease the 5.2-acre Oak Lawn property to Charlottesville City Schools for $1 annually, with an option to “hand over ownership,” according to UVA Today.

“We are excited to see the future of this historical landmark being developed by the city in a way that truly benefits one of its most vibrant neighborhoods,” said J.J. Davis, UVA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a statement following the BOV vote.

Both city schools and UVA sought to take over the 14.5-acre Federal Executive Institute when it was closed at the start of the Trump administration, and UVA eventually won out.

“They were disappointed in not getting this facility, but I think we found a wonderful

win-win in working with the board and the leadership at UVA,” Davis told the Buildings and Grounds Committee on September 11.

Under the terms of the lease, Charlottesville City Schools must preserve the house, which was built in 1822 and designed by James Dinsmore, a builder who also contributed to the construction of Monticello and early buildings at UVA.

The university purchased the property in October 2023 for $3.5 million from Nancy O’Brien, the first woman to serve as mayor of Charlottesville. She’s the widow of Francis Fife, who served as the city’s mayor from 1972 to 1974. O’Brien became mayor in 1976.

A planning study published this past summer recommended construction of a childcare facility with capacity of up to 234 children to be run by UVA Health.

“Given the many financial priorities of the Medical Center and the fact that we

are aware that Charlottesville City Schools need additional property within the city to offer additional services to their students, and given the adjacency of Oak Lawn to existing city school property, the university proposes a long-term lease with an option to transfer ownership of the property to the city,” said UVA Architect Alice Raucher.

UVA currently operates four childcare centers through Bright Horizons.

“Looking ahead, UVA continues to explore additional opportunities to expand childcare and increase capacity,” said Bethanie Glover, deputy spokesperson for UVA.

Oak Lawn is adjacent to Charlottesville Middle School, and the school system will explore the possibility of using the space to operate some of the functions it had planned for the FEI site.

“We are thankful that our ongoing conversations with UVA have produced an opportunity to collaborate on using the Oak Lawn property to meet a critical community need,” said Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders in a release. “Our priority is to address the schools’ needs while recognizing there may be additional opportunities for community benefit.”

The Oak Lawn site is zoned Residential-C and city officials said that can allow for educational use without additional permits from Charlottesville’s Neighborhood Department Development Services department.

A block to the north, UVA also owns 2.73 acres on Roosevelt Brown Boulevard and Grove Street, which it purchased for $8.73 million. Community engagements were halted earlier this year to focus on Oak Lawn.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2025

✓ Judges’ Choice & Crowd Favorite Prizes

✓ Grand Prize Winner Receives a Grill!

✓ Surprise Challenge for Competitors

REAL ESTATE NEWS

More details

Concerns over traffic, density, and scope stall vote on major Albemarle rezoning

BY SEAN TUBBS

For decades, Albemarle County’s Comprehensive Plan has placed a portion of land near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Interstate 64 in the growth area.

Riverbend Development filed for a rezoning for the property in early 2022, and the Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 9.

“We do think that there are lots of reasons to support this rezoning,” said Ashley Davies, a vice president with Riverbend. “In a location adjacent to the city and UVA, there’s commercial and office space that can foster local employment opportunities and strengthen the county’s economic base.”

In total, the company wants to rezone 62 acres of land to the Neighborhood Model District, a category created in the early 2000s to encourage dense development in the county’s urban areas. Around a third of the land is zoned Highway Commercial and the rest is zoned Residential-1.

“Right now, the R1 property could yield anywhere from 43 to 68 dwelling units,” said Cameron Langille, a principal planner with the county. The land zoned Highway Commercial would need a special use permit and could have between 279 and 373 units.

Under the rezoning, Riverbend asked for a range of potential uses in order to be responsive to the residential and commercial market.

Commissioner Karen Firehock said she could support a rezoning at the site, but the potential range of uses was too vague.

“I don’t know if I’m voting for 100 units of housing or 1,200 units of housing,” said Firehock, who represents the Samuel Miller District. “I don’t know if I’m voting for 50,000 square feet of commercial or 440,000 square feet.”

Access to the site would be via two entrances onto U.S. 29, with one of them using the existing Gold Eagle Drive. The second entrance would be to the west and would include a traffic signal.

Riverbend would also construct an atgrade pedestrian crossing and upgrade an existing park-and-ride lot on Teal Lane, across from the development at the entrance to Sherwood Farms.

Several Sherwood Farms residents asked the Planning Commission to recommend denial, in part because existing conditions are not ideal.

“When I come home at 5:15 in the afternoon from UVA, there is a backup that backs up almost as far as Ivy Road,” said Reid Forbes.

Suzanne Fox lives further down on U.S. 29 and said she was concerned that approving this rezoning would mean that development would spread further into the rural area.

“If this starts, I can see it just hopping down 29,” Fox said.

Commissioner Julian Bivins said Albemarle County lacks land for development but this location is suitable.

“I’m supportive of the project because I think that it is in a location that will help sort of spread out some of the density that we’re having troubles with in other parts of the county,” Bivins said.

Commissioner Corey Clayborne also supported the project and said the second traffic signal might help improve conditions by slowing down the highway, while Commission Chair Fred Missel said he usually supports rezonings in the growth area but found this one to be more problematic.

“The traffic and the vehicular circulation is a major impact,” Missel said. “I’m not quite sure even with a signalized push button, how people are going to get across 29 with traffic moving at the pace that it’s moving.”

Davies asked for a deferral when it was clear there were not enough votes on the Planning Commission to recommend approval.

“We would be happy to come back with an updated plan that gives maybe a tighter range of uses to give you more comfortability, a more comfortable assessment of what we’re doing,”

The company will come back with a more detailed proposal at the December 16 meeting.

Annie Gould Gallery

Oct 4 & 5 | Oct 11 & 12 Noon to 5pm Daily

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760 BELVEDERE BLVD

villa in the centrally located Branchlands community with no age restrictions. Enjoy a convenient lifestyle just minutes from shopping, dining, UVA, and Downtown Charlottesville. The spacious, open-concept living and dining areas are perfect for relaxing or entertaining. The fully equipped kitchen offers ample cabinet and counter space. The oversized bedroom easily fits a king-sized bed and still provides room for a sitting area or home office. Two large walk-in closets offer great flexibility. The attached bathroom

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work, and access to community trails complete the package! The Belvedere is filled with sidewalks and parks toenjoy. The HOA includes Ting Fiber Internet! MLS# 668333 $865,000

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE ON DOWNTOWN MALL

11,920 SF on the 3rd & 4th floors in Historic former Hardware Store building on downtown mall

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Executive office over-looking the mall 4 restrooms, two kitchens, building is sprinklered

$18/SF modified gross lease - 3 year term

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SERENITY RIDGE RETREAT CENTER

SE PTEMBER 30TH–OCTOBER 5TH

Silen t Dzogchen Meditation Retreat w it h Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

O CTOBER 7TH–12TH W isdom, F aith & Science on th e Jo urney of Dying

E xplore insights with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, special guests Dr. Leslie Blackhall, Palliative Care, UVA School of Medicine and Fr. Francis Tiso, Diocese of Isernia-Venafro, Italy, and more from Western science, Christian faith and ancient Buddhist wisdom !

This retreat is open to everyone, whether you’re preparing for your own transition, supporting a loved one, or simply curious about the death and dying. process. Consider joining us for both of these special retreats to deepen your journey.

Please welcome...

For songwriters and musicians of all genres, going from the page to the stage can be intimidating. Participating in an open mic night is a natural first step in public performance for a fledgling musician, and for seasoned performers, it’s an opportunity to workshop new material and stay in practice.

Throughout the month of August, C-VILLE writers ventured out to Charlottesville-area open mics to listen and learn. We found talent, ambition, heartache, and hope under bright lights and in the lowestlit corners of the region’s music rooms. We heard songs about pets, skeletons, Kurt Cobain, King Kong, and space exploration, plus good covers, bad covers, things you can’t discuss at the dinner table (politics, God, and blue balls), and many, many tropes guided by the muse of love lost and found.

If you are flirting with the idea of getting out there, or care to know what’s on the minds of your neighbors, the age-old tradition of song-sharing offers an IRL human connection that we could all use more of.

C-VILLE toured the open-mic circuit and here’s what we heard

BY TAMI KEAVENY, ELLA POWELL, AND CM TURNER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRISTAN WILLIAMS

Compare tats and buy a round

Holly’s Diner

Every Wednesday, 9pm

Hosted by Nicole Giordano facebook.com/hollysdinercville

Holly’s is a charming diner with personal photos embellishing the space, red booths lining the walls, and ketchup bottles manning the tables. Tight-knit regulars welcomed newcomers as the audience grew to around 40 folks, a supportive group of mostly musicians and their friends pumping each other up. Heads turned to the stage as host Nicole Giordano’s bluesy vocals and acoustic guitar filled the room with an inviting Southern twang.

While most of the acts relied on the trusty acoustic guitar, we saw a range of performances like Brady’s slower, intimate melancholic tune and Rodney’s tribute to ’90s grunge icons, Nirvana.

Sid Blake played an original “Psychic Manifesto” with smiley energy, declaring, “These are my friends!” and Luke applied his keyboard to some classic covers of Billy Joel and Sir Elton.

Chaz worked out his original track, “Right My Wrongs,” over a prerecorded beat. “Heart beating like a drum / but my soul can’t stop.”

After some pauses, and a restart, the crowd urged him along and he championed to the

end. Giordano shouted in support: “It’s open mic, you can do whatever the eff you want!”

Andrew, who returned to Holly’s after an absence noted by the host, performed with deep voice and strong instrumentation. The other musicians in the room showed approval with heavy applause.

A few folks shifted around their slots for Holly’s first-timer Anya Movius. A polished performer with clear, strong vocals, evocative lyrics, and solid songwriting, she paid homage to her hometown of Charlottesville with a sweet original that captured the essence of the city and the attention of the audience.

How to: Sign-up is free and open to all. Performers are limited to two songs, but several played more. Show up early if you wanna get out before the midnight end time.

