FunStuff: Charlottesville events November 1 and beyond

Rock in the Election
Why shouldn't Election Day be fun, too? The folks at WTJU radio think it should be, and that's why they're throwing an election night party. Indeed, this Presidential election has dragged on so long that it's going to be a celebration to finally have it over with. It all happens at the Southern Café & Music Hall, featuring music from Rick Olivarez Trio, The Positive Collective, and Left and Right, plus live election returns and happy hour specials. Show up with an "I Voted" sticker and it's half-price at the door.
November 6, Southern Café & Music Hall, 7pm-whenever, $5-$10

Arts around grounds
UVA's College of Arts & Sciences plans to showcase creativity with a special Progressive Performance event that arts lovers will want to catch. Studio art faculty and students will be holding "open studios" in Ruffin Hall as a window into the creative process, and later the University Singers will perform. On the East and West Ranges, student video art and films will be screened, a drama and dance performance will take place on the Lawn side of the Rotunda steps, and the Garden Room will feature collaborative student poetry readings and music. Art professor Lydia Moyer’s film Paradise, which examines sites of societal and environmental disaster through an experimental take on the Ken Burns’ style of filmmaking, will be screened in Pavilion III, and the day ends with a jazz and acting improvisation piece in the McIntire Amphitheater.
November 2, UVA Grounds, all day, free

 

Jazz legend
As if seeing a performance by the Free Bridge Quintet, UVA's renowned faculty jazz band, in beautiful Old Cabell Hall weren't enough, acclaimed jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut will be sitting in on their latest concert. Mixing various styles on a strong foundation of gospel sound, the 49-year old Chestnut has come to be recognized, as Time Magazine music critic Josh Tyrangiel declared, "the best jazz pianist of his generation." Indeed, Free Bridge's drummer Robert Jospé said he was "spellbound" by a Chestnut performance last April in Charlotte, North Carolina. Meanwhile, Jospé's bandmates, John D’earth on trumpet, Jeff Decker on the sax, and Pete Spaar on the base are no slouches either. Check it out. Free for students who reserve a seat ahead of time.
November 4, Old Cabell Hall, 3:30pm, $8-$15

 

Thyme out for women
'Tis the season for fundraisers, and this annual dinner and silent auction for Women's Health Virginia pairs a four-course dinner by some of the area's best chefs with a good cause–- helping Virginia women and girls lead healthy, productive lives. Take Thyme For Women's Health, as it's called, will feature a great meal prepared by Tim Burgess and Vincent Derquenne of Bizou and Bang, Dean Maupin of the C&O, and Kathy Buchet of Orzo, plus wine pairings from Cooper, DelFosse, Sugarleaf and Whitehall Vineyards. The silent auction will feature art, clothing, jewelry, get-aways, and gift certificates, and more from over 30 vendors. Individual tickets start at $100 and go all the way up to $1,500 to host an entire table. So, not exactly an on the cheap FunStuff, but if you've got the coin, this fundraiser is the place to be. Make your reservations online at womenshealthvirginia.org or call 434-220-4500
November 8, The Space Downtown, 6:30pm, $100-$1500

 

Polaroids
New Preston Avenue coffee shop Milli Joe joins the First Friday gallery walk with re-worked and re-purposed Polaroid shots from photographer Cary Oliva. Opening reception at 5pm with Milli Joe's signature "Cappy Hour" extended, plus some live music afterwards.
November 2, Milli Joe Coffee, 5-7pm, free

 

Serpents from Shapiro
Always provocative artist Sharon Shapiro presents a series of small paintings she did during a summer residency at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, a "duo of thorns" pictured here from the exhibit Serpents. "I was interested in exploring portraits without the actual figure, I began to distill elements from the larger works on paper that I’ve been creating for the last 18 months," says Shapiro, well known for her portraits. "The crown of thorns, the hose, and the feathers all have their own inherent meanings and when grouped together, they take on a narrative feel," she says. Shapiro will also be presenting a series of framed collages.
November 2, Mudhouse Downtown, 6-8pm, free

 

Amphora
Chroma presents work from Richmond-based, Columbian-born painter Diego Sanchez in the Front Gallery. Sanchez's bright, vibrant Latin-American-inspired paintings focus on singular objects, this time containers like this amphora, an ancient type of container used to carry water and wine. As a compliment to Sanchez's work, ceramic artist Scott Meredith presents modern-day containers inspired by the ancient amphora shaped pots. Painter Karen Hubacher and collage artist Barbara Bernstein will also have work displayed in the gallery space.
November 2, Chroma Gallery, 5:30-7:30pm, free

 

Radin and Sudol
Soulful and lovely songstress Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy returns to Charlottesville, bringing with her a new "planet on the brink of catastrophe" inspired album, Pines, which is both a reflection on the natural world and self-realization. She's also brought along Joshua Radin, a singer-song writer who started relatively late in life, and through some happenstance, his ended up popping up as theme songs on numerous TV shows, including Scrubs, Grey’s Antatomy, and American Idol. Radin's 2008 album Simple Times, with the favorite track "I'd Rather Be With You," put him on the map as a soulful, searching artist in Sudol's mold. Seeing the two of them together should be a real treat.
November 5, Paramount Theater, 8pm, $27-$35

Buzzard boys
What can we say? The Buzzard Hollow Boys are the latest chapter in the musical journey of well-known local musicians Tim "T.A." Anderson, Sonny Layne, Jeff Saine, and Kurt Dressed, who have all been parts of, and whole parts, of bands like The Casuals, The Stoned Wheat Things, The Urgents, Spike Jr. and his Saddle Sores, and Charlottesville's one and only Western Swing band. Today, they're cranking out country blues, folk, murder ballads, train songs, and jug band stomps. These guys met 20 years ago, and they know what they're doing. Check them out.
November 3, C'ville Coffee, 8pm, free

Photo fundraiser
The Charlottesville Photography Initiative hosts a not-so-silent auction of 25 choice photos from its talented members, all to raise money for Help Portrait Charlottesville, the local chapter of a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment, and expertise to provide free holiday portraits to those in need. The event also features live music, a photo booth, and snacks and beverages.  Call 434-953-4134 for more information.
November 2, 300 West Main Street, 5:30pm-8:30pm, free