Shaboozey may be third on the bill for award-winning country rap headliner Jelly Roll, but he’s already proven to have much of what mainstream music fans want: a No. 1 track (“A Bar Song [Tipsy]”), big name collabs (Beyoncé), and the strength of a heady country-hip-hop mix capable of pulling fans from multiple musical neighborhoods to meet in the middle.
NoVa-born to Nigerian parents, and as a teen schooled in his family’s homeland, Shaboozey, aka Collins Obinna Chibueze, steps over genre barriers without hesitation or hangups. You want f-bomb-infused tirades over Appalachian-flavored fiddle and acoustic guitars supported by a stompy trap beat? Dude’s got it. It all comes through as radio ready, pristine enough for Hollywood music supervisors, and sung with an emotional overshare that likely appeals to people under the drinking age and those beyond it who’ve got real problems that you couldn’t possibly understand.
Above all else, the authenticity that colors Shaboozey’s voice seems to be the real selling point. It’s likely the true reason for his success, which lifted off in 2018 when he blasted into the public ear with the heavily aggro crowd-frenzy-whipper “Start a Riot” (with Duckwrth). That track could be considered a type of red herring, as a good chunk of the singles that followed are a steady stream of depressed, regret-laden glimpses into the fallout from partying too hard and the mistakes that come with it.
The lonesome whistle that leads in the loss of morality that is “Vegas,” the self-destructive boozing of “Drink Don’t Need No Mix,” and “Highway,” the latest single from Shaboozey’s questionably punctuated record Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, offers a not-so-subtle suicide threat on the heels of a hard breakup. He shows the tortured soul of classic country greats with production that hooks itself squarely in this century. Can’t be sure if he’ll hit up JPJ backed by a full band or singing over playback, but the choice may reveal what he values most about his musical contributions.
Are you struggling with life, love, stress, and setbacks? Are you well aware that the modern man must hustle? Have you been trying to find a balance since the aughts? Have you been a staple of the Midwest hip-hop scene and a defining force in Minneapolis music since the 1990s? Then you must be Atmosphere! The duo of emcee Slug and producer Ant have been churning out underground hits for more than 20 years, reveling in the unpopular and angsty. Nowadays, the lyrics weave in a little more positivity, but the ruminations on drugs, depression, and being ugly persevere with trademark witticism, wordplay, and self-awareness. $35–40, 8pm.
Wednesday 10/23. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Southern sounds abound in the setlists of Americana music purveyors Whiskey Myers. Bridging country crooning and rock ‘n’ roll with a foundation of folk, this six-piece outfit from east Texas has been bringing its smooth, full-bodied blend of sonic spirit to stages since 2007. The band’s latest release, Tornillo, is self-produced on the group’s own Wiggy Thump Records—a testament to Whiskey Myers rugged individualism. This same temperament found the band on the “Yellowstone” soundtrack (and in a season-one cameo), serving straight up to a whole new crowd of the hit television series’ eager enjoyers.
Friday 10/25. Tickets start at $45, 7pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com
Electronic music and intermedia art collide at the annual TechnoSonics Festival. With the theme of immersion, the 2024 iteration explores aspects of the world that envelop minds, bodies, and spirits. Sounds that surround, and environments that encapsulate, are all fair game at events on UVA Grounds and at Visible Records. The featured work in electronic music, intermedia, and sound art comes out of UVA’s composition and computer technologies program. Special guest artist Rohan Chander—aka BAKUDI SCREAM—offers a presentation covering his creative process on Friday afternoon, followed by performances on Friday and Saturday nights.
Thursday 10/17–Saturday 10/19. Free, times and locations vary. music.virginia.edu/technosonics-2024
Everybody’s buzzing over caffeinated pop princess Sabrina Carpenter. Brandishing a bevy of hit songs and a stage show to swoon over, Carpenter brings her Short n’ Sweet Tour to town with plenty to wig out about. Fabulous fits and funny bits abound, framed within a ’70s-era variety show aesthetic. The Disney Channel alum shows off her skills in both singing and acting in this high-energy performance that features big set pieces and plenty of pink.
