The Spirit Ball at Potter’s Craft Cider
By Sage Tanguay
Richie Hall 00:00
You’re listening to WTJU Charlottesville. This spooky season, Potter’s Cider is hosting Charlottesville Spirit Ball . For Arts This Week, we chatted with Christina Fleming, a Charlottesville musician and organizer for The Spirit Ball.
Christina Fleming 00:13
My name’s Christina. I’m the lead singer and pianist of local group Please Don’t Tell, inviting you to Potter’s Craft Cider on October 26th. Doors open at 6 pm; Music starts at 7 pm. We’re also being joined by the wonderful, Charming Disaster, who are much more charming than disastrous.
Richie Hall 00:31
What is The Spirit Ball?
Christina Fleming 00:33
So, The Spirit Ball was something that we came up with last year around our first EP release, and with just the idea that it’s more fun to have a more immersive, all encompassing, thematic event that’s based around the music, adding a little bit to the cabaret element, and just making things more fun, letting people be part of the atmosphere and add to it themselves.
Richie Hall 00:58
What sets this event apart from the last Spirit Ball hosted by Please Don’t Tell?
Christina Fleming 01:02
So the Spirit Ball this year was really just, it’s an extension of what we did last year, but we’re not releasing music this time. It’s really just to keep the spirit, so to speak, alive. We played with New York-based band, Charming Disaster last year, and had so much fun collaborating with them that we thought it’d be fun to do it again. Potter’s is this amazing atmosphere for something like this, with its 100 year-old stone chapel tasting room, and then maybe a little bit of tasteful decorating added by us.
Richie Hall 01:32
How did you find your sound as a musician, and what are some of your influences?
Christina Fleming 01:37
I have a strong classical background, and so do both of my bandmates. We all have sort of grown up around more subculture environment with goth and punk and metal and theater, and it just sort of seemed to combine, in this way with the particular influences that we all bring. We often get compared to things like Kurt Vile, which is always my favorite compliment, I think. And there’s definitely some, I guess, Mozart, like Beethoven influences, and, you know, things like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, and so this is a pretty wide range.
Richie Hall 02:15
What is something you enjoy or find unique about the Charlottesville music scene?
Christina Fleming 02:20
Charlottesville is a really unique place in that it’s not particularly a large metropolitan area, but we seem to have a really thriving and varied music scene, and people who are really amazing in lots of different styles. I think anyone could find something to love in our live music scene. We’re really lucky. And there’s a strong, I think, collaborative nature that’s always been there, even going to shows in the Tokyo Rose basement back in the day when I was a teen, all of the sort of more fringy elements of Charlottesville tended to come together and support each other’s shows. And I feel like that, while it’s maybe not as prevalent as it was then, it’s still… those threads are still in our community today.
Richie Hall 03:03
Are there any other projects you’re currently working on or pursuing?
Christina Fleming 03:06
I’m always pursuing lots of different projects. I also teach voice in Charlottesville. I’m performing with the Albemarle Symphony Orchestra in November, the group of French songs by a composer named Canteloube. And that should be a lot of fun. And I just did a collaboration with a group of musicians on Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrow and the Charlottesville ballet. And there’s just so much talent here that there’s no shortage of interesting projects that sort of suddenly emerge and draw you in.
Richie Hall 03:36
The Spirit Ball is open to the public and will be on October 26th starting at 6 pm. You can find out more information about Please Don’t Tell and the Spirit Ball at pleasedonttellmusic.com, or on social media @pleasedonttellmusic.
Arts This Week is supported by the UVA Arts Council and Piedmont Virginia Community College. PVCC Arts presents a rich array of dance music, theater and visual arts programming. Learn more at pvcc.edu