Vibe: Cozy dive bar with an eccentric energy, dimly lit with neon signs and regular customers rumbling with chatter from start to finish.

Eats: Southern fare made in-house and cooked with love. Full bar offerings. The fried green tomatoes are a classic, and you can’t miss with $4 PBR all day, every day.

Cured hams and slow jams

The Batesville Market Second Thursday of each month, 7pm Hosted by Jordan Redifer and Mark Douglas batesvillemarket.com

It was an evening of mostly guitar-playing singer-songwriters, starting with melodic traditionals from Rory, who was accompanied by violin. An eclectic list of cover songs included a Tom Petty hit from Randy, and Watchhouse and Tyler Childers tunes by Ava. Micah Goska wowed with instrumental dexterity before Turtle Zwadlo sat down to pay an acoustic homage to Ozzy Osbourne with a mellowed,

passionate cover of “I Want You” from the late bat-biter’s 1995 album Ozzmosis

Michael McConkey’s strong voice and positivity spread smiles around the room, and Jeff Grosfeld applied his lo-fi ethos to two wry originals, one inspired by the “be all that you can be” Army recruiting campaign of the ’90s, followed by a song of vulnerability cloaked in a canine perspective titled “Fur Coat.”

The mid-August date kept the list small, and some musicians were called up for second and third rounds with the hosts filling airtime between. Douglas says the open-mic format can boost a performer’s confidence. “You come off the stage with butterflies and someone says, ‘That was so great,’ and it’s just the best feeling.”

How to: List opens around 6:30pm in the market. Two songs each, depending on the number of sign-ups.

Vibe: Country store complete with artisan crafts and rocking chairs. The audience is seated at tables, with plenty of standing room. Cracker Barrel wishes it had this cool authenticity.

Eats: Menu of housemade sandwiches and specials. Beer, wine, and cider on tap and canned. Order the cheesesteak. Chips come with the sandwich!

Ciders and toes on tap

Potter’s Craft Cider

Third Thursday of the month, 7pm Hosted by Erynn McLeod in partnership with The Front Porch potterscraftcider.com

Tables on the lawn filled early, so we tucked ourselves into a spot on the stone patio ringed by boxwood hedges. From there, we had a decent view of the performers and were a reasonable distance from the PA system.

Erynn McLeod introduced herself as the emcee of the evening, announcing her latest EP, Man of the House, released in late June.

The majority of musicians played within the traditional singer-songwriter vein, strumming their acoustic guitars occasionally supported by harmonica (Ar Lewi, Rich Cohen).

Ruby Corbyn-Ross, a talented lyricist, drew inspiration from her mother’s poem, “The Umbilical Thread,” to write a rhythmically sound and interesting song.

Occasionally, the audience stirred due to sheer amusement, like when Ron Ayer sang about “chilling with God,” using his mouth as a trombone so skillfully one could be convinced there was a full-blown brass instrument on stage.

Unfortunately, the passing of a train and the proximity of the tracks to the outdoor

stage drowned out a few of the evening’s most promising acts, including Micah Goska’s intricate fingerwork and David LePage’s indie rock original.

On the earthy, relaxing side, harpist Vicky Lee entranced the crowd with her “Ancient Tune.” Chris Andrews brought a strong stage presence with his Americana, which featured a little vocal fry and competent guitar-playing with fun progressions.

Ben Eppard stood out with a song about Jenny, a young artist trying to make it on the Nashville scene: “At times she thinks it’s all a mistake / so she shakes the eightball like she’s strangling it / reply hazy.”

Leandra Simone’s coffeehouse-folk vibe came complete with soft acoustic stylings and a clear, broad range. Grayson—one of the strongest performers of the night—inhabited the stage with a physicality that helped draw the audience in.

It was exciting to see Chaz (pictured left) play the same song we’d heard at Holly’s— his confidence and competence with his material had advanced considerably, and he was rewarded with two rounds of applause at Potter’s.

McLeod squeezed in “Skeleton,” a song from her EP, at the end of the evening, prompting people to record and sway along to the jam.

How to: Sign up in person beginning at 6:30pm. Slots are numbered 1 through 20 and performers can select a specific spot. One original song per performer, with an “early bird special” extra song for playing first. The list fills up fast.

Vibe: Elevated-rustic tasting room with ample outdoor seating. A raised entryway landing serves as the outdoor stage, and in cooler weather another stage sits at the far end of an open-concept space filled with long wooden tables. The audience of returning patrons and performers are active listeners, honoring participants with pin-drop quiet during each song.

Eats: A small menu of cidery/vineyardtype fare including charcuterie and sandwiches, with vegetarian and GF options. No PBR. Take advantage of $15 carafes on Thursdays!

Greetings from your punk-rock cousin

The Southern Café & Music Hall Sundays, 5:30pm (followed by karaoke) Hosted by ASTRSK* thesoutherncville.com

The subterranean scene at the Southern makes for a moody and intimate experience with more of an “anything goes” attitude than other venues on our beat. It’s a scene that supports experimentation and showcases a wide range of styles, from Tim Trotterr’s (aka the Dreadful Local) a cappella excerpt from his upcoming King Kong the Musical, to the gorgeous voice and lovelorn lyrics of Sally Flynn.

Multi-instrumentalist Hunter Bruton, from The Falsies, performed on guitar and keyboard in an extended set featuring spacerock-opera vibes and a vocal range topped by a towering falsetto to back it up.

He’s a polished musician with a sense for the theatrical, pausing to ask the audience if everyone was okay with profanity, then belting a chorus with heartfelt intensity: “At

the risk of getting blue balls / I don’t think the time is right. / Are we gonna do this tonight?” The solo member of Dark Matter, Bruton is actively recruiting more members while working on his second album of spaceinspired sonic pioneering, boldly going where no Charlottesville rocker has gone before.

Nitrogen Bass, a young punk-rock duo of sisters on guitar and drums, played a fun original about hoping for an alien abduction because everything sucks here, and another about ownership rights for a female skeleton named George (“Who owns these bones?”). Their raw energy and authentic, alternative outlook while playing in the Riot Grrrl sandbox of politics and sound restored some hope in the future.

The open-mic portion of the evening concluded when Lex stepped out from behind the bar and took us on a spiritual ride, guided by her guitar chops and soulful poetry, assuring that the “key is within” and we are never alone.

How to: Sign up online in advance or on paper at the venue. Two songs or 10 minutes per slot, with an extended 25-minute set for the week’s featured artist. All ages welcome.

Vibe: Rock venue bar with a few tables set up toward the back and rows of chairs arranged in front of the floor-level. Performance area is a curtained-off section of the café.

Eats: A full menu featuring solid snacks, pizzas, sandwiches, and a few sweets. A full bar. PBR pounders.

Do your homework and come to play

The Local Mondays, 9pm

Hosted by Michael Clem and Brian Franke facebook.com/thelocalopenmic

The Local has a rustic vibe with brick walls and a large window that musicians perform in front of. The restaurant was full upon arrival, but after a short wait we secured a table toward the front edge of the stage.

Here you’ll find more polished performers with stage experience. The professionalism of the backing band adds full sound, keeping the energy high and the crowd engaged even as conversations continue. Host Clem is a pro, playing to the crowd in between acts while keeping performers informed of who’s on deck and who’s in the hole.

The prompt of the week, provided by Paxton Henderson, was “housekeeping.” As

with every other venue we visited, this scene has its own distinct community built by its hosts and regulars.

Charlottesville music staple Susan Munson took full command of the room, playing a rootsy, empowered tune that showcased her expressive voice, declaring, “My house is clean.”

The room loosened up when Jim Bingler stepped on stage with his fun honky-tonk number, showing great chemistry with the band and audience. Jim Funk confessed to the crowd that he brought not a love song, but a hate song, singing, “I wish I could’ve written you a love song / I wish I could’ve seen what was coming.”

Henderson, fresh from the Potter’s open mic, cranked out a list of his woes—boss, mom, president, the world, Cobain, and Bourdain—backed by excellent guitar work.

A song that came to him in the middle

of the night had Neal Goodloe doing some “Emotional Housekeeping” with the crowd as witness.

David Wade, frontman for the authentic central Virginia bluegrass band David Wade & Black Mountain, played during the solo set, channeling nostalgic Americana through a strong, rich voice.

Jim Richardson sang to his younger self, advising, “Free your mind / leave your broken promises behind.”

Max shared a tune that’s been simmering in his backlog, recounting a struggle to break free from bad habits. His solo guitar-playing was extraordinary, with great depth, catchy melodies, and the additional percussive element of a maraca.

Bring your best to The Local, and don’t be afraid to share that story in your head. Although the community is tight-knit, it’s receptive to the real stuff—your truth.

How to: One song per performer. The first part of the evening features a backing band with Brian Franke on guitar, Michael Clem on bass, and drummer Justin Storer before solo performances begin. A weekly prompt is provided, but performers don’t have to stick to it.

Vibe: Cozy, bright Belmont eatery where the dinner crowd sticks around for the show.

Eats: Full bar with craft cocktails. $5 PBR. Dinner ends as the open mic begins.

CULTURE

MONDAY 9/22

HOLLER BACK

Appalachian folk hero Tyler Childers returns with his neotraditional blend of country, bluegrass, folk, and honky-tonk. The Kentucky-born singer-songwriter has earned several Grammy Award nominations over six albums. On his seventh, Snipe Hunter, Childers rocks out, dabbles in ragtime, and connects with his interest in Hinduism. Ticket sales benefit Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund, as well as REVERB’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts of the live music industry. Prices vary, 7:30pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com

ROCK CLIMBER & CHESS PLAYER & RETIREE

STAGES CULTURE

MICO with Vaultboy

Here’s a failed movie pitch:

A 1980s-era top 40 solo artist of some success finds his way into a time machine and emerges in 2025 with the songwriting and production knowledge of all the years he missed in between. Yet in spite of that new understanding, he stays comforted by the tastes that defined his native time.

