Category: Entertainment

Live Arts

123 Water St. SE
977-4177
livearts.org

Runner-up:
Four County Players
5256 Governor Barbour St. (Barboursville)
(540) 832-5355
fourcp.org

The idea of “community theater” too often conjures images of wannabe stars performing on hack-job sets. Unless, of course, you’re talking about our community. Here, we’re lucky enough to get legit productions with talented local actors. At Live Arts this year, audiences raved about everything from August: Osage County and In The Next Room to A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde: The Musical. Over in Barboursville, Central Virginia’s longest running theater, Four County Players, put on excellent productions of Into the Woods and Godspell, to name a couple.

Boylan Heights

102 14th St. NW
984-5707
boylan-heights.com

Runner-up:
Citizen Burger Bar
212 E. Main St.
979-9944
citizenburgerbar.com

In “The Simpsons,” it’s “Moe’s Tavern.” In “Cheers,” it was, well, Cheers. In Charlottesville, say readers, the best place to go where everyone knows your name to watch the game and grab a beer is Boylan Heights. The prep school-themed Corner joint has 20 HDTVs strategically placed for maximum viewing throughout the restaurant and 15 beers on tap. As for Citizen, this quote from the restaurant’s website says it all: “Give me burgers, beers, and ballgames, or give me death!” The Downtown Mall spot delivers all three.

See more:

Best New Restaurant 2013: Citizen Burger Bar

Best burger 2013: Citizen Burger Bar

Upstanding Citizen: The Downtown Mall burger bar takes the win with a good conscience

Brad Savage

Runner-up:
Pam Garrison

In music, a “sweet spot” is a term used to describe the point between two speakers where a musician is able to hear the audio mix just as the mixer hears it. For The Corner, the sweet spot is that segment of Charlottesville listeners who want music that’s newer than classic rock, but older than poppy top 40, and the man responsible for such programming, Brad Savage, takes the top slot by finding that niche every morning from 6-11am. Madison County native Pam Garrison, this year’s runner-up, takes to the country airwaves every morning on 99.7 WCYK.

What’s Brad passionate about in Charlottesville?

1. Bang! Tapas and in particular, their Spicy Thai Beef—you just can’t beat it, and this is one of my (many!) favorite restaurants in town!
2. Scouring the “New Arrivals” for used Vinyl and CD’s at Sidetracks Music and Plan 9… and also worthy of mention is the new all-vinyl store downtown, “Melody Supreme”.
3. Cheerwine Soda is sold here, and you can often find it in the glass bottles with real cane sugar! Nothing like it—it’s a North Carolina/Southern thing! Yayfor Cheerwine!
4. The ACAC Waterpark. In the summertime. Walkable distance from home. In a humid Virginia summer this is a necessity!
5. Dan Schutte’s newscasts on CBS-19. I am a big fan of this guy. He is great. And not just because he (like me) is a Native Minnesotan. It’s because he is the news, he’s like our own version of Ron Burgundy.

DJ Stroud

djstroud.com

Runner-up:
Derek Tobler
djtobler.com

A little-known fact about DJ Stroud? In addition to his love of music, he’s also an avid surfer with a collection of about 15 surfboards and paddleboards. There’s an obvious connection between ocean waves and sound waves, so we’re not surprised his passion for both thrills lands him recognition as the top DJ this year. Derek Tobler, who dominates the wedding circuit, takes second place.

What’s Stroud passionate about in Charlottesville?

1. The Rivanna Reservoir. This is where I get most of my exercise, either stand up or prone paddling a stand up paddleboard, or paddling a kayak. Lots of wildlife to see in, on, and around it as well. The Rivanna River is also great for a convenient river run right through town.
2. O-Hill. I’ve walked, hiked, or run on most of the Rivanna Trail(s), but the trails on O-Hill are close to my home, and there are numerous routes and a number of inclines to ascend. It’s also great for a nighttime stargazing picnic getaway.
3. Local beer. Though I often opt for a mega-brew American light beer for a long afternoon of watching football, tubing, or social activities, it’s nice to have a variety of local brews to sample, from the store or at the brewery.
4. The wedding market. Though it certainly wasn’t the reason I started DJing, the nationally driven wedding market in Charlottesville looks like it will be supplying me the largest segment of my income in the future.
5. UVA. The reason I first came to Charlottesville (to attend the school), and the primary engine that drove my businesses here for many years.