Month: August 2010

 At Saturday night’s concert by Sarah White and the Pearls at the Jefferson Theater, Sarah White herself referred to the show as the “Neko Case Pity Party.” She was speaking, of course, about the redheaded alt-country singer who postponed her gig there because of an “overextended work schedule,” prompting White and her band to step in for a gig that was probably just as good, and, as the Daily Progress noted, $28 cheaper to attend.

While White’s choked-up, wistful vocals pack more of an emotional punch than that of most songwriters—Case included—White distinguishes herself by serving a heap of good humor along with everything you could want from the singer-songwriter persona, usually a far more somber business. The joyous mood onstage made the band’s roaring cover of Pavement’s “Gold Soundz” an easier pill to swallow. Sian Richards—who performs in a country duo with White called the (All New) Acorn Sisters—went onstage for a rendition of Travis Tritt’s “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares).” 

Travis Tritt and Pavement never sounded so much the same. And so loud, for which we had to thank drummer Stewart Gunther, who didn’t skip a single opportunity to pummel his deep snare drum and enormous cymbals. It had the effect of blowing out “White Light,” the title track from her 2006 album, into something less understated than its recorded version, and more emotional, to be sure. 

Michael Bishop, on bass guitar, sports a bass face that could make Beefcake the Mighty—the costumed character he once played in the band GWAR—flinch in a staring contest. With guitarist Jason “Swiss” Butler, Bishop completes the trio that forms the Pearls, which have been reinventing White’s songs with balls-to-the-walls playing, arena-sized showmanship, and, yes, matching outfits.

It’s been two years since White issued her Sweetheart EP, so we’re about due for a new record—which White nodded at with one new song, a lilting ballad that exploded into a grunge jam worthy of Nirvana. Recordings recently posted to her website expand upon these themes, covering the skeleton of her country songs in a suit of armor. The departure marks at least the third phase in her career, first raw and threadbare on her debut record, All My Skies Are Blue, and increasingly lush through her catalogue. In phase three, the band plays it upbeat, no matter how sad, and downright loud. 

It was a shame that the crowd didn’t reach Neko Case-sized levels, as a performer’s energy has a way of dissipating in the Jefferson when the room is far from capacity. But looking at the dramatically lit fixtures around the theater, and at White, who wore a white sequined dress with charm and panache, it was clear that White is tired of being quiet. So pay attention.

 It’s a political truism at this point that Democrats have a tough row to hoe come November. The economy might not be in the toilet, but it’s definitely perched on the rim, hoping like hell that some fat trucker with a bad case of gastro-intestinal distress doesn’t walk through the door. President Obama’s approval ratings are well below 50 percent, while most generic congressional preference polls have the Republicans with a significant (and growing) lead. And, per usual, the right wing noise machine is cranked up to 11, taking the most insignificant issues—“Ground Zero Mosque,” anyone?—and blowing them up to Brobdingnagian proportions.

So what’s a poor Dem to do? Well, that’s a matter of some debate—and the answer seems to vary mightily depending on location. 

Take longtime Abingdon resident Rick Boucher, for instance. A seasoned pol who has represented Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District for nearly 28 years, Boucher is such a mainstay in his conservative southwestern zone that he usually doesn’t even draw a serious challenge. But in this strongly anti-incumbent year, his Republican rival, state Delegate (and House majority leader) Morgan Griffith, has a real chance of unseating him. This has forced Boucher to take a particularly pugnacious stance as he fights to hold onto his House seat, running radio ads like “Listen,” in which he highlights his vote against President Obama’s healthcare bill, brags about fighting to protect coal jobs from cap-and-trade legislation, and tosses in a NRA endorsement for good measure.

Another potentially endangered donkey, freshman representative Glenn Nye, has likewise been putting plenty of space between himself and the White House. Like Boucher, Nye cast a “nay” vote on the healthcare overhaul, and has recently emerged as a high-profile opponent of the Pentagon’s decision to shutter the U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, the heart of his military-heavy district.