No, you probably wouldn’t see that stupid movie, and I wouldn’t either. Though the premise is a decent roundabout explanation for what’s going on with MICO. The music from this 22-year-old digital phenom whose career is on the upswing—and with good reason—is staunchly pop at its core, tempered with the kind of last-century arrangements that, were it not for some contemporary synth work and razorsharp editing, would sound like the most futuristic single to come from Irene Cara or Corey Hart in 1983.

When was the last time you heard a musical artist under 25 whose full-length collection is built around guitar chords with programmed, danceable drums

and steers clear of any rapping?

MICO is lighter on the curse words than many of his contemporaries while leaning heavy on the relationship-centered lyrics. That’s a recipe that comes from another time, if not from another place. And it’s not an Ed Sheeran-acoustic deal by any stretch—we’re talking about pop music just like the 1979 song by M told us to do (look it up).

Jefferson Theater September 18

MICO’s wordsmithing is firmly in this decade though, plunging headfirst into our phone-focused lives and the perilous trappings that come with tech shaping our relationships with our friends and ourselves. So while you’ll get titles such as “glhf<3” (which stands for “Good Luck Have Fun”) and lines from “Idontwannaknowyou!” like “You need the validation / every time your phone is buzzing / gets you feeling like you made it / no, not a single conversation / without a f**ked up flex or self-celebration”—things that are seriously current concerns, you also get an occasional guitar solo. Just like it’s 1983.—CM Gorey

THURSDAY 9/18

STAGE HEIGHTS

Charlottesville Opera celebrates the timeless works of Rodgers and Hammerstein with Oh, What a Beautiful, Enchanted, Impossible Evening. Featuring performers James Robinson, Nicola Santoro, Kristen Marie Gillis, Andrew Payne, and piano by Jeremy Thompson, the show weaves selections from the golden age of musical theater with the opera company’s history of performing favorites such as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “If I Loved You,” and “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top.” $12.50–54.50, 7:30pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. charlottesvilleopera.org

Wednesday 9/17

music

Beleza Duo. An evening of funkalicious samba soul—music that moves you from the inside out— with Madeline Holly-Sales on vocals and keys and Berto Sales on guitar, voice, and loops. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Deafheaven. Wrapping heavy human emotions in some of the most beautiful, dynamic metal music you’ll ever hear. With Harm’s Way and I Promised the World. $36, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Kendra Morris. An NYC-based soul artist combines rough-hewn powerhouse vocals with vibrant and varied arrangements. With Virg. $14–20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.

The Wavelength. Vintage rock, blues, and originals. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com

dance

Modern Western Square Dance Class. A square dance class with music and a live caller. No experience necessary, and no partner needed. Come solo or bring friends. Free, 7pm. Woodbrook Elementary School, 100 Woodbrook Dr. Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teaching the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed. Stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com

classes

Paint + Sip: Sunset Pines. Paint the design in a step-by-step format, no experience necessary. All materials and first beverage included with ticket purchase. $40, 6pm. Starr Hill Brewery Tap Room, 5391 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. blueridgebrushes.com etc.

Dürty Karaoke. Dive bar karaoke for your hump days. Free, 8:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

Fund the Fight: Board Game Night. Come hang out, play board games, and support the New River Abortion Access Fund. Free, 6pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Not Bored Games. Play new and familiar games, eat snacks, and make new friends. For ages 11–18. Free, 5pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

Rapture Karaoke. The longest-running karaoke event in town. Hosted by Jenn DeVille. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Thursday 9/18 music

Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Betty Jo’s. Boogie-woogie takes on classics, with a full horn section, groovy rhythm, shredding guitars, washboards, and the queen of boogie, Betty Jo. Free, 8pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

MICO. In a digital era where everyone wants overnight success, this alt-pop rising artist showcases that great music and consistency can win the race. $30–32, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

CULTURE STAGES

Deafheaven with Harm’s Way and I Promised The World

Reverberating walls of guitars, manic drumming, screeching vocals, and ponderous lyrics with obfuscated motives give a sense of Bay Area-bred Deafheaven’s typical touchstones. Beyond those descriptors, the band has expanded its repertoire of sounds and arrangements to provide a freshness that demonstrates growth without abandoning its roots.

The latest release, Lonely People with Power (2025), develops in strains similar to previous works while yielding unexpected moments.

Tracks like “The Garden Route,” “Heathen,” “Amethyst,” and “Incidental II” emerge with a multiplicity that works subtlety into the layers of notes, pumping atmospherics, and occasional respites from the characteristic screaming of founding vocalist George Clarke—there are passages of soft singing and speaking. The impressive near-clamor from drummer Daniel Tracy continues in his self-created tradition of wailing away. But here, Tracy tamps his aggression with speedy and delicate flourishes to give Deafheaven a musicality that arrives on new

ground that is no less obvious, expected, or thematically clear.

Songs climax and dissipate into hazy near silences, chunking up from heavy metal riffing and springing away to pretty melodic arpeggios, sometimes making the quaint term of blackgaze (marrying black metal and shoegaze styles) even more on the nose. Deafhaven doesn’t stray from longer tracks, with most clocking in at over five minutes, and a few ticking seven or eight. The extended attention span never comes at the expense of being interesting. It’s a true feat in the realm of rock where the ponderous and the progressive can quickly become a monotonous pretension that grates nerves and causes people to feel like they just don’t get it. Not here.

The Jefferson Theater September 17

Seemingly content to live in the now, the tour has been drawing heavily from Deafheaven’s most recent record, with nods to older successes like the title track from 2013’s Sunbather. It’s conceivable that to take in a set from Deafheaven is akin to attending an extended soundbath: immersive, moving, and a slightly out-of-body experience.—CM Gorey

Rea Visiting Writer: Jonathan Lethem. Acclaimed novelist and nonfiction writer discusses his career and works. Free, 6pm. Newcomb Hall Ballroom, Newcomb Hall.virginia.edu

Zines Now! Keynote Lecture. Margaret Galvan delivers the lecture “There Truly Was a Queer Zine Explosion: How Cartoonists Made Zines and Built Community in the 1990s.” Free, 6:30pm. Campbell Hall, Room 160, 110 Bayly Dr. cal.lib.virginia.edu

classes

Paint + Sip: Colorful Country Road. Paint, sip, snack, repeat. Paint the design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials provided. $36, 6pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. blueridgebrushes.com

Tots & Dots. A visual literacy program for children ages six-months to four-years engages early learners in looking at and talking about art, followed by a fun hands-on activity. Registration required. Free, 10am. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA, 400 Worrell Dr. kluge-ruhe.org

etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews. Players get $1-off pints at each brewery. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

FIREFLY Karaoke. KaraFun has an extensive collection of songs across multiple genres to get everyone singing. Free, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Friday 9/19

music

Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: Concert V. A devilish concert with a French twist. $22–30, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. cvillechambermusic.org

Chickenhead Blues. A sunset soirée with Charlottesville’s premier boogie-woogie, upbeat, rhythm and blues dance band. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

CSharp. A trio featuring wonderful musicians including Liz Barnes and Mitch Sams. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Echo Chamber: EDM + Open Deck Night. DJs of all levels are invited to jump in and throw down their best sets. Then, headliners Brielle and EDM.D. bring heavy grooves and high-energy cuts until close. Ages 21+. $13–17, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

The Wavlength. A trio performance with Andre, Larry, and Wave performing original tunes and covers. Free, 4:30pm. Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm, 4593 Clark Rd., Crozet. fallentreevineyard.com

stage

Romeo & Juliet Shakespeare’s most iconic story of young love—reckless, tender, and all-consuming. $41–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

words

Author Event: Chet’la Sebree. Sebree reads from her new poetry collection, Blue Opening A conversation with writer Kiki Petrosino follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com

Sports Analytics Meets Instinct: A Fireside Chat with Rick Carlisle. Carlisle, head coach of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, explores the balance between data-driven insights and instinctive decisionmaking in sports. Free, 11am. UVA School of Data Science, 1919 Ivy Rd. datascience.virginia.edu etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, September 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Trivia with Olivia. Get the weekend started with beers and trivia. Free, 6pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superflybrewing.com

Saturday 9/20

music

Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival Free Family-Friendly Concert. A special treat for the young and young at heart, featuring Camille SaintSaëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” and Alan Ridout’s charming “Ferdinand the Bull.” Free, 2pm. The Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center at Piedmont Virginia Community College, 501 College Dr. cvillechambermusic.org

Dilas Que No Me Maten (MX). An experimental, psychodelic, post-punk, Krautrock group originating and currently based in Mexico City. Free, 8pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superflybrewing.com

Erin & The Wildfire. Blending the expressive, powerhouse vocals of frontwoman Erin Lunsford with the pop, funk, and indie sensibilities of bandmates Ryan Lipps, Nick Quillen, and Matt Wood. With Theocles. $15–18, 5pm. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. frontporchcville.org

Oh, What a Beautiful, Enchanted, Impossible Evening. Part musical celebration, part nostalgic reflection, this evening honors Rodgers and Hammerstein’s enduring legacy and the community of artists and audiences who have cherished these works. $12–54, 7:30pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. charlottesvilleopera.org

Shed Bugs x XOAP. Conceived in a shed in Asheville, North Carolina, the Shed Bugs create a sonic blend of blues, funk, and psychedelic rock. Alternative rock band XOAP draw influence from bands such as DEVO, XTC, and WEEN. Free, 7pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superfly brewing.com

Songwriter’s Open Mic. Calling all songwriters: This is a space for all levels, styles, and ages. One original song per performer. Amps and mics provided. Free, 7pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Vinyl DJ Ryan Wood. DJ Ryan Wood of Kendall Street Company spins tracks on wax. Free, 4pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

stage

The Two Gentlemen of Verona Experience Shakespeare at his most playful, where friendship tangles with romance and characters stumble through the beautiful, messy chaos of growing up. $35–70, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com words

Artists in Conversation: Andrew Sherogan + Stephen Haske. Gain insight into Sherogan’s creative process, the symbolic meaning behind his imagined landscapes, and how his work reflects themes of meditation and the human experience through nature. Free, 5:30pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.org