Sunday 10/20. Prices vary, 7pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com
Wednesday 10/16 atThe Southern Café and Music Hall
In many ways, Jonathan Richman has traveled far from the emotive rock ‘n’ roll where he made his original splash with The Modern Lovers in the early 1970s. Emotive, jubilant, and at times, the lonesome reflections of a sensitive young man, the originality of the Boston-based quintet he led bore legendary fruit that would later be covered by the likes of David Bowie (“Pablo Picasso”), the Sex Pistols (“Roadrunner”), and Siouxsie and the Banshees (“She Cracked”). After Richman eventually turned the page on The Modern Lovers, his career gave him the leeway to create even more honest-sounding music: gingerly strummed guitar, and his inimitable, unassuming nasal voice chuckling through his playful lyrics—some of which could just as easily be the stuff of children’s books.
In the last decade or so, Richman has opted for an acoustic guitar, and expanded his local scope about driving past the Stop & Shop and celebrating the virtues of “Cold Pizza” (2022) into a journey that leans spiritual, physical, and globally multilingual, as evident by last year’s “Yatasamaroun” and “En La Discoteca Reggaeton.”
When he played the Southern back in 2018, he was surprisingly less the aw-shucks inoffensive wisecracking character and more of an introspective poet-guru from another age. Floating under the lights with his guitar not hanging about him with a strap, but propped up in hand and arm, he strummed softly, quietly, and, at points, hypnotically. But then he chastised an audience member for filming him on a phone (“If you want to watch TV, you should have stayed home”). He also included a couple of his bigger solo numbers, such as the good time “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar,” but the overall feel veered toward a more philosophical place, with musings about the nature of suffering and the depth of love.
For the upcoming return to the venue, he’ll once again be accompanied by drummer Tommy Larkins, who keeps Richman’s songs in line without confining them to a backbeat. His rippling rhythms are brushed out with intuition, giving the feel a jazz combo-like exploration. These are still very much Richman’s well-crafted songs, treated with the air to soar, the room to amble, and the delicate hands to work intricate, intimate magic.
Chicago-based jazz trumpeter Emily Kuhn returns to her hometown with The Emily Kuhn Quintet. As part of a residency with the Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU, the group will perform a public concert featuring new original music and selections from Kuhn’s recent release, Ghosts of Us. Pulling on the threads of connection, stillness, grief, and hope, Kuhn and co. tease out a sound borne of the natural world, science fiction, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on a foundation of musical familiarity and reliability, the five-piece ensemble expertly weaves a sonic tapestry of jazz, rock, chamber music, and Americana.
Saturday 10/12. $18–25, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. cvillejazz.org
What do we always say? If you’ve got it, haunt it—and Charlottesville’s got “it” in spades, as long as “it” is a frightening amount of Halloween (and pre-Halloween) fun. You’ve got just over three weeks to drink in all the boos you can handle, and we’ve scared up the best options in (and out of, if you’ve got your broom handy) town. Happy hauntings!
Let’s boo this!
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While we prefer to gorge on Laffy Taffy, bite-sized Snickers, and Dubble Bubble, we know some of you crave a little, shall we say, balance. Don your costume for the YMCA Gatorade Halloween Hustle—a family-friendly 10k run (or two-mile walk, which we hear includes treats and surprises) and sweat out the sugar. Proceeds from the event support YMCA financial assistance, so everyone has access to the facility. $40-75, 8:30-10:30am. October 26, Brooks Family YMCA. piedmontymca.org
Poison pen
You don’t have to write the great American novel to gain notoriety around these parts. Instead, enter C-VILLE’s annual Two- Sentence Horror Story Contest and hear your words read aloud by actors from Live Arts theater (and published in the October 30 issue of C-VILLE). Remember: two sentences only, by the stroke of midnight on October 11. Visit bit.ly/2024cville horrorstorycontest to enter.
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Yappy Halloween!
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Three for the doggos
Strut Your Mutt Halloween Pageant
A benefit for Caring for Creatures, The Shops at Stonefield’s annual pageant includes a K-9 costume contest (with cash prizes!), trick-or-treat goodie bags, a raffle for handmade quilts by award-winning quilter Lolly Schiffman, live music, and vendors. $10-20, noon-4pm. October 19, The Shops at Stonefield. strutyourmutthalloweenpageant.org
Pups on parade
Here’s your chance to show off Fido in his Sherlock Holmes get-up and Fifi dressed as the cutest raccoon this side of the Ivy landfill. The annual Downtown Mall Doggie Howl-O-Ween pooch parade and costume contest has categories for the funniest, most creative, most Halloween-y, best group theme, and best in show. The evening also includes dog trick-or-treating, a photographer, a caricature artist, and $2,000 in raffles and prizes. Suggested donation of $15 benefits Hooves and Paws Animal Rescue, 5-8pm. October 25, Central Place. pawprintsboutique.com
Howl~O~Ween
Keswick Vineyards hosts its annual Howl-O-Ween event, where your furry friends come dressed in their cutest costumes and parade around (literally, there’s a puppy parade in the tasting room) for all to see. A costume contest follows, so tell your pals: Don’t be a haunt mess. Free, noon-4pm. October 27, Keswick Vineyards. keswickvineyards.com
Rock on
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Well these sure do sound like a ghould time.
