Imagine this supergroup: Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny, Gabe Witcher, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan. The biggest bluegrass high of the summer rolls through town with the proggy, hypnotic stringmasters Punch Brothers joining female triple threat I’m With Her—playing sets of their own and together—for acoustic bliss.
Please Don’t Tell
IX Art Park 5/25
Please Don’t Tell might be the Charlottesville music scene’s best-kept secret. This duo plays dark and often humorous Berlin cabaret with piano, cello and vocals.—Jackson Landers
Future Islands
The Jefferson Theater 5/30
On the movie soundtrack of your life, Future Islands delivers the mellow, moody, cinematic synth-pop for road trips, long runs and love stories gone awry.—Elizabeth Derby
Sons of Ichibei and Dogfuck
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar 6/17
Shows are like potato chips to me—most weeks, I can’t have just one. So, I’ll choose a venue: Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. From weirdo jazz to conscious hip-hop, folk pop, ambient rock and synth noise, Valence Shows books the tea haus’ entertainment calendar with the best variety of quality shows in town, almost always featuring local acts.—Erin O’Hare
Strand of Oaks
The Southern Café and Music Hall 7/14
On his latest album Hard Love, Tim Showalter has pivoted away from sad-bastard confessionals toward indulgent, distorted alt-rock anthems; perfect for blowing off steam in the heart of summer.—Jedd Ferris
Gillian Welch
Sprint Pavilion 7/30
Gillian Welch returns with telepathic picking and singing partner David Rawlings for a full-album performance of The Harrow & the Harvest (2011), and hopefully lots more from her bountiful oeuvre.—Nick Rubin
Punch Brothers
Sprint Pavilion 8/8
Born of broken hearts and rooted in classical acoustic mastery, Punch Brothers pack talent into dramatic modern bluegrass that flows from wholesome harmonies to lush pop to proggy grooves as uplifting as a cool Blue Ridge mountain breeze on an August evening.—Tami Keaveny
Delta Rae
The Jefferson Theater 8/25
Inspired by gospel and country, folklore and images of Americana, six-piece Delta Rae promises foot-stomping fun. Powerful vocals from Liz Hopkins and Brittany Holljes pack a Dixie Chick punch.—Mary Shea Valliant
Sylvan Esso
The Jefferson Theater 9/15
Durham, North Carolina-based Sylvan Esso pumps out dancey, electropop hooks. The duo’s sophomore album, What Now, was released in April and it’s a joyride through dazzy, euphoric tracks. Play it right by taking in a live performance.—Anita Overcash
Spoon with The New Pornographers
Sprint Pavilion 7/19
With a rotating cast of music heavyweights such as Neko Case, The New Pornographers’ sound is a power-pop explosion. And Spoon’s new album, Hot Thoughts, is just that: hot!—-Desiré Moses
The Head and the Heart
Sprint Pavilion 6/14
There’s a quiet happiness in this Seattle-based indie band’s songs that goes straight to the heart. Although touring since March without frontman Josiah Johnson who is battling drug addiction, expect no shortage of crescendo-building ballads as the band promotes its third album, Signs of Light.—Jessica Luck