Get Out! events, shows, things to do

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

Reap what they sow

Thomas Jefferson was a legendary gardener, and if around today, would probably be a self-proclaimed "foodie". He was known for his plant experimentation and creating a sustainable agriculture at Monticello, so what better place to celebrate the summer harvest than at Jefferson's house? Head over to the beautiful West Lawn of Jefferson's Monticello this weekend and taste the plenitude of heirloom fruits and vegetables while learning about organic gardening at the 7th Annual Heritage Harvest Festival.

You can purchase separate tickets for premium workshops and lectures held on Friday by local gardening experts. Try "Herb Box on a Budget" hosted by Althea and Matthew Raiford or "Seed Saving in the Monticello Vegetable Garden" with Pat Brodowski. The lectures and workshops go all day on Friday and conclude with a Mountaintop Tasting and Grand Preview dinner for those who have purchased a Festival VIP Pass.

On Saturday, there will be chef demonstrations as part of general admission into the festival. Demonstrations include "Cake Decorating: So Easy a Kid Can Do It" with Kimberly Ligh, "Why We Eat What We Eat" with Michele Kayal, Bonny Wolf and Domenica Marchetti, "Maize, The Mother Corn" with Kelley Wilkinson, and "Grains in the Garden: A Quick and Healthy Meal" with Taylor Troxell. There will also be ongoing activities at each vendor where you can learn how to make your own bird treats at the Ivy Publications tent or plant and prepare tulips for Christmas at the EcoTulips tent.

If you're enthusiastic about the collecting and saving of seeds or just a beginner gardener, you've got to check out the Old Timey Seed Swap, where you can share your seeds and your knowledge of them (or lack thereof). The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants will be selling live plants and books as well, so check their tent throughout the day for book signings. And of course, Monticello is always open for tours of the house and gardens.
Sept. 6-7, Monticello, 9am, $8-$15

In the key of 'C'ville

Going into its 14th season, the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival is a series of concerts spanning over two weeks that take place at the Paramount Theater, Live Arts and UVA’s Old Cabell Hall. Charlottesville natives and festival founders, Raphael Bell and Timothy Summers, who are now performing around the world, have attracted an international group of musicians in programs that will take audiences on a tour through musical history, geography, and repertoire.

Sunday at 3pm at Old Cabell Hall is a concert of four performances by 
Raphael Bell, Rebecca Albers, Timothy Summers, Gloria Chien, and Matthew Gold. Next Thursday at 8pm at the Paramount, there will be a concert sponsored by Virginia National Bank where you can meet the musicians and join afterward for a public reception with light refreshments. Friday, September 13 at 12:30pm at the Paramount is a free lunchtime concert of Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals and Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose. Next Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8:30pm is Music Fresh Squeezed; Brooklyn Rider (pictured here) and festival musicians will join together for an evening of new works and improvisation at the Live Arts Gibson Theater.

Check their website 2013.cvillechambermusic.org for more dates and information. Tickets can be purchased online for single shows or for the entire series and discount subscriptions are still available.
Sept 8-Sept 22, Various locations and times, $6-$100

Califone national

After the break down of Chicago-based blues-rock band Red Red Meat, the former members set out on their own to pursue varied musical endeavors, but they never strayed far from Chicago or from each other. Named after Califone International, an audio equipment manufacturer, the band was originally just front-man Tim Rutili creating music from his computer before he enlisted the help of many contributors, including some members of Red Red Meat, and eventually coming out with a self-titled debut album in 1998.

Califone's music is a combination of Red Red Meat's blues-rock with inspiration taken from early folk music, as well as electronic sounds. Califone was never an effort to revive Red Red Meat's music, but rather to draw from a number of genres and styles, which makes for a very unique sound. Their current lineup includes Joe Adamik, Jim Becker, Ben Massarella, and Tim Rutili.