Jesse’s House. A rotating crew of master soundsmiths, led by Jesse Fiske. Free, 7pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

John Craigie. Craigie rallies a closeness around music anchored by his expressive and stirring songcraft, emotionally charged vocals, lively soundscapes, and uncontainable spirit. $38–57, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Ken Farmer & The Authenticators. A priceless night of rocking good fun. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Mike Burris Band. Country-tinged roots rock with a nod to Texas blues and a good pop hook. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Pat Anderson. A roots rocker with a strong affinity for Dylan, Springsteen, and Petty. Free, 5pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Heidi Riddell. A singer-songwriter saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Her Checkered Past. Anne O’Brien and Frank Bechter cover popular songs by the hearth to warm your heart. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Jake Kohn x Low Water Bridge Band. Kohn is a young singer-songwriter on a clear path to stardom. Low Water Bridge Band brings romping, stomping, country-grass Americana that ain’t for the faint of heart. $19–26, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Night Teacher x Thomas Gunn. Local musicians perform as a duo, playing each other’s original songs and relevant covers. Free, 6pm. Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Rae the Band. A four-piece band of friends from a range of sonic backgrounds joining together to play music from their hearts to reach your soul. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net

Soul Shakers. Classic R&B, southern soul, and Motown music. Free, noon. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com

The Michael Elswick Gathering. Jazz, blues, ballads, and Latin tunes. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

The Wavelength. Vintage rock, blues, and original tunes. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

The Zip. Blending rich local traditions with fresh, dynamic rhythms to bring people together through the power of music. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Troy Breslow. A country music artist from Hampton Roads, recognized in 2018 as Country Artist of the Year in Norfolk. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

dance

SOS: The Recession Pop Party. Top tier DJs help you put the world on pause with all the bangers, anthems, and singalongs to keep your body moving and the vibes high all night long. Ages 18+. $20–24, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com stage

Romeo & Juliet See listing for Friday, September 19. $41–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

The Two Gentlemen of Verona. See listing for Thursday, September 18. $45–80, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

words

Author Event: Gbenga Adesina. Gbenga Adesina reads from his debut poetry collection, Death Does Not End at the Sea. A conversation with Spanish language poet Fernando Valverde follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com

Storytime. Featuring readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com

classes

Expressive Painting: Autumn Botanicals in Watercolor. Celebrate the changing of the seasons by creating a loose, intuitive watercolor and ink painting of autumn botanicals. Beginner-friendly, ages 15+. $35, 1pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

Mending Workshop. Learn simple clothing repair techniques such as fixing a hem, sewing on a button, repairing split seams, patching holes, and replacing elastic. Ages 15+. $20, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com etc.

13th Annual Fall into Fun Festival. Fall-themed entertainment to keep the good times rolling. Free, all day. Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd., Crozet. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Annual Central Virginia Star Party. View spectacular astronomical objects through telescopes and learn about the solar system, the night sky, galaxies, and the universe with fun hands-on activities. Free, 6pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Author Signing Event. Meet bestselling author Richmond Scott, signing his sci-fi satire about humanity’s wild dash to the red planet, Tripping Toward Mars: A Deep Space Love Odyssey. Free, 2pm. Barnes & Noble, Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1035 Emmet St. N. stores.barnesandnoble.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

PAGES CULTURE

Health and care

Writer Chet’la Sebree on poetry and chronic illness

BY SARAH LAWSON

Chet’la Sebree is the author of Blue Opening, a poetry collection published earlier this month, as well as Field Study, winner of the 2020 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets, and other work. She is an assistant professor at George Washington University and teaches in Randolph College’s low-residency MFA program. She spoke to C-VILLE about her new book, its themes of chronic illness and the body, and what it’s like to care for self and others in this moment.

C-VILLE: A major theme in the book is illness and I’m hoping you can talk about the process of writing about your own health. How did it feel putting words to that?

Chet’la Sebree: When I was writing these poems, I thought I was processing my own things and I didn’t know if these were going to be poems that I’d share with the world. But it became increasingly important for me as I was negotiating all of the threads of the manuscript. I’m talking about a lot of origins and where things begin in illness. … It felt liberating to no longer pretend I don’t have invisible disabilities. But it was a challenge. As I started to think of them as poems that would live in the world, I felt like they were for other people to feel less alone and be more present in themselves as well.

Was there any particular poem or theme that was especially challenging?

The newest poem in the book is “Five Facts About Lupus,” and I think I wanted to write a poem about lupus but wasn’t really sure where to start. There’s a poem by Shara McCallum called, “Ten Things You Might Like to Know About Madwoman,” and I was like, “Oh, this is a way in which the madwoman is talking about herself but also not talking about herself. So, if I try to come up with five facts about lupus that aren’t really about lupus, how can I engage with it?” It was a difficult poem to conceptualize but that framework made it a little easier to access.

Thinking about the place of your book in our current public health ecosystem, where infrastructure is actively being dismantled, I’m curious how you hope your work is received?

“Screw the system” is the politest way I can say that. I’ve been frustrated with the state of health care here in the United States. As a chronically ill Black woman, I feel that the system is not here to serve me. I guess maybe I’m thinking about the other people who find themselves in similar circumstances … I hope that they can read this book and …

feel a bit supported, a bit buoyed. But also, there’s a way in which people have actively said to me, unprompted, “You just seem like the peak of healthiness.” That’s always so hard to hear. I hope that people in the medical industry, insurance companies, or public health officials who don’t necessarily believe the realities of what it is to live in a body, see more clearly how some of us negotiate the world.

Describe how you decided what to name the book.

I went back and forth for a really long time. Blue Opening … comes from a poem [in the book] where someone is jumping off of a cliff into water and it’s about that moment when your body hits the water and you’re both in the air and in the water. The last line is, “...cold slap of blue opening as the invisible spits me out.” And it felt like the book was about being in that liminal space where the water opens beneath you.

Your next book is prose. Describe how your process is different when writing essays.

I started writing essays in response to George Floyd’s murder. At the time, I was working on Field Study, which blurs the line between poetry and nonfiction, but it was

talking about a Black woman and the fallout from her relationship with a white man. I felt so frustrated in summer 2020 as I was editing and finalizing that book. … The essay started as a reconciliation for myself. The container of the poem is so beautiful in its capacity to be concise, but I wanted to say much more and I didn’t want to hold myself back and make myself small. Not to say that the poem is small, but I, as a queer Black woman writer, wanted to take up more space.

What does care look like for you these days?

I take a lot of baths. It’s a huge part of my care strategy. One, because my joints need it, and two, I love the ocean and big bodies of water. It really settles my spirit and I don’t live near a big body of water so I have to take a lot of baths to give myself the ocean vibes. It’s also about having to be intentional about taking time away from work. I’m a workaholic so it’s hard for me, but I’m trying to get better at it.

And in terms of my community, it’s really showing up and being present. I just feel like time is so precious and we spend so much of it working and doomscrolling. I just want to be close to the people I love and make sure they know that I love them.

EXTRA CULTURE

Saturday 9/20

Big Blue Door’s Days of Future Past. An amazing new mix of reality and comedy where audience members offer excerpts from old diaries, journals, and love letters, and Big Blue Door comedians create an entire show from the material. $10–15, 7pm. Light House Studio: Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 W. Market St. lighthousestudio.org

Black Barbers of Charlottesville Tour. A walking tour exploring the city of Charlottesville through the history of its Black barbers, focusing on stories from the late-19th and early-20th centuries. $5–20, noon. Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, 200 Second St. NE. albemarlehistory.org

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, September 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Charlottesville City Market. Discover produce and products from 80+ local vendors. Visit the Market Management tent to match your SNAP dollars up to $50 each visit. Free, 8am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov

Constitution Day at Montpelier. Step into history and honor the legacy of America’s founding principles in the very place they were shaped. Free with museum admission, 10am. James Madison’s Montpelier, 11350 Constitution Hwy., Montpelier Station. montpelier.org

Court Square: Where Charlottesville Began Tour. A historic walking tour exploring the history of the region from the Monacan Nation to its modern history and the removal of four controversial Charlottesville monuments in 2021. $5–20, 10am. Albemarle County Courthouse, 501 E. Jefferson St. albemarlehistory.org

Cville Sabroso 2025. The 13th annual Latin American Cultural Festival offers nine hours of non-stop live music, dancing, food and drinks, kids’ activities, and artisan handicrafts. $8–10, 1–10pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. sinbarrerascville.org

Historic Downtown Mall Tour. A casual eight block walk around Charlottesville’s pedestrian Downtown Mall exploring local history. $5–20, 11am. Ting Pavillion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. albemarlehistory.org

Saturday Public Tours. Join us for a one-hour tour that explores our exhibitions and local history. $10, 10:30am. The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. jeffschoolheritagecenter.org

Sunday 9/21

music

An Lár Traditional Irish Band. Fast-paced jigs and reels alternating with lyrical waltzes and melancholy airs, as well as Irish folk ballads of love and adventure. Free, 2pm. Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Gary Green and Justin Storer. Harmonica wizard Green and brilliant songwriter and folk musician Storer join forces. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glass housewinery.com

Lenny Burridge. A wide variety of musical styles, ranging from blues and jazz standards to current radio hits and alternative tunes. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Mo & Mary Mac. Soulful melodies and enchanting harmonies. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Rose City Band. Sun-kissed, timeless country rock. $25, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36

Irish enchantment

Blue Ridge Irish Music School celebrates 25 years of cultural connection

BY JAMES SANFORD

Some childhood interests turn out to be just a passing fancy. But that was not the case for Fiona Balestrieri when she was a young musician.

“My first instrument was actually the fiddle,” she says. “I only played that for a year because I discovered the Irish flute. … The sound of the wooden flute was completely enchanting to me. So, I was very lucky to live in Charlottesville, because there was already a big community of Irish musicians.”

