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Articles by Nick Rubin
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PICK: Alice Clair - C-VILLE Weekly
Spike Lee goes deep into the emotion of conflict in Da 5 Bloods By Kristofer Jenson | To say that Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is ripped from the headlines is to give those headlines too much credit. Filming wrapped last summer, but the movie is more rooted in this moment than the latest breaking stories.
Spike Lee goes deep into the emotion of conflict in Da 5 Bloods - C-VILLE Weekly
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods follows the reunion of Vietnam veterans trying to locate gold they buried in the jungle during the war. Netflix To say that Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is ripped from the headlines is to give those headlines too much credit. Filming wrapped last summer, but the movie is more rooted in this moment than the latest breaking stories. Even its flashbacks have more to say about the present than the 24-hour news networks.
Musical journeyman - C-VILLE Weekly
New York state of mind: Pete Davidson-Judd Apatow comedy hits home By Kristofer Jenson | Pete Davidson is the neighborhood kid everyone hopes will get his act together, except that neighborhood is national TV, and “everyone” is literally everyone.
Pick: Zoom Comedy Hour - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Treasure Trunk Mini Camps By C-VILLE Writers | Short camps for a long summer: Want to avoid throwing that Disney movie on again so you can get some work done at home? With the prospect of a long summer ahead, Live Arts has good news for parents of small children.
Rising above: New Sahara Clemons mural depicts the strength of black women - C-VILLE Weekly
Sahara Clemons took inspiration from her mother’s strength of character and community involvement to design a new mural on 10th Street NW. Image: Eze Amos On the afternoon of the year’s hottest day so far, Sahara Clemons stands at a concrete wall about three times her height, a roll of masking tape around her wrist, a brush in the other hand, cans of paint and a cup of melting bubble tea at her feet.
PICK: Beyond the Screen— Beastie Boys Story - C-VILLE Weekly
Writer and a fighter: Larry Kramer’s normal heart By Lisa Provence | Reposted from 2015. Larry Kramer died from pneumonia on May 27, 2020. Larry Kramer has had his finger on the pulse of what it is to be a gay man for the past 50 years. His 1978 novel, Faggots, and its depiction of the partying, promiscuous ’70s made him a pariah on Fire Island. His […] Pick: 30in30 By C-VILLE Writers | Acting out: No theater?
Writer and a fighter: Larry Kramer’s normal heart - C-VILLE Weekly
Playwright and LGBTQ rights activist Larry Kramer appears twice at the Virginia Film Festival on November 8 to discuss his life’s work. Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Film Festival Reposted from 2015. Larry Kramer died from pneumonia on May 27, 2020. Playwright and LGBTQ rights activist Larry Kramer appears twice at the Virginia Film Festival on November 8 to discuss his life’s work.
Turning the tables: As dining moves to takeout, local restaurants face challenges - C-VILLE Weekly
Standing in the Chimm dining room, Jay Pun felt a sense of unease. It was the weekend of March 7, and the tables were full of diners noshing on Thai and southeast Asian street food dishes. “This is really starting to freak me out,” said one of Pun’s employees, who was also surveying the scene. Pun had to agree.
ARTS Pick: Virtual tour at The Fralin - C-VILLE Weekly
ARTS Pick: Documentary Workshop with Ricardo Preve By C-VILLE Writers | Working the web: Documentary filmmaker Ricardo Preve is a former Crozet resident who’s stayed connected to the local community through his work.
ARTS Pick: Documentary Workshop with Ricardo Preve - C-VILLE Weekly
Album reviews: MC Yallah X Debmaster, Various Artists By Nick Rubin | MC Yallah X Debmaster Kubali (Hakuna Kulala) The most frenetic moment of Kubali comes right at the top, like an intimidating bouncer. Once you get past the brief jabbery pattern of vocables, percussion, synthesizers, and unidentified sonic objects, Kubali just swaggers and bumps.
Keep on truckin’: Food trucks retool their approach to stay running - C-VILLE Weekly
The Becerras are trying to make up for the loss of City Market business by serving Mexican tacos in their own neighborhood, and at IX Art Park on weekends. Photo by Sanjay Suchak April in Charlottesville is when the food truck business kicks into high gear. For Ignacio and Maria Becerra, the warm weather typically signals the return of long lines of customers snaking around the perimeter of the Charlottesville City Market, waiting for their Mexican Tacos.