Spooky Funk Halloween Party Music Pop~Up
Dance party alert! DJ Ryan (aka Kendall Street Company’s drummer) will spin the tunes all night—you come ready to party, drink, and dance your boo-ty (get it?) off. Free, 6-9pm. October 25, Flying Fox Winery & Vineyard. flyingfoxvineyard.com
Fifth Annual Samhuinn Fest at Thistlerock with House of Hamill & the Donnybrooks
For the uninitiated, Halloween began more than 2,000 years ago as an ancient Celtic fire festival, Samhuinn (“sow-in”). Thistlerock Mead Company pays homage to the holiday’s origins, carrying on the traditions. Participate in fairy house-building workshops, crown-making, pumpkin-carving, and more, plus live music and fire-cooked food. Free-$15, 2-10pm. October 26, Thistlerock Mead Company. thistlerockmead.com
Ghouls Night Out
IX Art Park hosts this Halloween-themed costume rave in its Looking Glass gallery. Be prepared for spooky and surreal to collide in this immersive environment with lights, installations, and cutting-edge DJ-led beats. $20-75, 8pm-2am. October 26, IX Art Park. ixartpark.org
The Pollocks Howl~o~ween
Local favorite The Pollocks take the stage for a “spine-tingling night of music and mayhem.” $15, 7-9:30pm. October 26, The Batesville Market. batesvillemarket.com
Hard Rock Halloween
Van Halen and Stone Temple Pilots tribute bands Bad Halen and Sex Type Things, respectively, take the stage at Rapture for a hard-rock show. Free, 10pm. October 31, Rapture. rapturerestaurant.com
Get your fill
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Nothing says Halloween like a stomach full of mini MilkyWays. Here’s where to grab a handful (and then some).
Downtown Safe Halloween
Ting Pavilion hosts this Charlottesville Parks & Rec-sponsored free event, with live performances and a DJ, plus crafts, games, a costume contest—whew! (There’s also a quiet zone for those who are scared of crowds.) Trick-or-treating downtown follows the event from 4-4:30pm. 2-4pm, October 19. Ting Pavilion. tingpavilion.com
Trick~or~Treating on the Lawn
A tradition that started in the late 1980s, Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn is for costumed kids of all ages, who are invited to visit each of the 54 Lawn rooms (and the Range) to scavenge for sweets. Free parking is available from 3:30pm at the John Paul Jones Arena garage, South and West lots, and from 4pm in the Culbreth Road garage. Hourly parking is also available nearby. Free, 5-7pm. October 31, The Lawn and Range, UVA. studentaffairs.virginia.edu
Party like a rock star
Annual favorite the Mock Stars Ball returns for two evenings of intentional camp paired with some serious rock chops. Local musicians combine forces to form supergroup cover bands and impersonate big-timers such as Billie Eilish, The Cranberries, Sublime, Backstreet Boys, Brooks & Dunn, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more in a benefit for The Shelter for Help in Emergency in honor of Whitney French. $20-25, 8pm. October 25 and 26, The Southern Café & Music Hall. thesoutherncville.com
Photo by Tristan Williams.
It’s craftacular
Ready to (cat) scratch your creative itch? These three spots have you covered this season.
