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NUMBERNIN6 @Spooky Throttle
Euphoric Productions is proud to present the fifth installment of the best Halloween party in Richmond, Spooky Throttle. This time...we are transforming The Hat Factory into the spookiest, most haunting place to be for this eerie night. Huge cash prizes for the best Halloween costume, performers that will make you think you are in a horror movie and some of the sickest music for you to get your graveyard groove on to. We are proud to welcome Richmond's premier dubstep dj/producer: NUMBERNIN6, to the Hat Factory for the very first time for this special night! Come celebrate Halloween the right way by getting down to the nasty beatz with the freaky peeps at Spooky Throttle 5!
Event Page: http://tinyurl.com/SpookyThrottle
Hat Factory is located in Shockoe Bottom @
140 Virginia St.
Richmond, Va 23219
Price: $10
8-2am
18+
Radio Rubber Room EP35, The Dimmer Twins of Horsehead
In this episode we had John and Kevin from The Dimmer Twins and Horsehead on the show. These guys were great. They had it all; musical talent, good songs, a great sense of humor, and dashing good looks fit for radio. We talked mostly about the twins and established that they are not actual twins and look nothing alike one another. We also discussed their full band, Horsehead, and chatted a lot about the Richmond music scene's progression over the last decade. Shaun was on fire tonight, making this episode one of the best yet. Listen to find out which Ryan from No Dice the guys like better.
HALLOBEER @ Mekong, Presented By Taste The Local & RVA
Mekong is for beer lovers, and on Wednesday Oct. 26th, 6004 West Broad Street will host our 2nd Annual HALLOBEER!
It's an event we really look forward to each Halloween, so make sure and come out dressed up, ready to dance and have some amazing beers. In addition to the outrageous amount of spirits that will most certainly haunt the glasses of those brave enough to dare, there will also be entertainment provided by The Mekong All Stars (Members from DJ Williams Project, The New Belgians and The Big Payback) and RVA's own DJ Reinhold, a costume contest, a raffle full of prizes, and an unbelievable amount of amazing beer that will have something for everyone!!
Check the event page for the Beer Lineup and more info on the event!
Halloweek Kicks Off With Raging Dead & Shockoball
Presented by Taste The Local & RVA, tonight is the kick off 11 days full of spooky, weird and crazy events celebrating what is arguably Richmond's favorite holiday. If you're smart, you've already picked up, purchased, assembled or pulled your awesome costume out of storage and are ready to rage in vein of Samhain. Well we've got plenty of fun and festivities packed full of music, spirits, contests and door prizes for you dirty little devils.
Tonight is The Raging Dead at New York Deli with Audio Ammo. Thanks to West Coast Kix and River City Music, the first fifty people who dare to enter will be awarded with a gift bag that would make Phthonus himself green with envy. Make sure you dress to astound because one lucky winner will be leaving the Deli with a prize package that includes two tickets to see rap sensation Wale and a gift certificate to West Coast Kix.
The craziness continues on Saturday with day two of The Shockoeball presented by EQ Pruduktions. The Shockoeball is a two day event with music from Conspirator, The Former Champions, Ghost Payne, Eclectic Method, Sonicspank and Josati. Both nights will have a DJ Dungeon you will not want to miss. Tickets can be purchased at thecanalclub.com and all information is available on The Shockoeball event page.
Check out halloweekrva.com for more events and further info, and remember this is just the beginning...
OCTOBER 22-31: Pumpkin Tap Takeover At The Camel!
The Camel, the excellent live venue and watering hole on W. Broad St., is presenting a Pumpkin Tap Takeover in celebration of Halloween this year. The event begins on Saturday October 22 and will continue through Halloween, for a total of 10 days of pumpkin brew awesomeness. There'll be a ton of great bands playing at the Camel during that time as well, so even if you don't plan on drinking any pumpkin ales, you'll still have plenty of reason to make it down there as often as possible. From pop-punkers The Menzingers to heartfelt rock n' rollers Polar Bear Club and Make Do And Mend to Noah O's Hip Hop Halloween showcase to the heartfelt folk of Crooked Fingers, there'll be a wide variety of genres and styles on display. Come down and check them out as often as possible!
WHAT: The Pumpkin Tap Takeover!
WHERE: The Camel, 1621 W. Broad St.
WHEN: Saturday, October 22 - Monday, October 31
Check out the full list of beers that will be available on tap, and the full schedule of awesome musical performances going on during this event, after the jump.
Technology And Small Business: Spur Gallery
When I last sat down for coffee with a certain friend of mine, my eyes locked on her beautiful new necklace. “That’s gorgeous! Where did you find it?” I asked, always intrigued with her unusual and delightful accessory finds.
“Etsy,” she said, and began to fill me in on the details of this great artist she found on the site, along with the other pieces that the jeweler had posted for sale online.
