Get Out! events, shows, things to do

"In art everything is possible, but everything is not necessary.” ― Arvo Pärt

Icelandic band goes dark

You could count the number of famous music acts to come out of Iceland on one hand– there's Bjork, her band The Sugarcubes, folk group Of Monsters and Men, and Sigur Rós. The only thing these acts have in common is that they're all so unique, especially Sigur Rós, and in particular their most recent album. Kveikur, released this past June, is a major departure from their previous albums. From the first moment in its opening track “Brennisteinn,” you can feel the dark, dystopian mood, which carries throughout the whole track list. Their familiar light and airy sound, usually accompanied by meditative piano melodies, has turned into quite the opposite– a sound that shocks the senses.

The band, mainly made up of Jón Þór Birgisson on lead vocals and guitar, Georg Hólm on bass, and Orri Páll Dýrason on percussion, have put together seven albums since 1997. All are uniquely imaginative and minimalist with a call back to nature, while still being modern and cutting-edge. They have been categorized as post-rock, but they also incorporate classical, dub-step, and pop genres into their music. Their globe-spanning tour, which began over a year ago, will have the ultimate list of U.S. dates, consisting of a 20-show run. This is a live performance that's not to be missed.
Sept. 23, JPJ Arena, 7:30pm, $42

A pop of indie

The xx might be the most quickly exposed indie-pop band in the U.S. since they hit the charts in 2009 with their self-titled debut album.  Only a month after being released in the UK, xx was released in the U.S. to rave reviews. Tracks from that album have been used extensively in the media, including the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In 2012, they came out with their second and most recent album Coexist, which includes the instant hit "Angels." In 2013, they created a single called "Together" for Baz Luhrmann's film The Great Gatsby.

The band formed in 2005 while they were still in high school in London, England. Built around the soft, alluring vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, the beats and backbone of each track come from Jamie Smith on MPC. They have claimed many influences to their sound which run the gamut from Jimi Hendrix, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and Eurythmics to New Order and The Cure. The xx have also been inspired by hip-hop artists like Beyonce and Aaliyah.

Their tour will hit major U.S. venues like Radio City Music Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and, ahem, Charlottesville's nTelos Wireless Pavilion, before wrapping up this winter in South America. No opener has been announced for their show at The Pavilion.
Sept. 20, nTelos Wireless Pavilion, 7pm, $35

BGF BOTB

Let's get ready to rumble! It's time for the Battle of the Bands and Rockin' Auction, hosted by the local nonprofit, Building Goodness Foundation (BGF). Proceeds at this rockin' event will support the construction of schools, community centers, specialized housing, and health clinics in Virginia, Haiti, and Central America. Vote for your favorite participating band with a donation to BGF before the night of the show and then see them play live at The Jefferson. The lineup of home-grown talent competing for your vote includes Jacabone, 180, Blake Hunter, The Precedents, Durty Weasels, and Fatty Lumpkin and the Love Hogs.

At The Rockin' Auction you can bid on home improvements sponsored by some of Charlottesville's finest local businesses and builders, like an outdoor room designed by architect Mike Stoneking and sponsored by Shelter & Associates and Belgard Hardscapes; an extreme room makeover by Greer and Associates, Mountain Lumber, Artful Lodger, and Gaston and Wyatt; a $10,000 Subzero Shopping Spree donated by Ferguson; and a custom-built version of the small homes Building Goodness Foundation constructs as part of Haitian earthquake recovery. You can bid on an item prior to the Battle of the Band event at http://bgfbattle2013.weebly.com/. Check the site for details about sponsorship packages as well. 
Sept. 20, Jefferson Theater, 7pm, $150 General Admission, $1500 Party Pack of 10 tickets plus swag. 

Once in a lifetime chance

Kaoru Ishibashi, known as Kishi Bashi on stage, grew up just a couple of hours away in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the founding member of Brooklyn-based indie band Jupiter One, as well as a touring member of the band Of Montreal and Regina Spektor. You might have heard his music on television if you were in the market for a new computer– Microsoft used his song "Bright Whites" in a commercial for Windows 8, and Sony used the song "It All Began With A Burst" for a commercial introducing their Xperia Tablet S.

Kishi Bashi's live show is a solo performance built on live violin and vocal looping with some beat boxing. He has often been compared to performers like Andrew Bird, and his solo work is much akin to the work he does with Of Montreal. His first full-length record, 151a, was released in spring of 2012 after being funded partly through the online fundraising website Kickstarter. In Japanese, the title 151a (pronounced "ee-chee-go ee-chee-eh") roughly translates to "once in a lifetime chance." Kishi Bashi's second full-length album is to be released on Joyful Noise Recordings in spring of 2014.