Halloween Mask~Making Workshop
Head over the mountain for this one, a mask-making class at Staunton’s Art Hive. Ideal for all ages and skill levels, the two-hour workshop will take you through the process of creating a personalized mask, starting with design and sketching and ending with final touches like glitter, feathers, or fabric. All materials are provided. 11am-1pm, $15. October 12, Art Hive Creative Reuse and Art Center, Staunton. arthivestudio.net
Halloween Macrame
The Scrappy Elephant invites you to make a Halloween-themed (a ghost! a jack ‘o lantern!) macrame craft. Says the creative reuse retailer: “This simple project is perfect for those who have never done macrame as well as those more experienced.” For ages 12 and up. $30, 2:30-4pm. October 20, The Scrappy Elephant. scrappyelephant.com
Paint + Sip Costume Party
Follow the instructor’s directions to create your own version of Batty Moonrise, a spooky skyline featuring (did you know?) the only mammal that can truly fly. Pro Re Nata hosts—and a free drink is included in the price of your $45 ticket. Oh, and come dressed up—it’s on Hallow’s Eve Eve! 6-8pm, October 30. Pro Re Nata. blueridgebrushes.com
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Get lost
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Make your way through one of the Blue Ridge Mountain Maze’s corn mazes (now located at Blue Toad Hard Cider, near Wintergreen). Equipped with just a crayon and a blank survival guide, you’ll scout an escape path through five acres while taking in a panoramic view of the mountains. Tickets include access to plenty of family-friendly attractions, like the country store, farm animals, movies in the meadow, and the Farmy Fun Zone. Up for a more chilling experience? Come back at night to navigate the maze by moonlight.
Child’s play
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For two evenings, Virginia Discovery Museum opens its doors for Boo Bash—carnival games, activities, and crafts. Plus, says the museum’s website, “Conduct eccentric experiments with UVA L.E.A.D. in the Mad Science Lab, concoct kooky potions in the Witch’s Cabin, dance the boogie-man boogie in the glow-in-the-dark Monster Mash room.” Proceeds support VADM’s programming. $18-65, 5:30-7:30pm. October 24 and 25, Virginia Discovery Museum. vadm.org
Witch you were here
Halloween’s not all plastic pumpkins and sticky children (blech!). For those of you with more sophisticated taste, try these.
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Haunted Happy Hour
Before the October 18 showing of Live Arts’ What the Constitution Means to Me, enjoy spooky drinks and $20 tarot readings by Jess Bronson of Sealed in the Stars on the theater’s rooftop terrace. Free, 5:30pm. October 18, Live Arts. livearts.org
Fall of the House of Usher screening
Enjoy live piano accompaniment from UVA film lecturer Matt Marshall while watching Jean Epstein’s 1928 surrealist adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s maddening novel. $5, 8pm. October 24, The Looking Glass at IX Art Park. ixartpark.org
Witches Tea Service
On West Main, Cakebloom hosts a proper tea service, with a “spoookkkyyy menu of tricks and treats.” Not hard to solve that mystery: We’re betting cake will be on the table. Come dressed in your favorite costume and be entered to win a free eight-slice sampler or, if you’re a runner-up, a free five-slice sampler. $45, noon. October 26 and 27, Cakebloom. cakebloom.com
Frights, Flights, & Bites: Halloween @ Ethos
Ethos Wine & Tea invites you for a trick-or-treat-style tasting (plus snacks!) of natural and local wines and organic teas. The event will take place on the sidewalk outside the Main Street café. $30-35, 6-9pm. October 31, Ethos Wine & Tea. ethoswineandtea.com
Halloween Organ Concert
Drink in a short concert of spooky organ music, followed by an up-close tour of the organ itself (we assume organ the instrument, but it’s Halloween, so who knows?). All ages are welcome to this free event. 4-4:30pm, October 31. Westminster Presbyterian Church. westminsterorganconcertseries.org
Boasting indie bona fides as a founding member of Brooklyn’s Jupiter One and a former member of the Athens, Georgia-based of Montreal, Kishi Bashi is touring in support of his new album Kantos. With a sound that defies easy categorization, the multi-instrumentalist draws inspiration from diverse sources of culture, history, and expression. He defines Kantos as “a party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it, at turns deeply unsettling and sublimely joyful.” In the new era of artificial intelligence, the LP functions as a celebration of the human spirit, championing the vast possibilities of anthropocentric art.
Saturday 10/5. $25–40, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Borne of NYC nights, indie darlings Vampire Weekend have been defining the sound of alternative pop and hipster house parties since the early aughts. Incorporating Afro-pop, ska, hip-hop, ’80s rhythms, and more, VW gets the blood pumping with tracks that tear up the stage like a bat out of hell. Promoting the new album Only God Was Above Us, the Grammy Award-winning group now includes local musician, producer, and UVA instructor Colin Killalea as a touring member. We’ll stake our reputation on this show not sucking.
Wednesday 10/2. $49.50, 7:30pm.Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com