Pick: Ike Anderson's HipHop Dance WorkShop - C-VILLE Weekly
Order up! A guide to local restaurants offering takeout By C-VILLE Writers | Since Governor Ralph Northam shut down dine-in restaurants several weeks ago, many area eateries have pivoted to takeout and delivery to stay afloat. What follows is a list of local establishments that are open and waiting to take your call-in order.
Pick: Hot Yoga Charlottesville - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: The Daily Creature By C-VILLE Writers | Wild things: We know your kids are restless, and the interactive fun of the Through the Looking Glass exhibit at IX is temporarily closed, but The Daily Creature streaming series is a hit with art- lovers and animal-lovers alike.
Shear temptations: Hair dos…and don’ts - C-VILLE Weekly
Fernando Garay, a master barber, instructor, and owner of House of Cuts Barber Studio, stands outside of his shop, which is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cutting hair isn’t just about style, he says. It’s about taking care of people. Photo by Eric Kelley You’ve thought about it. Looked in the bathroom mirror and considered the scissors in the drawer. Caught your reflection in a car window and wondered if you still have those clippers.
Pick: Charlottesville City Market - C-VILLE Weekly
Safe at home: Pets can be a comfort during the coronavirus By Mike Fietz | As we continue practicing social distancing and self-isolation in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many of us are at home and spending a lot more time with our pets.
Pick: Treasure Trunk Theater - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Monticello’s virtual tours By C-VILLE Writers | Viewing the past: Always wanted to visit Monticello but never had the time? And now that you have the time, the front door at TJ’s place is locked.
Pick: Save the Music - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Monticello’s virtual tours By C-VILLE Writers | Viewing the past: Always wanted to visit Monticello but never had the time? And now that you have the time, the front door at TJ’s place is locked.
Pick: Monticello's virtual tours - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Save the Music By C-VILLE Writers | Music matters: When Front Porch music school’s executive director Emily Morrison temporarily closed the doors to the popular venue, she was ready to break another barrier by livestreaming the robust programming students and fans have grown accustomed to.
Pick: BlkFrs TV - C-VILLE Weekly
Album reviews: Quarantunes By Nick Rubin | More than ever, we’re treating pop music functionally—we choose and use tunes to get us going in the morning; to set the right vibes for cooking; to get amped for a night out. But creating a functional playlist for others can be perilous.
Focused group: Porchtraits capture residents at a distance - C-VILLE Weekly
Two weeks ago, Eze Amos was “bored as hell.” Usually the photographer is running around Charlottesville at all hours, snapping candid shots of everyday life in the city—buskers, beer drinkers, sidewalk chalkers, protesters—shooting weddings, or completing assignments for this newspaper. But with everyone staying home for social distancing, Amos and many other photographers have lost their paid gigs and the chance to work on their passion projects.
Food web: Local farms find new ways to connect with customers - C-VILLE Weekly
At this point in the season, farmers have planted potatoes and strawberries. They’ve sown radishes, carrots, beets, and kohlrabi. They’ve transplanted broccoli and onions from interior pots to outdoor beds, and any day now, they’ll put in the warmer-weather crops like corn and peppers.
Pick: Concert on your couch - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Publishing pivot By C-VILLE Writers | It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has altered life as usual, but for area creatives the show must go on.
Pick: Art lessons - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Publishing pivot By C-VILLE Writers | It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has altered life as usual, but for area creatives the show must go on.
Pick: Publishing pivot - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Fly at home By C-VILLE Writers | Don’t let social distancing deny you the benefits of feeling strong and present in your own body. FlyDog Yoga is offering three to four live classes a day, plus on-demand Power Vinyasa, Yin, Flow, Barre, Power Sculpt, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, and more.
Homecoming: Sex and self-love during the coronavirus pandemic - C-VILLE Weekly
Single yellow battery on a yellow pastel background with crop for instagram By Lisa Speidel Navigating the coronavirus pandemic has proven challenging as we figure out social distancing, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, maintaining our health and minimizing breakdowns from cabin fever. Sex may be the last thing on our minds. Maybe we have kids at home and little privacy with our partners—or by the time the kids are asleep, exhaustion and feelings of anxiety dull any interest in sex.
Pick: Fly at home - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Publishing pivot By C-VILLE Writers | It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has altered life as usual, but for area creatives the show must go on.