Joining them at The Southern is Richard Buckner, an American singer-songwriter living in Brooklyn, NY. Buckner's sound is mostly identified as alternative country.
Sept. 9, The Southern, 8pm, $10-$12

O' Be Joyful

Shovels & Rope is a South Carolina country-folk duo consisting of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. Their sound is dirty and raucous, making for visceral performances that get inside you and make you sweat like a humid summer in the South.

The band is on the road a lot, clocking in hundreds of shows throughout North America. On stage, they share vocals and several instruments, including a drum kit that was found in an actual garbage pile. In the past few years, they've toured with acts like Justin Townes Earle, Jason Isbell, the Felice Brothers, Hayes Carll, and Butch Walker. In 2011, the band recorded their latest album O' Be Joyful mostly at home between gigs, but a few of the tracks, they say, went down on the road.

Opening for Shovels and Rope is Shakey Graves, recently described as, "an astonishing one man show" by NPR Music. The New York Times said he, "makes the one-man band approach look effortless." Graves performs solo using only a guitar and a handmade kickdrum made out of an old suitcase to make his music.
Sept. 10, Jefferson Theater, 8pm, $15-$17

THE LIST

Sept. 5
Art: European Modern: Master Artists from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Williams King Museum in Abingdon. All day. Free
History: CSI-Cville 1904-Style walking tour. Downtown Mall in front of Marco & Luca Noodle Shop. 8pm. $0-$15
Art: People, monotypes by Perella Busse. Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church. 9am. Free
Sale: Soundtrack of the Season with live music and sidewalk sales. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 6pm. Free.

Sept. 6
Concert: Westminster Organ Concert Series begins its 34th season with an organ recital by Bálint Karosi. Westminster Presbyterian Church. 7:30pm. Free
Art: Opening Reception of Ngau Gidthal (My Stories). Kluge-Ruhe Museum of Aboriginal Art. 5:30pm. Free
Benefit: WTJU 91.1 FM CD & LP Benefit Sale and Party. The Bridge PAI. 4pm. Free
Dance: Community-oriented social dance, no partner or experience necessary. Municipal Arts Center. 7:30pm. $5-$8

Sept. 7
Charity: Art Wheeler presents Cabaret! a benefit for Operation Smile. C'ville Coffee. 7pm. $15
Food: Grand Opening for White Lotus Tea Club. 21 Middlebrooke Avenue, Staunton. 12pm. Free.
Art: The Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle paintings and photographs. Woodberry Forest School. 6pm. Free
Benefit: A benefit concert for Four County Players hosted by Terri Allard and Friends. Four County Players. 7:30pm. $25

Sept. 8
Reading: Marietta McCarty discusses her new book The Philosopher's Table. Aroma's Cafe. 3pm. Free.
Dance: Sunday Night Contra Dance. Greenwood Community Center. 6pm. $0-$10
Kids: The 4th Annual Discoveroo hosted by Virginia Discovery Museum. nTelos Wireless Pavilion. 12:30pm. $8-$12

Sept. 9
Charity: Benefit Dinner for the UVA Ryan White Program. Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar. 5:30pm. $20-$45
Art: Ansel Adams: A Legacy. UVA Fralin Museum of Art. All day. Free

Sept. 10
Film: Fixing the Future is about alternative economies and Time Banks across the country. Visulite Cinema. 7pm. Free
Art: Looking at the New West. UVA Fralin Museum of Art. All day. Free
Trivia: Tuesday Trivia hosted by Geeks Who Drink. Wild Wolf Brewery. 5pm. Free

Sept. 11
Theater: Henry IV, Part One, Blackfriars Playhouse. 7:30pm. $16-$42
Dance: Swing dancing at Cat's Corner. Swing C'ville. 8:30pm. $5
Concert: Open Mic Night. Durty Nelly's. 8pm. Free

