This is the second blog post in a series about the culture that the city has to offer. To read the first blog post, please visit this link.
The music scene in Charlottesville
Big name stars like Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan may have stopped by John Paul Jones Arena this past year, but Charlottesville music really shines because of its intimate concert venues and penchant for attracting folk, indie rock and bluegrass bands from all over the country. Here are a few concerts I’m most excited about this summer:
Tall Tall Trees with Christopher Paul Sterling July 16 at The Garage
Watching a show at The Garage is a must. The tiny venue is an actual garage converted into a performance space for artists and musicians, letting you relive your days of high school guitarist stardom among the gardening tools of your parents’ garage- except cooler looking and probably much more talented.
Combining blue grass and folk rock, Tall Tall Trees is no exception- prepare for some killer banjo playing.
Watch a past performance by the band Toy Soldiers at The Garage to see what you’re in store for:
This concert is awesome because:
- You get to show support for local bands
- You get to pick which one will perform at Lock’n Music Festival
- You get reminded that Lock’n is only about a month and a half away… too early to start a countdown? Nope.
Lock’n Music Festival takes place Sept. 4-7 in Arrington, Va., only about an hour away from Charlottesville. This year’s line-up includes Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Willie Nelson, The Allman Brothers Band and The String Cheese Incident. The festival is very student friendly, offering discounted student tickets for only $180 for all three days!
An Evening with Yonder Mountain String Band Aug. 31 at The Jefferson
Yonder Mountain String Band offers a taste of true Colorado Bluegrass. They can’t seem to get enough of Charlottesville either. Returning to The Jefferson for a second time, do not miss your chance to see a band whom concert reviewer Jason Warren once praised as “rooted in traditions of acoustic music,” but with the “spirit of San Francisco dance bands” like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. I can’t wait to see this groovy combination of influences live.
My favorite song? "40 Miles from Denver"
Finally… for music on any night, check out Miller’s on the Downtown Mall, which plays live music 7 nights a week. One of their regulars, the John D’earth Quintet, headed by U.Va. Director of Jazz Studies John D’earth, has played there for more than 25 years, proving that Miller’s is a Charlottesville classic for live music.
Happy listening!
