No Let-Up Anytime Soon

First I'd like to thank ADA Gallery for saving the opening of their new show until tonight since I was out of town for July's First Friday Artwalk. But I'd be remiss if I didn't also thank all my musician friends for conveniently scheduling so many great shows for the week of my return from vacation. It's certainly made it easy to hit the ground running, as one astute commenter noted earlier.

"Indigenous Territory," the new exhibit at ADA by Kristin Beal-Degrandmont included a video installation piece of two adjacent screens with contrasting images shot mostly from a moving car. Watching the simultaneous screens, I was reminded of the VMFA's "Outer and Inner Space: A Video Exhibition in Three Parts," back in 2002, which was essentially a survey of the history of video art. Looking at Beal-Degrandmont's installation was a reminder of how solidly video has been established as an art form.

The only other piece in the show was a combination sculpture/light/imagery piece depicting roadside poles, signs and animals beneath an undulating "road" complete with tiny, functional street lights and mounted to the wall. I heard one woman ask the artist if it was sculpture; I had to presume that it was challenging the viewer's perception of what that term means. I found it quite visually satisfying for its evocation of a lonely stretch of country road, regardless of what label is put on it.

My second stop was the new Sprout Cafe and Market for what was billed as A Summer Acoustic Show featuring Dorthia and with headliners Lobo Marino. I liked the place; the selection of Virginia-grown vegetables looked appealing, I saw handcrafted merch from several local artisans I know and the chalkboard menu had some interesting choices.

Had I not just eaten a generous Cobb salad from Garnett's, I could have easily ordered the chicken, bacon and peach chutney sandwich with greens aioli, but wait, it was already crossed off due to popularity. Noticeably popular tonight, too, were the PBR tallboys for $3, but they also had a small but good wine selection (and, note to self, a happy hour). I will be back soon to explore the menu further.

The place had a good-sized crowd when I arrived and people continued to trickle in throughout the show. I wasn't familiar with Dorthia, a bluesy, down-tempo sort of a singer, with a throaty voice and a low-key style, but she clearly has talent and I enjoyed her performance.

When I'd walked in, the owners had asked me which band I was there to see and I'd not hesitated to say Lobo Marino. Two of the members, Jameson and Laney, are good friends (I'd seen them as recently at least night's show at the log cabin), close enough that they helped me celebrate my birthday at Ipanema back in May, but I hadn't yet seen them play in this new configuration.

They'd traveled and woofed through South America last year and written a lot of music together while doing so, incorporating Latin influences into their indie folk sound (both were previously in other bands). For Lobo Marino's new CD and current tour, they've added a third member, Nathaniel, meaning that the audience gets a full range of instruments as well as a third voice: drum, guitar, trumpet, accordion, bells, xylophone and even rhythmic hand clapping and stomping.

The songs sounded like they were created by people soaking up the local sounds and enjoying every minute of it. I made sure to leave with their new CD, which I'm already listening to as a reminder of their too brief set. I think the audience would have stayed indefinitely to hear more.

Driving home, I was waiting at the light at Franklin and Harrison when I recognized Nathaniel crossing the street in front of me with his instrument. "Hey," I shouted out the window, "didn't I just hear you play?

"Yea, and now I'm going to play at Strange Matter," he shouted back.

"It's a great life, isn't it?" I asked, needing no confirmation.

"You know it," he grinned. I do.