Once a student at Blue Ridge Irish Music School, Balestrieri now teaches singing, Irish step dancing, the whistle and, yes, the wooden flute at the school. “I think I always wanted to be a teacher because I thought my teachers were so cool and amazing… And now, of course, all of my old teachers are just my friends.”

Balestrieri is one of the many BRIMS veterans who’ll celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary at a Gaela on September 19 at Potter’s Craft Cider. She credits the school’s longevity to Executive Director Lori Madden.

“She has really held the torch for BRIMS,” Balestrieri says. “I know that everyone is so grateful to her for keeping it going through some changes.”

Madden, a founding member of BRIMS, also teaches dance and scoil (the Irish word for school). She admits she only has “a smidge” in the way of Irish heritage, but she’s made numerous trips to the Emerald Isle over the past 25 years.

For Madden, the BRIMS adventure began in 2000, when, along with instructors Tes Slominski, Sara Read, and a group of parents, she took eight youngsters to Ireland.

“We did fundraising and the kids busked, playing music for donations on the Downtown Mall,” Madden says. “In the process of raising money and being out and about in town and doing little shows in various places, families got interested and they saw our kids having a blast. And they’re, like, ‘How do we get involved?’”

The Irish stage spectacular Riverdance was taking the nation by storm, and lead dancer/choreographer Michael Flatley had launched two other wildly successful shows, Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames Interest in all things Celtic was soaring. So, after returning from the trip, Madden and the group got nonprofit status and opened the school.

“I think the original name was a very unwieldy title that was, like, Central Virginia

School of Irish Traditional Music and Arts. … It doesn’t really trip off the tongue,” says Alex Davis, one of the kids on the original trip who now teaches a tune repertoire class at BRIMS. Like Balestrieri, he left Charlottesville to go to college, then came back to the school.

“I mean, it is kind of corny, but it does feel a lot like a family, a really close group of friends,” Davis says. “And it’s sort of an addiction in a way. It’s like once you get the bug for Irish music, you just want to get more tunes and play more.

Davis notes that Irish music extends far beyond the phenomenon of Flatley and Riverdance, and that it’s important to explore Irish traditions by going deeper, visiting Ireland, and being immersed in the culture there. “Music is just such a huge part of life over there in a different way than it is here,” he says.”

Balestrieri now helps lead the BRIMS excursions to Ireland. “It’s always just a magical, magical experience,” she says.

Another member of that inaugural journey was Mimi Vidaver-Davis, who was a flutist and an Irish dance student as a kid. To support her pursuit of Irish music, her family would send cassette tapes of flute music from around the world.

One such tape featured Matt Molloy’s flute playing with James Galway and The Chieftains. “I was probably like 11 or 12 when I heard that for the first time and thought, ‘That’s what I want to do,’” she says.

And that’s exactly what she did, at BRIMS, and then at University College Cork in Cork City, Ireland. Vidaver-Davis continued her dance studies and now teaches the Cape Breton style of step dancing (created by Scottish Gaels who settled on the island of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia) at BRIMS.

“I think what’s unique about BRIMS is … it’s very community-focused, with lots of all-ages events,” Vidaver-Davis says.

In contrast, she says, many Irish music schools are primarily designed for kids and “once you’re 18, you’ve aged out. There’s nothing. No option for you. Then, there are these Irish music schools and a lot of them are … exclusively for adults. And we have both.”

And, Vidaver-Davis emphasizes, IrishAmerican heritage is not a prerequisite for participation. “Obviously, Irish music is from Ireland, and we want people to understand the culture that it came from. But almost none of us are really that Irish. We’re not playing this music and dancing to celebrate some kind of Irish-American heritage thing. We’re doing it because we love it.”

“I mean, it is kind of corny, but it does feel a lot like a family, a really close group of friends.” ALEX DAVIS

DOUBLE MATCH DAY

at Farmers Markets in Charlottesville

For every $1 of SNAP/EBT you spend, get $2 for FREE to spend on fruits and vegetables.

CULTURE TO-DO LIST

That’s TWICE our usual match!

Participating Markets:

Little Market at Lampo

Tuesday, September 23, 3 - 7 pm 205 Monticello Road, Charlottesville, VA

Farmers in the Park Wednesday, September 24, 3pm - 7pm 1300 Pen Park Rd, Charlottesville, VA

The Farmers Market at Ix Saturday, September 27, 8 am-12 pm 522 Second St. SE, Charlottesville, VA

Charlottesville City Market Saturday, September 27, 8am - 1pm 100 E. Water Street, Charlottesville, VA

Starr Hill Farmers Market Sunday, September 28, 9:30am-1:30pm 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA

SNAP match sponsored by

THROUGH SATURDAY 11/15

LOVE ON THE BRAIN

Spotlighting Shakespeare at his most playful, The Two Gentlemen of Verona follows Proteus and Valentine, two young men who swear nothing can come between them—until amorous affections enter the scene. Loyalties are tested, disguises donned, and hearts broken as friendship tangles with romance and characters stumble through the beautiful, messy chaos of growing up. And there’s a dog! Times and prices vary. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

classes

9/21

The Pollocks. Jason Pollock shares the creative process with fellow songwriter Thomas Gunn (guitar, vocals), Nathan West (drums), Randy Mendicino (bass), and Maryline Meyer (vocals, percussion). Free, 2pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

The Trio. A Sunday session featuring jazz performed by Dan Barrale, Bill Edmonds, and Eric Franzen. Free, 1pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

stage

Queen Lear. A condensed all-female production of King Lear starring Kate Bennis, directed by Miller Susen. $20, 2pm. The Hamner Theater Blackbox at Crozet Arts, 1408 Crozet Ave., Crozet. queenlear.org

The Two Gentlemen of Verona See listing for Thursday, September 18. $41–75, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com words

Green Gathering Book Club: How to Love a Forest Calling all tree huggers, forest friends, and book worms to connect with fellow nature-lovers over a good book. Free, 10am. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org

Expressive Painting: Autumn Botanicals in Ink. Explore the process of creating a loose, intuitive ink painting of autumn botanicals. Beginnerfriendly, ages 15+. $35, 1pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

Paint + Sip: Streamside Serenity. Learn how to paint the design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials provided. $36, 2pm. Mountain Light Retreat, 6656 Mountain Light Pl., Crozet. blueridgebrushes.com

Photography 101 Workshop. Learn basic photography skills on your phone or dedicated camera. Workshop will take place outside, rain or shine. Led by Jeremy Hopkins, an experienced sports, landscape, and portrait photographer. $10, 4pm. Nealand Farm, 8232 Scottsville Rd., Scottsville. nealand.farm

etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, September 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Mushroom Foraging Trip. Tickets include a guided foraging walk hosted by the Blue Ridge Mycological Society, a “foraging” cider flight, a muslin foraging bag, and some delicious mushroom snacks to go with the cider. $100, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Oktoberfest Market. A festive atmosphere with delicious food, local beer and wine, live music by Lenny Burridge, and unique handcrafted goods from local artisans. Free, noon. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmand winery.com

We Are The League. Learn what the League of Women Voters of the Charlottesville Area’s plans are for the coming year and how you can get involved. Free, 2pm. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, 201 E. Market St. lwv-cva.org

Monday 9/22

music

Flamenco Mondays. Berto and Vincent present an evening of flamenco song and dance. Free, 7pm. Mejicali, 852 W Main St. #110. mejicali restaurant.com

The Backseat Lovers. Indie rock from Salt Lake City, Utah. With Sleeper’s Bell. $70–100, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Tyler Childers: On the Road. Country singersongwriter performs a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, folk, and honky-tonk. $75–400, 7:30pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com

words

Storytime. A magical storytime adventure where the pages come alive and imagination knows no bounds. Free with museum admission, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St. vadm.org

Tuesday 9/23

music

BRIMS. The biweekly Irish music jam from the Blue Ridge Irish Music School. Free, 6:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellys charlottesville.com

Jazz Tuesdays. Talented guitar virtuoso Jeff Massanari is joined by Liz Barnes on piano, Karl Kimmel on bass, and Pat Hayes on drums. Free, 7:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com

The Backseat Lovers. See listing for Monday, September 22. $115, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jefferson theater.com

Vincent Zorn. Lively flamenco rumba with a unique percussive technique that incorporates a diverse range of strumming styles, rhythms, and taps. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

words

Profs & Pints Charlottesville: The Concussion Discussion. A look at research and debates on the treatment of a common head injury, with clinical neuropsychologist Racheal M. Smetana. $13–17, 5:30pm. Graduate Charlottesville, 1309 W. Main St. profsandpints.com etc.

Books After Bedtime. A book club for moms who love to read and connect, focusing on bold stories by Virginia women authors. Free, 6:30pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. charlottesvillefamily.com

Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

The Run Club. Do a 5K run, then drink beer. $1-off pints for runners. Free, 6pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St.

EXTRA CULTURE

Creative outlier

Ripley Johnson adds country music to his psychedelic repertoire

BY DAVE CANTOR

Ripley Johnson’s created such a specific body of work, his name’s been used as a song title to signify a sound.

For more than two decades, the Portland guitarist has investigated various forms of psychedelia, ranging from metronomic minimalism to fuzzy freakouts. So when he started releasing country music a few years back under the auspices of Rose City Band, it was a sonic departure—but one rooted in deep listening.

“This type of stuff, it’s things that I was interested in while doing the other bands, but it just never fit with those bands,” he says about Rose City, which released a fifth album, Sol Y Sombra, earlier this year. “There’s certain rhythms that just would never work with [my other] bands. … It’s cool to have restrictions and have a sort of identity, but that also can be frustrating.”

Over the years, Johnson’s bounded across the West, moving from the Bay Area to Colorado and eventually settling in Oregon. Each of those varied landscapes seems to have influenced how he writes music—and made it difficult to focus on Wooden Shjips, the San Francisco psych group that first brought him to prominence during the early 2000s. That

ensemble, its melodies obscured by feedback, cranked out a few LPs before softening its sound, which led to Moon Duo becoming Johnson’s creative focus.