The advent of the artists’ online marketplace has occurred rapidly, as though overnight. Artists who, at one time, were struggling for a gallery presence are now following the stream of new artists embracing the DIY marketing mentality through online tools such as Etsy and Flickr. The days of laboring through endless costly photo shoots and waiting for slide processing have passed, replaced with the point-and-click ease of taking a digital photo of your artwork, uploading it to your website, and marketing it on a global level, all within a single afternoon.
I wanted to get some input on the effectiveness of this newest technology from a few artists themselves, so I got together with Norah Caldwell, owner of Spur Gallery, who is relatively new to online marketplaces, as well as one of her friends and partner within the Spur collective, Chris Milk, who has been utilizing online avenues for marketing his paintings to a global audience. We sat down over some craft beers at Tarrant’s, less than a block away from Spur (which is located at 321 Brook Rd), and they discussed their experiences and opinions of the latest in the online marketing arsenal available to artists.
Tonight: Open Stage Night @ Cafe Diem
Last Wendesday, Open Stage Night brought out an impressive bunch of musicians. Tonight at Open Stage Night, we have a nearly full list. There are a few early/late slots left. If you'd like to grab one, leave a message on our Facebook Event page. Dont miss a night of live local music Richmond.com said is not to be overlooked.
Each Wednesday is becoming better than the last, so we hope you'll join RVA Magazine and Radio Rubber Room in yet another edition of our weekly celebration of Richmond music.
WHO: RVA Magazine & Radio Rubber Room
WHAT: Open Stage Night
WHEN: Every Wednesday from 9pm-1am (Signup starts at 8:30pm)
WHERE: Cafe Diem, 600 North Sheppard Street in the Fan
WHY: BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TO MAKE A STRONGER MUSIC SCENE!!!!
Photos by Tyler M. Conta (after the jump).
FRIDAY NIGHT: FEAST RVA At Quirk Gallery!
FEAST (Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics) is a group that began in Brooklyn with the goal of supporting creative work without forcing artists to rely on wealthy corporate capital. A couple of weeks ago, we told you about the brand new FEAST RVA organization, a not-for-profit community driven project whose mission is to democratically fund the work of local creatives. At the time of our previous article, they were looking for submissions from local artists with proposals for works of art that need funding. Five finalists would be chosen for presentation at an upcoming dinner, and guests at that dinner would select the artist that ultimately received FEAST's funding. Well, the time for submissions has ended; the time for the selection dinner is now upon us.
This Friday night, FEAST RVA presents its first selection dinner at Quirk Gallery. Attendees will donate $25 for dinner and drinks. Upon entry, participants receive a ballot with a list of proposals by local artists. Throughout the night short presentations are given for each idea, after which attendees have the opportunity to discuss the proposals with the artist. At the conclusion of the night, ballots are cast, and the artist with the most votes receives $500 comprised of a portion of the door money. The feast will be catered by Cellar Door, and musical entertainment will be provided by The Bird And Her Consort, featuring Antonia Begonia and her husband, Jonathan Vassar. There will only be 50 tickets sold for this event, and they're going fast, so make sure to grab yours now!
WHAT: The First FEAST RVA Selection Dinner!
WHERE: Quirk Gallery, 311 W. Broad St.
WHEN: Friday, October 14, 7 PM
ADMISSION: $25 per person--get your tickets HERE!
Radio Rubber Room EP32, The Canary Promise
In this week's episode, The Canary Promise joined the guys to get down on the Richmond music scene. Not only were they super appreciative for the opportunity to be on the show, but they were also extremely intelligent, brought a solid sense of humor, and rocked out with some aggressive, well constructed, and angsty tunes. With songs like "It's a Free Market (Baby)" and "War", it's not hard to see that these guys have a bright future in the Richmond music scene and beyond. New content: Walkers (The shoes that walk themselves, and you)
Frame For Good: Through October To Benefit The Central Virginia Food Bank
Metro Richmond, VA framers have joined together again to Frame For Good. This collaboration is resulting in a “Will Frame for Food” food drive for the Central Virginia Food Bank during the month of October. This month also happens to be National Art & Framing Month. The “Frame For Good” efforts are designed to allow area professional picture framers to make a difference on a larger scale. This year’s effort will benefit the Central Virginians that continue to struggle with hunger.
The idea of local professional frame shops working together came to Mary Fender, president of Frame Nation LLC in Richmond, VA, after participating in the 2009 Tru Vue Museum Glass Feeds America promotion (which resulted in $20,100 donation to Feeding America). After learning more about Tru Vue’s nationwide efforts, creating the Frame For Good network seemed like a logical progression according to Fender, and she organized the first collaboration of local Richmond custom frame shops the same year.
Local Holiday Craft Markets Seek Your Crafts!
That's right, two different local craft markets are currently seeking handmade arts and crafts to be sold this holiday season! Bizarre Market's seventh annual holiday show will take place for an entire month, from Nov. 25 until Dec. 24, at Chop Suey Books, while The Richmond Craft Mafia's Handmade Holiday show will take place on only one day, Sunday Dec. 11, at Plant Zero. Want to get involved in one or both of these excellent holiday craft events? Read on!