SOUND HOUND

Sept. 5
The Anatomy of Frank, Air Review, Lorenzo Sevilla the Magician at The Southern. $8
Pink Martini at The Paramount. $29.50-$65
The Beets, Magik Markers, Free Time at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. $8
Velocipede at Blue Moon Diner
Travis Elliott and Friends at Fellini's #9
Lock Jaw at Carter Mountain Orchard
Skyline Harmony Chorus at Aldersgate United Methodist Church
Kevin Burke at C'ville Coffee. $18
Ronnie Johnson at Wild Wolf

Sept. 6
Pissed Jeans, Dwight Howard Johnson, Articulate Chewbacca at The Southern. $10-$12
Full Moon Saloon, Local Vocals at Fridays After Five
Johnny Ghost at Whiskey Jar
Steve Smith at Blue Moon Diner
Chickenhead Blues Band at Fellini's #9. $5
Curry Trio at Wild Wolf

Sept. 7
Suuns, Black Girls at The Southern. $12
Jason Ring at Whiskey Jar
John D’Earth and Friends at Fellini's #9. $5
The Bob Bennetta Jazz Trio at Escafe
Bootsie Daniels Band at Heritage on Main
Crow Creek Band at Wild Wolf
Bryan Elijah Smith and the Wild Hearts at Jefferson Vineyards
 

Sept. 8
Norwegian Arms, Klauss, Great Dads at Magnolia House
Eros and the Eschaton at the Garage
The Hogwaller Ramblers at Fellini's #9
Bubba Rose at Wild Wolf
John Tracy at Eary Mountain Vineyards
Scuffletown Trio at Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church. $10

Sept. 9
Califone, Richard Buckner at The Southern. $10-$12
Blues & Stuff at Blue Moon Diner
Jazz Collective #9 at Fellini's #9
We Banjo 3 at C'ville Coffee

Sept. 10
Shovels and Rope, Shakey Graves at The Jefferson. $15-$17
Water Liars, Johnny Law, The Mingsleys at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. $7
Flight of Salt at Blue Moon Diner
Louis Smith Band at Boylan Heights

Sept. 11
Zoogma, Dopapod, Damn Right at The Jefferson. $12-$15
Steal The Prize at Rapture / R2
Jim Waive at Blue Moon Diner
Shannon Branch at Heritage on Main

FIRST FRIDAYS

Angelo Jewelers- 220 E Main St. Message in a Bottle, a new collection of photographs by John Grant. 5-7:30pm.

C'ville Arts-118 E Main St. Poetry of the Land: Plein Air Painting, a show of new work by local oil painter Meg West. 6-8pm.

McGuffey Art Center- 201 2nd St NW. Sarah B. Smith Gallery: Kristin La Flamme's The Army Wife, a series of narrative textiles. All Hall Galleries: Central Virginia Watercolor Guild water media, featuring 56 Virginia Artists. 5:30-7:30pm.

Chroma Projects- 418 East Main St. Front Gallery: Mike Heivly's Disappearing Cultures. Passage Gallery: Linda Wachtmeister's Loculus. Black Box: Mike Heivly's Mr. Crozet's Tunnel. 5:30-7:30pm

Mudhouse Coffee- 213 W Main St. Animal Kingdom, wax and mixed media works by Lindsey Oberg. 6pm-8pm

Telegraph- 110 4^th St NE. Botanivore features botanical prints by Hannah K. Lee, Allyson Melberg, Jeremy Taylor, Brooke Weeber, Shannon May, and Eric Hancock. 6-8pm

CitySpace Gallery- 100 5th St NE. Virginia Arts of the Book Center Exhibit includes artwork, handmade books, broadsides, and more from the members of the Virginia Arts of the Book Center. 5:30pm-7pm.

The Bridge PAI- 404 Water St E. Virginia Folklife Apprentice Program exhibit. 7pm.

BozArt Gallery- 211 W Main St. A painting exhibit by Randy Baskerville. 5-9pm

Warm Springs Gallery- 105 3rd Street NE. New works and constructions by Angela Saxon. 6-8pm.