Alongside keyboardist Sanae Yamada— Johnson’s wife—Moon Duo began exploring jittery synth-forward compositions in 2010. That band, too, mellowed over time, expanding its parameters from taut textures to working in territory not wholly removed from the sunnier side of new wave.

“I think with Moon Duo, especially when you listen to the early stuff versus the later stuff, we said, ‘We’re just going to forget about any kind of boundaries,’” says Johnson,

The guitarist figures he’s not the same person who made those early Wooden Shjips recordings, and doesn’t think Moon Duo was the right vehicle to delve into Americana.

“As you go through life, you change, hopefully, and that’s why it’s good to do new things,” he says. “I think the Rose City Band stuff is me right now. It’s very much what I want to do in this moment—but it’s not all I want to do.”

This latest ensemble is informed by Johnson’s childhood, spent listening to music that sometimes referenced country music.

There’s mandolin on Grateful Dead and Rod Stewart recordings. And the Stones flirted with the genre, reveling in an imagined commonwealth on “Sweet Virginia,” where they’d need to scrape the shit off their shoes. Waylon and Willie are also easy touchstones, canonized outsiders in a genre obsessed with self-determination.

Johnson says Rose City Band started for selfish artistic reasons in 2019 and evolved through the pandemic to become a fully realized stage act that now performs as a quintet.

John Jeffrey is among that cadre and first played with Johnson more than a decade back, sitting in on drums for a Moon Duo tour through Europe. The Canadian-based performer previously studied jazz, but cites folks like Can’s Jaki Liebezeit as a signpost of his interests. He also records minimal, improvised music, adding to a combination of influences that suit his contributions to both Moon Duo and Rose City Band.

“I like the kind of cyclical nature of his music and how he can write these tranceinducing songs,” Jeffrey says about Johnson’s compositional acumen. “There’s a real simplicity there, but I think it’s so difficult to write such simple songs and have them be engaging, consistently. I think he’s really a master at that.”

“Sunlight Daze” is one of the more slowly paced pieces on Rose City Band’s latest recording. Jeffrey’s kit doesn’t propel the song so much as keeps it from stopping all together while Johnson calmly delivers lines about universal loneliness. But “Lights on the Way” opens Sol Y Sambra with the bearing of the Dead’s “Bertha;” by the time it hits its chorus, the song somehow also evokes the older group’s “Touch of Grey.” Along the way, Johnson recounts being lost—perhaps literally, perhaps metaphorically—and wishing on stars. Given its subject matter, “Open Roads” might be one of the more traditional country tunes here: There’s also a little drum shuffle undergirding the track, an effort scaffolded by pedal steel and mandolin. While the melodies deployed across Sol Y Sambra can easily connect back to his earlier groups, Johnson says it’s tough to predict what’s next in a career that’s spanned genres and decades. And while the bandleader’s foray into country music has animated a new part of his creative life, heavy psych remains a constant companion.

He explains that sometimes ecstatic psychedelic music presents itself as the best avenue to express himself. Though, for now, it’s country: “I just try to work with what I’m feeling at any given time, you know?”

THE WINE DOWN -

WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?

53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD

A note from Winegrower and Owner, Dave Drillock

No Bot or AI used, just me!

On August 9th, we will release our estate-grown 2024 Barrel-Aged Chardonel. For those who have not heard of Chardonel, it is a cross of Chardonnay with Seyval Blanc and is prized for its large flavorful clusters and resistance to disease. Whole-cluster pressed and aged in French oak barrels for 7 months has produced a dry, medium-bodied white wine with notes of lime, coconut, vanilla, pineapple and piña colada. The 53rd Team has been waiting for this one too! The wine pairs great with oysters, crab, and roasted or grilled pork dishes.

We invite you to visit our serene, meadow-like location in rural Louisa County. We pride ourselves on being genuine and approachable, eager to share our passion for wine without any scripted lines or memorized facts, just a warm and welcome atmosphere.

We are a Winery that just wants to be a Winery!

For more details, please check our website at www.53rdwinery.com or call us at 540-894-1536. We look forward to welcoming you to the winery, and we truly appreciate your business and support.

Upcoming events:

September 18th – Louisa Business Expo

Louisa Biz Expo hosted by the Louisa Chamber of Commerce is a free public event held in our pavilion. Learn about local businesses, and discover job opportunities! Wine and Smokin’ Eddies BBQ will be available for purchase.

September 27th – First Pour: An Insider’s Tasting with Tracy Waldron

Tracy Waldron, instructor at Virginia Wine and Spirits Academy, will return to 53rd! Join us as Tracy leads a guided wine tasting of several unreleased wines. Light fare included (tickets on Tock!)

Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 5 pm • Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm

13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com

DUCARD VINEYARDS

2023 Popham Run Red

This lively and bright Bordeaux blend showcases aromas of fresh cherries and uplifting herbal notes. The mouthfeel is harmonious, vibrant, and fresh – pairing perfectly with your Sunday brunch and light fare. Cheers!

We are open 7 days a week throughout the month of January, with live music every weekend! Make sure to keep an eye on our website and social media pages for the most up to date listings of our upcoming artists.

Fridays- Friday Night Out! Every Friday night through the summer we feature half price wine flights, live music, food for sale, and grills available for use until 8:00pm.

Weekends- Live music all weekend long! Check out our lineup on our website!

Sipping for Saplings - Buy Wine, Plant a Tree!  Sipping for Saplings is our continuing program at DuCard Vineyards – consistent with our environmental commitment and leadership.  Trees help with global warming, provide shade, absorb

water runoff … and look great.  Last fall we gave away nearly 2,000 trees through this unique program in partnership with the Friends of the Rappahannock. Throughout September come visit us at DuCard, have a flight or a bottle on the patio, listen to some music or just commune with the great view … and then when you buy a bottle (or more) to take home with you make sure to grab a tree to plant, too! Program continues daily through the month or September.

Open daily

Mon-Thurs. 12-5 pm Fri. 12-9 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm

40 Gibson Hollow Ln Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com

EASTWOOD FARM AND WINERY

Fall at Eastwood Farm and Winery

Join us in celebrating the 2025 harvest.  There is always something for the whole family to enjoy at Eastwood from our gold medal 2024 Petit Manseng and Petit Verdot to our new Oktoberfest beer and our popular juice flights for kids. We will also be hosting live music four days a week all season long.  Join us for festive fall days in Virginia wine country.

Upcoming at the Winery:

Oktoberfest (every Saturday and Sunday September 13 - October 31)

Every Saturday and Sunday this Fall, Eastwood is bringing you all the cozy, festive vibes with a lineup of flavor, fun, and celebration featuring delicious food truck specials, raffles, live music and traditional Oktoberfest beer. And the fun doesn’t stop after the weekend.  You can enjoy a special Oktoberfest menu in the tasting room every day featuring German-inspired delights, including our Flammkuchen, Bacon Maple Pecan Brie and loaded potato soup seven days a week.  Check out our website for full food truck and tasting room menus.

Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration | Every Friday in September & October

Our Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration is back every Friday night! The oysters are prepared by Salty Bottom Blue. Enjoy them in a relaxed, fun atmosphere with live music from 5-8pm on the stage in our tasting room.

Music Bingo | Sunday, October 12 and Thursday, October 30

Everyone loves singing along with their favorite songs and who doesn’t love a competitive game of Bingo? Music Bingo brings together the best of both worlds for a high energy game that is fun for everyone. Simply listen to the

music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes! Free to play

Paint & Sip | Wednesdays, September 24 and October 15

Grab a glass of wine (or your favorite drink!) and let your creativity flow in our relaxed and fun Paint & Sip classes. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a first-time painter, the talented instructors of Blue Ridge Brushes will walk you through the painting process as you create your own masterpiece. Ticketed Events - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website

Special Oktoberfest Market Day | Sunday, September 21

In addition to our regular  Oktoberfest menu and live music, enjoy shopping for unique handcrafted goods from local artisans. Market will be open 12-5PM. This event is a great way to support small businesses while celebrating the spirit of fall!

Sip, Stitch & Create | Thursday September 25th at 6PM

Spend a cozy afternoon at Eastwood Farm and Winery learning how to crochet a removable tote bag pocket— perfect for adding style and function to any favorite bag. Whether you’ve never picked up a hook before or you’ve been crocheting for years, this workshop is designed to be fun, stress-free, and totally beginner-friendly. Ticketed Events - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website

Red Wine Showcase | Friday, October 17

Celebrate Virginia Wine Month at the Red Wine Showcase set against the picturesque backdrop of Eastwood Farm and Winery! This exclusive event

at Eastwood—$5 Taps (Beer & Cider)

Every Friday: Live Music 5-8PM

Low-Country Shrimp Boil 5-8PM

Every Saturday: Live Music 12:303:30PM + Eastwood After Dark with Live Music 5-8PM

Every Sunday: Music Bingo, Paint & Sip, Maker’s Market or Live Music (See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.)

What about the kids?

Kids can share in the experience with their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!

OPEN 7

DAYS A WEEK!

Winery Hours: Sunday-Wednesday (125 PM); Thursday-Saturday (12-8 PM) We look forward to welcoming you to our cozy tasting room, seven days a week. Join us for award-winning wines, beer, and cider, as well as a delicious seasonal menu by Chef Andrew Partridge that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Delight in lounging on our enclosed & heated veranda with a glass of our gold medal 2022 Meritage Reserve. Or, stay inside and enjoy live music with a seasonal toasty flatbread or our scrumptious Cast Iron Baked Brie. Escape to Virginia Wine Country, only five miles from Downtown Charlottesville. Open year-round, seven days a week.

Pet friendly and large groups are welcome. Ample indoor and outdoor seating.

brings together 18 esteemed wineries from the Monticello Wine Trail for an unforgettable evening of red wine tastings, gourmet pairings, community and conversation. Reserve your tickets at eastwoodfarmandwinery.com.