But the most interesting case study has to be Fifth District incumbent Tom Perriello, who is currently trying to thread a very tight needle: supporting much of the Obama administration’s agenda while simultaneously placating his disgruntled constituents.

By all rights, Perriello should be dead in the water. After all, he was elected in a largely rural district by one of the smallest margins in the country, and subsequently voted for the much-demonized stimulus and healthcare bills. But Perriello’s strategy of aggressive retail politicking and constituent care has kept him surprisingly competitive. (The most recent poll, by the GOP-sponsored American Action Forum, has Perriello down six to his Republican opponent Robert Hurt.)

And when you watch the man in action, it’s easy to see why he remains viable. Though sometimes awkward and distant, Perriello has a real knack for getting past the shouting and vitriol to issues that actually matter to local voters. For instance, when the inevitable “Ground Zero Mosque” question arose at a recent town hall, his answer was a model of political jujitsu: “Let me start by saying, I cannot imagine wanting the government to be able to tell me and my faith community where we can build a house of worship on private property…I have opinions on whether it’s a good idea or not, but…compared to the importance of solving the economy right now…this is a distraction.”

So, will any of this work? As always, it’s impossible to say. But one thing’s for sure: Just as each of these candidates prays that their strategy is correct, so too does the GOP hope fervently that they’re wrong.

 Thanks to actions last week by Charlottesville City Council and the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), architect Bill Atwood’s Waterhouse project has quickly thawed from glacier to geyser. One day after council unanimously signed off on its first resolution for a tax increment financing rebate—don’t worry, we’ll explain it in the third paragraph—the BAR approved Atwood’s six-story redesign with a 6-1 vote and a few conditions.

The latest Waterhouse design—featuring two parking garage entrances on South Street, and a partially recessed presence at 216 Water Street—will appear before the BAR again for approval of color and a glass column that links the structure’s two main buildings. With the majority of the BAR wooed by Waterhouse’s latest look, Atwood can focus on courting WorldStrides, an Albemarle County student-travel business, as his anchor tenant. 

Now, about that tax increment financing (TIF). Approved unanimously by council, the TIF resolution guarantees that the city will offer Atwood a 50 percent cut of real property tax revenue that can be attributed to Waterhouse and its occupants for five years. The property’s tax base is assessed pre- and post-construction and “the difference…is considered the taxes attributable to the new development,” according to the resolution. (The site is currently assessed at $2.8 million.) The developer must secure all funding—in this case, a $20 million cost—and see the project through construction to receive the TIF rebate.

Aubrey Watts, director of the city’s Economic Development Authority, said the EDA previously received inquiries about TIF funds for projects, but such a model did not seem necessary before Waterhouse.

“In this case, I think it is really a function of three things,” said Watts, who cited the national economy’s impact on loan practices, availability of urban sites and parking costs in the city. Parking proved the most difficult issue for Waterhouse, according to Watts. WorldStrides employs more than 200 people, and would likely overwhelm the 100 or so parking spaces provided by Waterhouse’s garage space while adding more cars to the scramble for spaces Downtown. Atwood said TIF funds could potentially be used for buying or renting more parking spaces Downtown.

“It was clear that if we did not provide something, the proverbial bottom line of the project was just not going to work,” said Watts. He added that the city might consider TIF for future developments, but would decide on a project-by-project basis.

After approving the resolution for Waterhouse, city councilors told local media last week that they would consider using TIF in the future.

“If, by using a TIF, we’re able to land this deal, for the first five years we’ll be receiving somewhat less revenue,” said Mayor Dave Norris. However, Norris added that “the kind of economic activity that will generate Downtown will more than make up for that small amount of foregone city revenue.”

Reached for comment on TIF and local development, Landmark Hotel owner Halsey Minor told C-VILLE that he “never asked the city for help,” and did not have the experience to say whether local developers should pursue such a rebate in the future. Atwood’s project, then, is a sort of guinea pig for the program, which he called “the perfect solution for us.”

“As of right now,” Atwood told C-VILLE, “we’re very efficiently parked.”

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