Live Music in Charlottesville
It’s a good thing February is the shortest month of the year. By the time the groundhog sees his shadow (or not) most of us are sick of the season, or just plain sick.
February blasts in cold and clear with a handful of upcoming shows of note on the roster. On Feb. 3, the Jefferson gets off to a rousing start with that balanced dish of a band known as Lettuce. Serving up a mixed blend of fresh funk, soul, rock, hip hop, and soul, this band really cooks. But enough with the food metaphors — Lettuce gets in the groove and never lets up. They’re a great live act and a good way to warm up the bones.
On Feb. 16, the Jeff welcomes Margo Price back to the stage after a several-year absence.
She was the hot new anti-Nashville darling when I saw her at a sold-out Jefferson show sometime in the mid-teens, and she hasn’t slowed down since, releasing excellent albums at a regular clip. She hasn’t lost a bit of her swagger or East Nashville street cred even as she’s become something of a staple in Music City.
At the Southern, things are a bit mellower, when on Feb. 9, folk stalwart Dar Williams returns to town, followed on the 12th by husband-and-wife duo, Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius.
This is a good opportunity to see a pair of intimate shows in a small club setting. The Southern has a sweaty, underground rock club vibe most of the time, but it’s also a surprisingly warm listening room for acoustic music. In a similar vein, keep an eye out for Baltimore’s Dirty Grass Players on Feb. 21.
Finally, keep an eye out for music offerings coming to a new bar/restaurant, Taphouse at the Gardens, located at the Crossroads Store in North Garden (the same building complex that houses Dr. Ho’s.)
I recently caught a soft opening performance there by the elusive Red & the Romantics, and it was a rowdy good time in a kick ass Southern Albemarle-Northern Nelson roadhouse kind of way. Let’s hope they begin booking local bands on a regular basis. Charlottesville needs a good joint just a few miles drive outside the city limits.