Harvest Party Weekend | October 17 -19

Join us for a festive weekend as we celebrate Harvest Party Weekend and Virginia Wine Month! Enjoy three days of live raffles, pop-ups, wine, food, music, and the Harvest Party Artisan Market on Sunday 10/19.  See website for live music schedule

MUSIC AT EASTWOOD THIS MONTH!

Join us for the popular Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our more mellow Saturday afternoon music program). Eastwood also hosts a range of live performances by talented local and regional musicians every Thursday and Friday night. See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.

MUSIC AT EASTWOOD!

Join us for the popular Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our more mellow Saturday afternoon music program).  Eastwood also hosts a range of live performances by talented local and regional musicians every Thursday and Friday night (and Sundays!).  See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.

Every Thursday: Live Music 5-8PM or Music Bingo 6-8PM Thursday “Thank You” Community Day

Rt 20 near the intersection with Avon Extended (5 mi from Downtown Mall) Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727 www.eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

HARDWARE HILLS VINEYARD

Hillside White

Vidal Blanc shines through in this great summer sipper.  With just the perfect touch of residual sugar, this off-dry wine will have you savoring every sip.  Great for porch time relaxing or paired with spicy dishes and appetizers.  Grab a bottle today and WINE down your summer with this Hardware Hills gem.

Have YOU seen our social media posts?  Trending videos on all platforms... check us out!

Our event venue is now complete and ready for your special event!  Contact us at eventteam@hardwarehills. com for details and scheduling a tour! NEW HOURS!

Thursday - Saturday  12 - 8 Sunday 12 - 5

September 18th – Paint + Sip: “Colorful Country Road” at Hardware Hills. Join us to learn how to paint this design in a step by step format, no experience necessary! Your ticket includes an 11×14 canvas and acrylic paint. Each class is taught by a professional artist that will guide you through various techniques at a comfortable pace.

September 25th- MUSIC BINGO NIGHT at Hardware Hills. Sara spins the tunes... you sip, laugh, sing (dance!?) and win! This is one of the more popular events at the Hills, so

don’t miss out! Bring the whole group for a Friday night of good tunes and good times.

5199 W River Rd, Scottsville, VA  434.286.4710 • www.hardwarehills.com

KESWICK VINEYARDS

September at Keswick Vineyards

We’ve got a fun-filled month ahead, and you won’t want to miss a single moment at Keswick!

Friday, September 19th – Sip & Paint

Unwind with us after hours for a creative evening of painting paired with your favorite Keswick wines.

Every Wednesday – Wine Down Wednesdays

Kick back midweek with live music, happy hour wines from 5–6 PM, and great vibes from 5:30–8:30 PM. Come early, grab your favorite spot, and let the evening carry you away.

Join the Keswick Vineyards Wine Club!

Love our wines? Take it one step further by becoming part of our Wine Club family. Members enjoy: Exclusive wines you won’t find anywhere else, discounts on wine and merchandise, first access to new releases, and more! It’s the best way to sip, save, and stay connected with Keswick yearround.

Start Sippin’ in September at Keswick. Cheers!

Hours:

Monday- Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm 1575 Keswick Winery Drive Keswick, Virginia 22947

Tasting Room: (434) 244-3341 ext 105 tastingroom@keswickvineyards.com www.keswickvineyards.com

PRINCE MICHEL VINEYARDS

Rapidan River Peach

During the month of August, celebrate summer with Prince Michel’s Rapidan River Peach! Rapidan River Peach is the ultimate summer sipper—light, sweet, and bursting with fresh peach flavor that captures the essence of the season. Its refreshing fruit-forward profile makes it perfect for sipping chilled on the patio, pairing with summer salads, or mixing into a sunny sangria. With just the right touch of sweetness, it’s a crowd-pleasing favorite for picnics, barbecues, and backyard celebrations. At Prince Michel Indulge in a spectrum of wines, from luxurious craft picks such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Manseng, to distinctive options like our Sweet White Reserve from our Rapidan River series. Don’t miss our crowdfavorite Discover Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery, an iconic East Coast estate. Family and pet-friendly, it’s one of the oldest and largest wineries in the Commonwealth.  Also, home to Tap 29 Brew Pub, serving local craft brews and delicious pubstyle food seven days a week.

Located in the heart of Virginia Wine Country, our elegant winery on Route

29 between Charlottesville and Washington DC offers wine tastings, tours, shopping, and scenic picnic spots daily from 11am.

Join us for our MAD Jazz Festival on Saturday September 6th from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  More details and tickets available at madjazzva.com

Open 7 days a Week at 11 a.m.

Weekly Events:

Live Music every Friday–Sunday (music lineup at princemichel.com)

Monday Night Trivia | 6–7:30 p.m.

Tuesday Beer & Wings Specials | 3–5 p.m.

Thursday Happy Hour | 3–5 p.m.

154 Winery Lane, Leon, VA  22725 (540) 547-3707 www.princemichel.com

A Woman-Owned Business

REVALATION VINEYARDS

2024 Cabernet Franc

This wine, made exclusively with Cabernet Franc grapes, just sparkles. Its aromas of fresh ripe red raspberries and strawberries permeate the glass.  The fruit is the star! The fresh summer fruit mélange carries through to your taste buds, too.  This balanced wine has medium acidity, body and alcohol, ending with a good length and an inviting finish, begging for more and more.  It can be paired with almost anything - roasted chicken to hearty fish or your vegetarian favorites.  You will keep coming back to this wine!

September Hours: Fridays noon to sunset; Saturdays noon to 6 pm; Sundays noon to 5 pm. Mondays and Thursdays by appointment only.

Sept. 26 – Book Club @ The Vineyard starting at 6 pm. We will discuss A Refiner’s Fire by Donna Leon.

Sept. 20 – Special Book Club Event –At 3 pm, Brody Mullins, a Pulitzer Prize-

and make their wines. The Collective has been designed to reduce the costs associated with independent winemaking, and thereby support further innovation and talent in the Monticello AVA.

Upcoming at the Collective: Lobsterpalooza Saturdays, September 20 12-3PM, October 11 12-3PM

Join us for a celebration of the sea.  Our lobsterpalooza is here! Salty Bottom Blue will be serving up mouthwatering lobster rolls and fresh blue oysters paired with our incredible Collective wines! This is in addition to the daily menu served up by Chefs Andrew and Cory Partridge.

Paint & Sip  | Select Sundays, September 28 1-3PM

Grab a glass of wine (or your favorite drink!) and let your creativity flow in this relaxed and fun class. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a firsttime painter, the talented instructors of Blue Ridge Brushes will walk you through the painting process as you create your own masterpiece. Ticketed Events - Reserve Your Spot On the Virginia Wine Collective Facebook Page or the Eastwood Website.

Open Bottle Special | Every Sunday 3:30 to 5:00 PM

winning investigative journalist and co-author of the critically acclaimed book, The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government, will be on hand to discuss the book.

Sept. 27 – Sip, Savor, and Discover the World of Cabernet Franc! Join us from 4 to 6pm for a vertical Cabernet Franc tasting. Tickets are available on our website.

2710 Hebron Valley Road, Madison, VA 22727 • 540-407-1236 www.revalationvineyards.com

VIRGINIA WINE COLLECTIVE

Fall at the Collective

Join us for Harvest Viewing Days at the Collective every weekend this September.  We bring harvest to downtown Charlottesville and are located on Avon Street at the 4-way stop for Wegmans!  You can watch the action during our first harvest while enjoying our delicious small plate menu and winemaker wine flights.  If you would like to secure a seat by the viewing windows, we are taking limited reservations for lunch or dinner “with a view” every Friday.  However, you don’t need a reservation to be a part of the 2025 harvest.   There will be ample viewing opportunities. In fact, we will be roping off a small area on the production floor so that you can walk out to view the action all weekend long. Anytime is a great time to visit the Collective this September.  Email Gabrielle@ eastwoodfarmandwinery.com to make reservations or if you have questions.

The Virginia Wine Collective is a new wine production facility in Charlottesville. Eastwood designed the space to include nine winemaker suites and an incubator alongside the main production area. The suites provide a space where independent winemakers can anchor a license

Half off all glasses poured from open tasting bottles.

Production Tours and Guided Tastings

We look forward to welcoming guests to the Virginia Wine Collective for tours and guided tastings. Please email our Wine Collective Coordinator, Gabrielle Thomas, if you would like to schedule a tour or guided tasting. She may be reached at gabrielle@ eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Large Party Reservations

Interested in making a large party reservation for your group? Reach out to emma@eastwoodfarmandwinery. com to book.

Winery Hours:  Friday 1-8PM Saturday 12-8PM Sunday 12-5PM 1585 Avon Street Extended Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727

https://eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/ virginia-wine-collective/

PUZZLES FOR FUN

18. Element #18

Detonation maker

32. Suggestion to put in more quarters?

34. Starting points of a new car scratch era?

37. 1964 Lennon/McCartney song that’s nowhere near the Beck song

39. TV alien

42. Chaotic end (but not beginning)?

43. NYC publisher of Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, and Edith Wharton

47. Prefix for center

48. Cash quantity

50. Leisurely tempo

51. Like some platters with cocktail sauce?

55. Alaska Highway formerly

56. Author who’s up on her Philly slang?

60. Anti-inflammatory drug acronym

61. Jokes ___ Can’t Tell” (recurring “Late Night” segment)

62. Car toon canine

63. Bubbly Nestle bars sold in England

64. Took a break

65. Lightning zigzag

1. Flue residue

2. Mai ___ (rum drink)

3. Hockey player Bobby

4. Erstwhile “Jeopardy!” host Mayim

5. Muffin option

6. Ribald

7. Gin mixer

8. New York City skyscraper name

9. Outward glow

10. Power player

11. Metal attachment to a giant door

12. Group of nine

14. “Cr y ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs ___” (“Julius Caesar” quote)

17. Armor-busting weapon

20. Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the ___”

21. Medevac worker

22. Operated

23. 10th mo

27. Custard ingredients

By Rob Brezsny

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamian goddess Inanna was called “the Queen of Heaven.” Her domains were politics, divine law, love, and fertility. She was a powerhouse. One chapter of her mythic story tells of her descent into the underworld. She was stripped of everything—clothes, titles, weapons—before she could be reborn. Why did she do it? Scholars say she was on a quest for greater knowledge and an expansion of her authority. And she was successful! I propose we make her your guide and companion in the coming weeks, Libra. You are at the tail-end of your own descent. The stripping is almost complete. Soon you will feel the first tremors of return—not loud, not triumphant, but sure. I have faith that your adventures will make you stronger and wiser, as Inanna’s did for her.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov.21): In ancient Rome, the dye called Tyrian purple was used exclusively for garments worn by royalty and top officials. It had a humble origin: murex snails. Their glands yielded a pale liquid that darkened into an aristocratic violet only after sun, air, and time worked upon it. I’m predicting you will be the beneficiary of comparable alchemical transformations in the coming weeks. A modest curiosity could lead to a major breakthrough. A passing fancy might ripen into a rich blessing. Seemingly nondescript encounters may evolve into precious connections.