Seeing it through: Art Apart initiative offers a window to connection - C-VILLE Weekly
Rainbow drawings by brothers Henry, age 5, and Sam, age 3, are part of the Art Apart initiative. Henry says that rainbows make him feel “happy!” (emphasis his), and he wanted to share his drawing “to make people happy.” Sam thinks that rainbows are “pretty,” so he also contributed a rainbow “for friends to see.” Staff photo Art in all its forms accomplishes many things. It can entertain. It can teach us something new about ourselves, or others. It can keep us company, keep us busy, keep us calm.
In sharp relief: Supporting artists through COVID-19 - C-VILLE Weekly
Rapper LaQuinn is one of the local artists who has received aid from the Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists, set up to help artists who have lost gigs, gallery shows, and more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Amy and Jackson Smith In an effort to help artists facing financial hardship because of venue closures and event cancellations due to COVID-19, The Bridge PAI and New City Arts Initiative launched the Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists on March 20.
Ripple effect: Local restaurants connect creatively to survive the virus’ impact - C-VILLE Weekly
Kate Ellwood, the former general manager at Citizen Burger Bar, has launched the Charlottesville Restaurant Community Fund to help raise money for area food service workers in need. Photo by Zack Wajsgras As restaurants nationwide are forced to limit service in response to the coronavirus epidemic, workers and owners face economic as well as emotional uncertainty. Our gem of a food town is no exception.
High tension cinema: What to stream while you wait it out - C-VILLE Weekly
What to watch now is whatever helps you get through this with your sanity and humanity intact. Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb brought dark humor to the threat of nuclear destruction during the Cold War. Image courtesy Columbia Pictures The spread of COVID-19 across the globe has left no part of our lives untouched, not the least of which is our viewing habits.
Many angles: Lisa Speidel’s new book talks about happy sex and more - C-VILLE Weekly
When Lisa Speidel joined the Sexual Assault Resource Agency in the early 1990s, she had no idea her work in sexual assault prevention would lead to a career in sex education. But one graduate program, one assistant professorship, and 27 years teaching women’s self-defense later, she’s become an advocate for sexual awareness as a path to agency.
Taking covers: Your social distancing reading list - C-VILLE Weekly
The Virginia Festival of the Book may have been cancelled, but the sliver lining is that you can read a book any time, any place. Here are a few suggestions. With the cancellation of the Virginia Festival of the Book, and recommendations to practice social distancing, there’s never been a better time to pick up some extra reading material. While we’re disappointed that we won’t get to hear from these authors in person, their work and words are still well worth your time.
Deli-cious anniversary: Local organizations benefit from Modern Nosh’s success - C-VILLE Weekly
Modern Nosh’s menu features popular deli standards like Reuben sandwiches (above), matzo ball soup, and latkes. “When I came back to town, I said I would really love to do this but who knows if they’ll support it, and it’s been a really positive experience” says owner Stephanie Levin. Photo by John Robinson Has it already been a year since we touted the arrival of an authentic Jewish deli to the local food scene?
Conversation starter: Zyahna Bryant is the newest addition to “Americans Who Tell the Truth” series - C-VILLE Weekly
Unless you’ve been living off the grid (or in denial) you know the story: In spring 2016, Zyahna Bryant wrote an open letter to City Council, calling for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue and the renaming of the downtown public park bearing Lee’s name. “When I think of Robert E. Lee, I instantly think of someone fighting in favor of slavery,” she began her letter.
Arts Pick: Men on Boats - C-VILLE Weekly
Arts Pick: New Works Festival By C-VILLE Writers | Fresh perspectives: Student playwrights, screenwriters, choreographers, musicians, and more get their chance to have the fruits of their creative labors appreciated in UVA’s The New Works Festival.
March galleries guide - C-VILLE Weekly
Through dexterous utilization of non-traditional lighting techniques such as lasers, LED wands, programmed projections, and various other homemade light sources, photographer Billy Hunt creates transcendent images for his new portrait series. And he does it all without the use of digital editing techniques.
Bluebird man: Ivy volunteer builds houses for a beloved species - C-VILLE Weekly
Building a bluebird box is a good project for a hobbyist woodworker, but most people don’t tackle quite as many boxes at once as Clark Walter. At certain times of the year, Walter’s woodworking shop in Ivy is packed nearly to the rafters with the parts and pieces that make up his bluebird box assembly line. Since 2012, he’s supplied homemade boxes to a growing contingent of naturalists and bird enthusiasts in central Virginia and well beyond.