Opening up for Kishi Bashi at the new and improved Southern Cafe and Music Hall is My Darling Fury, an indie band based out of Richmond.
Sept. 21, The Southern, 9pm, $10

THE LIST

Sept. 19
History: CSI-Cville 1904-Style walking tour. Downtown Mall in front of Marco & Luca Noodle Shop. 8pm. $0-$15
Poetry: Hand-to-Hand Haiku Tournament. BON Coffee. 7pm. Free
Reading: Rebecca Lilly will present her collection of Haiku poetry book, A Prism of Wings. New Dominion Bookshop. 5:30pm. Free
Business: Better Business Challenge Happy Hour Kick-off. Main Street Arena. 5:30pm. Free
Art: Night at the Museum with new exhibition and artist David Bosun. Kluge-Ruhe. 5pm. $0-$5

Sept. 20
Art: Serendipitea and Safe as Houses. PVCC Gallery. 5pm. Free
Art: An exhibit by the members of the Virginia Arts of the Book Center (VABC). CitySpace. 5:30pm. Free
Comedy: Third Fridays Improv. PVCC Campus. 6pm. Free

Sept. 21
Fundraiser: ScucciFest. American Legion Post 354, Midlothian. 1pm. $25-$30
Food: Bangladeshi cooking class, The Haven. 11am. $20
Sports: UVA Football vs. VMI. Scott Stadium. 3:30pm. $19-$38

Sept. 22
Film: The First Wives Club. Paramount Theater. 2pm. $4-$6
Theater: Troilus and Cressida. Blackfriars Playhouse. 2pm. $18-$42
Theater: Oklahoma! Burnley Moran Elementary School. 3pm. $9

Sept. 23
Art: Looking at the New West. UVA Fralin Museum of Art. All day. Free
Food: Farm-To-Table Dinner with Saunders Brothers. Devils Backbone. 6pm. Reservations required

Sept. 24
Art: Ansel Adams: A Legacy. UVA Fralin Museum of Art. All day. Free
Poetry: Local poet Hilda Ward shares her work at Poetry Exploration. Jefferson City Center's Carver Rec Center. 1pm. Free
Art: Woodcarver David Bosun Artist Talk. Campbell Hall. 5:30pm. Free

Sept. 25
Festival: Tomtoberfest Candidate Forum for Start Up Cville. Old Metropolitan Hall. 7pm. Free  
Dance: Swing Dancing at Cats Corner. Swing C'ville. $5
Theater: The Hungry Hungry Games. Paramount Theater. 7:30pm. $35-$65

SOUND HOUND

Sept. 19
Kip Moore at Jefferson Theater. $20-$25
Mister Baby at Blue Moon Diner
Steve Michael Smith at Carter Mountain Orchard
Jacob Paul Allen at Whiskey Jar

Sept. 20
The xx at Charlottesville Pavilion. $35
Heretics in the Lab, Oh So, Little Black Rain Clouds at Main Street Annex
The Nick Driver Band at Blue Moon Diner
Chamomile & Whiskey, Erin & The Wildfire at the Southern. $8-$12
Flight of Salt at Whiskey Jar
Art Wheeler Quartet at Escafe
Louis Smith Band at Miller's Downtown
Lisa Miller and Juke Joint Junkies at Wild Wolf
The Mad Anthonys at Heritage on Main

Sept. 21
Kishi Bashi at the Southern. $10
Lotus, DJ XSV at Jefferson Theater. $22-$40
Jimmy Stelling Trio at Wild Wolf
Grits and Gravy at Rapture/R2
Bomar & Ritter at Mountfair Vineyards

Sept. 22
Lotus, DJ XSV at Jefferson Theater. $22-$40
El Ten Eleven, Eliot Lipp at the Southern. $10-$12
Miracles of Modern Science at Jefferson Vineyards
Bubba Rose at Wild Wolf

Sept. 23
Superchunk, Spider Bags at The Southern. $17.50-$20
Sigur Rós at JPJ. $42
Sabra's Honky Tonk at Blue Moon Diner

Sept. 24
Son Volt, Colonel Ford at Jefferson Theater. $20-23
Bill Adams at Blue Moon Diner

Sept. 25
Titus Andronicus, Lost Boy at the Southern. $12-$14
Toubab Krewe, Greensky Bluegrass, Fruition at Jefferson Theater. $16-$18
Lord Nelson at Rapture / R2
Jim Waive at Blue Moon Diner