Extra: Going greens at the Jefferson School.

Wednesday 4/27

music

Berto and Matt. Enjoy dinner with live music. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Daniel Donato with Willie De Trio. The Nashville native’s debut album weaves outlaw country and Grateful Dead-style Americana into a singular form coined “21st-century cosmic country.” $15-17, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Mike Rosensky and Jeff Decker Quartet.

Late-night live music. Free, 8pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com The Wavelength. Blues and more. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com

dance

Latin Night with Bachata Social. Dance the evening away with the hottest bachata, salsa, merengue, cha cha, cumbia, reggaeton tunes, and more. Free, 6:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

SwingCville Beginner Lesson & Social

Dance. Celebrate vintage jazz and learn swing basics. Free, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.org

stage

Paramount Presents: An Evening with

Lindsey Buckingham. The rock legend performs live. $49-229, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net The Children. A thought-provoking and challenging eco-thriller that follows three retired nuclear scientists as they grapple with the state of the world. $20-25, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes

Paint & Sip with Catelyn Kelsey Designs.

Enjoy a beverage while you paint with acrylics. $40, 5pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. catelynkelseydesigns.com

Thursday 4/28

music

Berto and Vincent. Wild gypsy rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Charming Disaster. The Brooklyn goth-folk duo stop by The Stage for a special one-hour concert. Free, 6pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net Hubby Jenkins. The former member of Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops spreads his knowledge and love of old-time American music through his dynamic solo performances and engaging workshops. $20-22, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.org

Old Crow Medicine Show with Sierra Fer-

rell. An evening with the Americana string band that got its start busking on street corners. $45, 7pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com San Holo. The electronic music innovator performs as part of the Monster Energy Up & Up Festival. $41, 7:30pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com Tea Time Recitals. UVA students present a varied menu of a semester’s worth of musical training and practice. Free, 1pm. Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. virginia.edu The Root Cellar Remedy. Eclectic sound steeped in Americana, folk, cosmic country, and rock ‘n’ roll. Free, 6pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

dance

Spring Dance Concert. Wide-ranging, provocative, and engaging choreographic works by UVA students, faculty, and guest artists. Free, 7:30pm. Ruth Caplin Theatre, UVA Grounds. virginia.edu

stage

16 Winters, or the Bear’s Tale. The UVA Department of Drama imagines the 16 years between acts three and four of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale in this comedy-drama. $8-14, 8pm. Culbreth Theatre, UVA Grounds. virginia.edu The Children. See listing for Wednesday, April 27. $20-25, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

etc.

Arts From Underground. Artmaking, drinks and karaoke inside The Looking Glass. Free, 7pm. IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. ixartpark.org Bingo at Potter’s. Sip on cider and win fun prizes. Free, 6pm. Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com Thursdays Around 5. Featuring JRB Band and Raclette on the Run food truck. Free, 5pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org Trivia Night with Sarah. Three rounds of mind-bending trivia. Free, 6pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Friday 4/29

music

Bob Bennetta Blues Revue. An evening of jazz and blues. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd, Free Union. glasshousewinery.com Caroline Spence. Crystalline vocals and finespun melodies that soar and drift. $15-17, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com Films On Song & The BLNDRS. Eclectic music inspired by the ‘80s and psychedelic blues rock. Free, 6:30pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

Fridays After Five: Mighty Joshua with

Tyler Dick Band. Live music outdoors. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com John D’earth Band. The trumpeter and composer performs live with his band. $5, 6pm. The Pub at Lake Monticello, 51 Bunker Blvd., Palmyra. lakemonticellogolf.org

Making Noise in the Library: Jazz in the

Afternoon. Enjoy refreshments and music provided by jazz singer and UVA alumnus Tina Hashemi, and UVA jazz students Michael McNulty and Ami Falk. Free, 4pm. Music Library, Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. virginia.edu Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil. A full performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers by the University Singers and the Oratorio Society of Virginia. Free-$37, 8pm. St. Thomas Aquinas University Church, 401 Alderman Rd. virginia.edu Tea Time Recitals. See listing for Thursday, April 28. Free, 1pm. Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. virginia.edu West of Wyatt. Groovy tunes. Free, 5:30pm. Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Praise the braise

Soul foodies come together for annual greens competition

SUPPLIED PHOTO

The eighth annual Greens Cook Off will be held on Saturday at 3pm in front of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.

By Shea Gibbs

living@c-ville.com

The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center will hold its annual Greens Cook Off on April 30, two months later than organizers had hoped.

The center intended to hold the cook off indoors in February, with contestants participating in stages. But “due to community concerns,” administrators held off. Now, with a warmer weather forecast and COVID-19 cases down from their January peak, organizers say they’re comfortable bringing participants together for the beloved event.

“It was one of the earlier programs that we instituted to celebrate Black culture,” says Leslie Scott-Jones, the center’s associate curator of education and public programs.

Now in its eighth year, the Greens Cook Off invites local home chefs to prepare food in three categories: braised greens (typically collard, though other varieties are welcome), macaroni and cheese, and pound cake. Event organizers ask the cooks to make enough of each dish to offer 50 people a 2-ounce serving. Scott-Jones says some COVID protocols will be in place to make it safe to share food.

Greens Cook Off participants can compete in as many categories as they choose. Judging is done separately for each category, with three cheftestants emerging victorious. Everyone attending the event can taste the goods, and fan favorites will also be selected.

Coronavirus interrupted the 2021 event as well. Instead of bringing folks together, the JSAAHC invited local professionals to do the cooking. Chefs from Maya, Blue Moon Diner, The Whiskey Jar, and Soul Food Joint, among others, participated. Some recorded their cooks; others did it live. And while ScottJones said the online event went well, she’s excited for it to be back in person.

“People have been doing this for their families for years, some of them for decades, and it is a chance for them to show off a little bit,” she says. “It really is a chance for Black people in the community to come together and celebrate one of the pinnacle foods in Black culture. You go into any Black household, and there’s always a conversation about food. It’s part of who we are.”

So what makes a Greens Cook Off winning dish? Scott-Jones says it’s hard to say year-to-year. Vegan mac-and-cheese might not sound great to most folks, but that’s the dish that won the category several years ago. “It’s been interesting over the years to see how people’s taste and health concerns have changed,” she says. “And there are all kinds of ways to cook greens.”

Scott-Jones says cook-off contestants have used various greens—collard, spinach, kale, mustard—and a litany of secret and not-sosecret spices. They’ve sautéed and boiled. They’ve made greens with pork, and greens free of animal products.

Local soul food chef Angelic Jenkins of Angelic’s Kitchen says the secret to greens is time. She starts with collard greens, diced onion, ham hocks, vinegar, and spices that’ll remain nameless. She braises the greens in chicken broth and water for nearly 24 hours. “Everybody at home thinks I’m crazy,” she says.

Scott-Jones says this year’s Greens Cook Off will be slightly smaller than in the past. And because all but one of the contestants are new entries, this year’s champs will be first-time winners.