Funny words: Expanding how we learn about sexuality - C-VILLE Weekly
Sex is A Funny Word co-author Cory Silverberg joins Lisa Speidel and Micah Jones in the panel discussion Left Out: The Importance of Inclusion in Sex Education on March 25 at 6pm at The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative. What is the right way to talk about human sexuality? This debate is as timely and fiercely contentious as ever. Whether sex education is coming from parents or schools, many disagree on what is appropriate content.
Arts Pick: Bubbles, Brews and Barbecue - C-VILLE Weekly
Arts Pick: New Works Festival By C-VILLE Writers | Fresh perspectives: Student playwrights, screenwriters, choreographers, musicians, and more get their chance to have the fruits of their creative labors appreciated in UVA’s The New Works Festival.
Arts Pick: Ian Rynecki - C-VILLE Weekly
Arts Pick: New Works Festival By C-VILLE Writers | Fresh perspectives: Student playwrights, screenwriters, choreographers, musicians, and more get their chance to have the fruits of their creative labors appreciated in UVA’s The New Works Festival.
Arts Pick: New Works Festival - C-VILLE Weekly
Funny words: Expanding how we learn about sexuality By Elizabeth Derby | What is the right way to talk about human sexuality? This debate is as timely and fiercely contentious as ever. Whether sex education is coming from parents or schools, many disagree on what is appropriate content.
New interpretations: Opera and American Sign Language come together in performance at VHO - C-VILLE Weekly
Amber Zion started analyzing acting techniques when she was 5 years old. The only deaf child in her family, she grew up watching movies without captions, and she made up her own stories based on what she saw in the actors’ expressions and gestures. When she watched MTV, she’d ask her mother to act out scenes from different videos—such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”—then she’d jump in and follow along.
Beacon of hope: The Assistant sheds light on the horrors of the casting couch - C-VILLE Weekly
As The Assistant, Julia Garner delivers a stunning performance, as well coffee and lunch, while shielding her boss’ illicit behaviors. Bleeker Street. The greatest horrors of the movie world are creatures pulled straight from our nightmares, abominations that mutate from our most irrational fears. It is cathartic and emotionally healthy to confront the monsters that scare us, in order to realize that they have no power over us. The monsters of the real world are far more insidious.
An accidental signing: Acclaimed author Ann Patchett on her latest novel, and her first trip to Charlottesville - C-VILLE Weekly
New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett has published 12 books across three genres, won a long list of awards and fellowships—including the Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award and a Guggenheim—appeared on “The Colbert Report” and Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, opened a thriving bookstore in Nashville, and been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. One thing she hasn’t done before? Visited Charlottesville.
Classified act: Films on Song does not apologize for its catchy, post-punk pop - C-VILLE Weekly
Films on Song performs at Magnolia House on February 29. Most musicians will tell you that Craigslist isn’t the best place to find bandmates. Sure, it’s worked for some groups (The Killers), but in a small town like Charlottesville, the odds of finding a copacetic match on the internet are especially slim. You’re more likely to meet like-minded musicians at a show.
ARTS Pick: Reggae and Poetry - C-VILLE Weekly
Arts Pick: Slam Dunk By C-VILLE Writers | It’s haiku season. Sling your wildest words out there. You could last longest. Wednesday 2/19. Free, 8pm. Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, 414 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 293-9947.
Album reviews: Reissue roundup part 1 - C-VILLE Weekly
Throughout the year, I reviewed some reissues (notably Gene Clark’s magisterial No Other and Prince’s colossal 1999). Here’s a few I missed along the way—more to come next time. James Brown Live at Home With His Bad Self (UMG) James Brown returned to play his hometown of Augusta, GA, in 1969, planning to release the show on an album.
Album reviews: Best-and-rest of 2019 - C-VILLE Weekly
Not sure why, but in 2019 I spent a lot of time with a relatively few new albums, so apologies to the stuff I didn’t listen to enough. Here’s an idiosyncratic best-of, the albums I listened to all year (in more or less chronological order), with a “rest-of”—albums I liked almost as much, or loved for a couple of weeks but left behind for whatever reason.
Album reviews: Leonard Cohen, Prince, Ghostigital, and Los Lobos - C-VILLE Weekly
A mix of styles on Los Lobos’ Llegó Navidad usher in the holiday season with humor and joy. Publicity image.
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