The Music Beat: 4 Upcoming Concerts To Catch at Intimate Off-Grounds Venues

October 24, 2024
A graphic illustration of a crowd with their hands up

With just about two months left in 2024, make the most of the year by catching some concerts in the Charlottesville area. (Illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications)

Whether you’re a University of Virginia student looking for a study break or a community member eager to soak in some soothing sounds, Charlottesville has a live music lineup sure to elevate your spirit. 

From the bar scene at Dürty Nelly’s Pub to the historic charm of the Jefferson Theater, here are UVA Today’s picks for off-Grounds concerts to keep you grooving through the rest of 2024.

Ramona & the Holy Smokes

Oct. 28, Dürty Nelly’s Pub

Ramona & the Holy Smokes regularly bring their blend of bluegrass and Americana to the stage at Dürty Nelly’s Pub.

Ramona & the Holy Smokes regularly bring their blend of country and Americana to the stage at Dürty Nelly’s Pub. (Photo by Justin Ide)

Singer-songwriter Ramona Martinez leads Ramona & the Holy Smokes, who have emerged as standouts in the Charlottesville music scene with their blend of country and Americana. Drawing from her Mexican American heritage, Martinez combines traditional mariachi influences with the band’s country-western style, creating a uniquely captivating vibe.

The band features Kyle Lawton Kilduff on electric guitar, Brooks Hefner on pedal steel, Jay Ouypron on bass and Porter Bralley on drums, each adding their sound to the group’s performances.

Dürty Nelly’s Pub has been a beloved Charlottesville staple since the 1970s. Located on Jefferson Park Avenue, this cozy venue regularly hosts live music and karaoke on its modest stage. Dürty Nelly's Pub is the perfect atmosphere to enjoy an evening listening to the honky-tonk rhythms of Ramona & the Holy Smokes.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway 

Nov. 15, The Jefferson Theater

Portrait of Molly Tuttle

Though they only debuted as a band in 2022, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s album, “City of Gold,” won Best Bluegrass Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards. (Contributed photo)

Hailing from Santa Clara, California, 31-year-old bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle started her solo singing career in 2015 when she moved to Nashville. Her song, “Bury Me Beneath the Willow,” was featured in the 2023 film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway is Tuttle’s recently formed bluegrass band, featuring Dominick Leslie on mandolin, Kyle Tuttle on banjo, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on fiddle and Shelby Means on bass. 

Their 2023 album, “City of Gold,” earned far-reaching acclaim and went on to win Best Bluegrass Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards. The album was inspired by Tuttle’s childhood field trip to Coloma, California, to learn about the gold rush. 

The Jefferson Theater, nestled in Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, has been a community fixture since 1912, originally showcasing silent films and live performances from legends like Harry Houdini. Don’t miss Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway at the Jefferson Theater on Nov. 15 for a chance to experience the band in action. 

Yoke Lore

Nov. 17, The Jefferson Theater

Led by 34-year-old Adrian Galvin, Yoke Lore blends indie rock, folk and electropop into a genre-blending sound. Galvin’s first taste of the music industry was as a drummer for Walk the Moon, the band behind the 2014 hit “Shut Up and Dance,” which has nearly 2 billion streams on Spotify.

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Galvin left the band to pursue a solo career and debuted as Yoke Lore in 2016 with the release of his first EP, “Far Shore.”

Released in 2017, Yoke Lore’s standout song, “Beige,” has become a social media sensation on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, resonating with listeners for its raw lyrics about unreciprocated love. With more than 260 million streams on Spotify, the song recently achieved platinum status – selling 1 million copies – as Gavin announced on Instagram earlier this month.

Yorke Lore performing on stage

This marks Yoke Lore’s second stop at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville this year, after opening for Chelsea Cutler back in February. Since then, his hit “Beige” has achieved platinum status, meaning it has sold over 1 million copies. (Contributed photo)

Yoke Lore’s tour, beginning at the end of October, will stop at the Jefferson Theater on Nov. 17, offering an intimate, mostly standing-room capacity, to experience Yoke Lore’s talent up close. 

Indigo Girls 

Dec. 15, Paramount Theater

Album cover of the Indigo Girls

The Indigo Girls have spent decades in the limelight, and more recently, their iconic song “Closer to Fine” was featured multiple times in the 2023 blockbuster movie “Barbie.” (Photo by Jeremy Cowart)

Though they’ve been in the spotlight since the 1980s, the Indigo Girls saw a fresh wave of attention in 2023 when their hit song “Closer to Fine” was featured in the blockbuster film “Barbie.” Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the folk-rock duo from Georgia who first met in elementary school, have been influential figures in music since the release of their first album, “Strange Fire,” in 1987. 

The renewed spotlight reintroduced the Indigo Girls to a new generation of listeners. Today, they continue to captivate audiences, maintaining more than 700,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. 

As the final stop on their recent tour, the Indigo Girls will take the stage at Charlottesville’s historic Paramount Theater, located on the Downtown Mall, on Dec. 15. 

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Mike Mather

Managing Editor University Communications

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December 26, 2024

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