Sagittarius

(Nov. 22-Dec.21): Bees can see ultraviolet patterns in flowers that are invisible to humans. These “nectar guides” direct bees to the flower’s nectar and pollen, functioning like landing strips. Let’s apply these fun facts as metaphors for your life, Sagittarius. I suspect that life is offering you subtle yet radiant cues leading you to sources you will be glad to connect with. To be fully alert for them, you may need to shift and expand the ways you use your five senses. The universe is in a sense flirting with you, sending you clues through dream-logic and nonrational phenomena. Follow the shimmering glimmers.

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At the height of her powers, Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut declared, “I have restored what had been ruined. I have raised up what had dissolved.” You now have a similar gift at your disposal, Capricorn. If you harness it, you will gain an enhanced capacity to unify what has been scattered, to reforge what was broken, and to resurrect neglected dreams. To fulfill this potential, you must believe in your own sovereignty— not as a form of domination, but of devotion. Start with your own world. Make beauty where there was noise. Evoke dignity where there was confusion.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A supple clarity is crystallizing within you. Congratulations! It’s not a brittle or rigid certainty, but a knack for limber discernment. I predict you will have an extra potent gift for knowing what truly matters, even amidst chaos or complication. As this superpower reaches full ripeness, you can aid the process by clearing out clutter and refining your foundational values. Make these words your magic spells: quintessence, core, crux, gist, lifeblood, root. P.S.: Be alert for divine messages in seemingly mundane circumstances.

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the high Himalayas, there’s a flower called Saussurea obvallata—the Brahma Kamal. It blooms only at night and for a short time, releasing a scent that legend says can heal grief. This will be your flower of power for the coming weeks, Aquarius. It signifies that a rare and time-sensitive gift will be available, and that you must be alert to gather it in. My advice: Don’t schedule every waking hour. Leave space for mystery to arrive unannounced. You could receive a visitation, an inspiration, or a fleeting insight that can change everything. It may assuage and even heal sadness, confusion, aimlessness, or demoralization.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): The human heart beats 100,000 times per day, 35 million times per year, and 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. It’s the most reliable “machine” ever created, working continuously and mostly without special maintenance for decades. Although you Pisceans aren’t renowned for your stability and steadiness, I predict that in the coming weeks, you will be as staunch, constant, and secure as a human heart. What do you plan to do with this grace period? What marvels can you accomplish?

Aries

(March 21-April 19): Hindu goddess Durga rides a tiger and carries weapons in her ten hands, including a sword, axe, and thunderbolt. Yet she wears a pleasant smile. Her mandate to aid the triumph of good over evil is not fueled by hate but by luminous clarity and loving ferocity. I suggest you adopt her attitude, Aries. Can you imagine yourself as a

storm of joy and benevolence? Will you work to bring more justice and fairness into the situations you engage with? I imagine you speaking complex and rugged truths with warmth and charm. I see you summoning a generous flair as you help people climb up out of their sadness and suffering. If all goes well, you will magnetize others to participate in shared visions of delight and dignity.

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): Born under the sign of Taurus, Maya Deren first expressed her extravagant creative urges as a writer, poet, photographer, clothes designer, and dancer. But then she made a radical change, embarking on a new path as experimental filmmaker. She said she had “finally found a glove that fits.” Her movies were highly influential among the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. I bring Deren to your attention, Taurus, because I suspect that in the coming months, you, too, will find a glove that fits. And it all starts soon.

Gemini

(May 21-June 20): In medieval times, alchemists believed mercury was a sacred substance and divine intermediary. They knew that it’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. This quality, along with its silvery sheen (why it’s called “quicksilver”), made it seem like a bridge between solid and liquid, earth and water, heaven and earth, life and death. I nominate mercury as your power object, Gemini. You’re extra well-suited to navigate liminal zones and transitional states. You may be the only person in your circle who can navigate paradox and speak in riddles and still make sense. It’s not just cleverness. It’s wisdom wrapped in whimsy. So please offer your

in-between insights freely. P.S.: You have another superpower, too: You can activate dormant understandings in both other people’s hearts and your own.

Cancer

(June 21-July 22): In the western Pacific Ocean, there’s a species of octopus that builds its lair from coconut shells. The creature gathers together husks, dragging them across the seafloor, and fits them together. According to scientists, this use of tools by an invertebrate is unique. Let’s make the coconut octopus your power creature for now, Cancerian. You will have extra power to forge a new sanctuary or renovate an existing one, either metaphorically or literally. You will be wise to draw on what’s nearby and readily available, maybe even using unusual or unexpected building materials.

Leo

(July 23-Aug. 22): I invite you to contemplate the meaning of the phrase “invisible architecture.” My dream told me it will be a theme for you in the coming weeks. What does it mean? What does it entail? Here are my thoughts: Structures are taking shape within you that may not yet be visible from the outside. Bridges are forming between once-disconnected parts of your psyche and life. You may not need to do much except consent to the slow emergence of these new semi-amazing expressions of integrity. Be patient and take notes. Intuitions arriving soon may be blueprints for future greatness. Here’s the kicker: You’re not just building for yourself. You’re working on behalf of your soul-kin, too.

Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF

BARBARA J. JOHNSON, Case

Plaintiff v.

SERVE: HERNANDEZ CRUZ 4500 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: VICTOR NATIVIDAD MONROY CRUZ 4500 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: MARIA NATIVIDAD MONROY CRUZ 4500 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

Legals

SERVE: PMC DISTRIBUTION, INC. 95 Campbell Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: EDWARD L. JOHNSON 4455 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: DABEIBA JOHNSON 4455 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: JOYCE M. MOORE 4475 Bunker Hill Road Keswick, Virginia 2294 7 (Albemarle County)

SERVE: FELICIA JOHNSON 4050 Campbell Road Troy, Virginia 22974 (Louisa County)

AND ANY “PARTIES UNKNOWN”;

SERVE: BY ORDER OF PUBLICATION Defendants.

AMENDED ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to quiet title to real estate lying and being in Albemarle County, Virginia, and which is described as:

Tax Map Parcel (IMP) 80-145A is described as all that certain piece or parcel of land, with all improvements thereon and appurtenances thereunto, lying and being situate in the Rivanna District, Albemarle County, Virginia, containing two (2) acres, more or less, and being bounded and described in that certain deed dated May 14, 1894, from A. P. Fox to Nancy Howard, which deed was recorded May 14, 1894, in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Albemarle County, Virginia, in Deed Book 100, Page 498.

It appearing from an Affidavit filed int his cause that there may be Defendants who addresses are unknown and further that there may be parties who are unknown that may have an interest in said property;

On consideration whereof, it is ORDERED that all parties hereinabove named, including those designated as “Parties Unknown”, appear on or before October 8, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. and do what is necessary to protect their interests; and is further

ORDERED that this Order be published once a week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Albemarle County, Virginia.

ENTERED this 29th day of August, 2025

Cheryl V. Higgins

I ASK FOR THIS:

Joseph W. Wright, III, Esquire, Attorney for Plaintiff

VSB#30347

Dygert, Wright, Hobbs & Hernandez, PLC 415 4th Street, N.E. Upper Floor Charlottesville, VA 22902

Tel: (434) 979-5515

Fax: (434) 295-7785 Email: jwright@charlottesvillelegal.com

P.S. THE BIG PICTURE

Plants on parade

Vegans, vegetarians, and curious eaters alike took to IX Art Park on September 14 for the 11th annual Charlottesville VegFest, a celebration of plant-based food, sustainability, and community. Attendees stretched out with yoga on the lawn, explored more than 50 vendors offering everything from Chanterelle Cafe’s vegan croissants to Compassion Co.’s on-theme tees, enjoyed live music from Meraki and The Falsies, dug into a vegan pie-eating contest, and even caught a whimsical puppet show.

“Jordan

My name is Jordan Hague and I created Equity Saver USA in 2008 to offer a better, more affordable service to disrupt and challenge what I personally experienced to be an outdated and flawed approach to Realtor compensation at the expense of sellers and buyers.

My name is Jordan Hague and I created Equity Saver USA in 2008 to offer a better, more affordable service to disrupt and challenge what I personally experienced to be an outdated and flawed approach to Realtor compensation at the expense of sellers and buyers.

In 2024 the National Association of Realtors settled a billion dollar lawsuit related to inflated Realtor commission practices. This monumental settlement opens the door for true free market competition and innovation to thrive. I’ve successfully sold homes using a 1% model for nearly 2 decades proving the old “6% legacy” commission model is a waste of money and does nothing to help promote affordable housing. Contact me direct to arrange a no obligation meeting to learn more.

In 2024 the National Association of Realtors settled a billion dollar lawsuit related to inflated Realtor commission practices. This monumental settlement opens the door for true free market competition and innovation to thrive. I’ve successfully sold homes using a 1% model for nearly 2 decades proving the old “6% legacy” commission model is a waste of money and does nothing to help promote affordable housing. Contact me direct to arrange a no obligation meeting to learn more.

Ben

Jerry and

Sam