Friday 6/29
Single man
Pop-rock singer Eric Hutchinson’s Mraz-like smooth voice brought him early success and a lot of swooning fans. He self-released his first album, That Could’ve Gone Better, and hit it big via iTunes, making the single “Rock and Roll” a fan favorite. And then there are those lemmings who discovered him on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 soundtrack. His new album, Moving Up, Living Down, looks to be another hit with “Watching You Watch Him” downloading up the charts. Whether singing about the big man on campus or losing a lover, Hutchinson brings skilled songwriting and heart to his songs. $15, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4980.
Rock and roll heartthrob, Eric Hutchinson, brings his infectious, rhythmic tunes to the Jefferson on Friday. (Photo by Jeff lipsky)
Friday 6/29
Taking flight
With a name that begs questions, Futurebirds emerge from Athens, Georgia. The band caught industry attention at SXSW and Bonnaroo this year for its psychedelic twist on country, and “cavernous harmonies” crafted by four vocalists laden with high-energy, reverb-infused instrumentals. The latest EP, Via Flamina, highlights the soaring twang that makes the band an aural experience worth having. Sarah White and White Violet open. $10, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. 977-5590.
Thursday-Monday 6/28-7/2
Staging a revolution
Now that summer has thrown open its emerald doors, what could be a more classic portent of its presence than elongated days, hordes of mosquitoes, and summer theater festivals? This year, UVA’s Heritage Theatre Festival carries on despite the construction to the Caplin Theatre, and offers a single musical, the classic 1776. In keeping with the city’s yearlong Celebrate!250 festivities, the musical, inspired by letters and memoirs of the Founding Fathers themselves, chronicles the perilous first steps away from foreign rule, taken by Philadelphia’s Second Continental Congress. $15-40, 7:30pm and 2pm on June 30. Culbreth Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. 924-3376.