Revealed: Fabergé Burlesque At The VMFA
When I got the word that there would be burlesque at the VMFA, I smiled and said, “Well, that should stir some things up!” What a way to gentrify an audience and bring to light that which is burlesque culture here in Richmond. I immediately started thinking about what they would be doing to create the evening. Producer Deepa de Jour put together a demure burlesque-lite show featuring Philly Cara Mel, Chris Chaos, Dolli Holiday and Ophelia Derriere. It was an evening of elegance and Russian decadence with lots of sparkly things onstage.
Open Stage Night @ Cafe Diem is Tonight
It's time for yet another Open Stage Night at Cafe Diem, presented by RVA Magazine and Radio Rubber Room. We are now into our sixth week and it is quickly becoming the premier open mic night in the Richmond music scene. Last week we opened up the show with a full list of names like: Luke & The Junk, No Dice, The Rich Moore Band, and Jason from The Dream Machine. Relacksaction was a really cool bluegrass band comprised of a violin, an upright bass and a guitar. Shaun Rease from Downbeat Switch brought out his guitar and proved to everyone his talents reach beyond the keys. In promotion of their coming appearance on Radio Rubber Room, The Canary Promise played a full electric set, and killed it. Each Wednesday is becoming better than the last, so we hope you'll join RVA Magazine and Radio Rubber Room in yet another edition of our weekly celebration of Richmond music.
Michael Keeter of Proverbial
For early sign up, send an email to rubberroommusic@gmail.com or click here to contact us on FaceBook. Otherwise, come out early, and stay late. See you there!
WHO: RVA Magazine & Radio Rubber Room
WHAT: Open Stage Night
WHEN: Every Wednesday from 9pm-1am (Signup starts at 8:30pm)
WHERE: Cafe Diem, 600 North Sheppard Street in the Fan
WHY: BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TO MAKE A STRONGER MUSIC SCENE!!!!
Photos by John Garcia (after the jump).
THURSDAY: Lamb Of God Join Mekong Restaurant And Pink Ink Fund For Inaugural Fund Raiser
Amy Black, owner of Trademark Tattoo in Carytown and winner of Style Weekly's 2011 Reader's Poll Award for Best Tattoo Artist In Richmond, has founded the Pink Ink Fund. This fund helps provide financial assistance to breast cancer survivors hoping to restore self-esteem by having reconstructive tattooed nipple re-pigmentation. Now Pink Ink Fund is teaming up with Lamb Of God members Randy Blythe, Chris Adler, and Willie Adler, along with Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant, to help raise money for breast cancer survivors who need financial assistance in receiving reconstructive nipple tattooing.
There'll be all kinds of opportunities to donate to the Pink Ink Fund. Lamb Of God will lead a Rare Beer Auction with some truly amazing selections available (see the facebook event page for a complete listing). There'll also be some excellent Lamb Of God swag getting raffled off, plus music by the DJ Williams Projekt, as well as plenty of great beer and excellent Vietnamese food! It's all happening this Thursday at Mekong!
WHAT: Lamb Of God and Pink Ink Fund Raise Money For Breast Cancer Survivors
WHERE: Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant (6004 W. Broad St)
WHEN: Thursday, October 6, 7 PM
ADMISSION: This is neither a concert nor a venue, but purely a charity event. There is no admission charge, but donations are suggested and appreciated.
More info about Amy Black and reconstructive nipple tattooing after the jump.
Zine The Night Away: RVA Zinesters Prep For Long-Awaited Zine Fest
Local zinesters hit the Balliceaux dance floor Thursday night to fundraise for the fifth annual Richmond Zine Fest (RVAZF), which is scheduled for Oct. 8 at the Gay Community Center of Richmond. Co-organizers said not only did they reach their funding goal of $1,500 – they surpassed it. The leftovers will contribute to next year’s RVAZF. For those unfamiliar with Richmond’s underground zine culture, simply put, the highly-anticipated RVAZF brings local and national zinesters together to buy, sell and trade their printed works. But according to Liz Canfield, RVAZF co-organizer and assistant professor of gender sexuality and women’s studies, the RVAZF and entirety of zine culture is more than ink on paper.
“[Zines] serve all kinds of purposes,” Canfield stated. “I've gotten some of my favorite recipes from zines, have learned how to fix my bike because of zines, have learned about politics and organizing from zines, have read great poems, learned about other folks' struggles and their travels … I think that as a communicative art form, zines do so much for so many people.”
A zine-writer herself, Canfield added it was because of Richmond’s “vibrant zine culture” that she and her fellow co-organizers began the RVAZF back in 2007. “We felt RVA could benefit from such an event,” Canfield stated. “It's very underground, but there are a lot of zinesters and printers who live in this town.” She added the RVAZF accomplishes more than sharing works, also serving “to build community, to share what folks are working on, to share skills through workshops, and to get people together to have a good time while celebrating the still-vibrant DIY [Do It Yourself] print culture.”
Richard Rocks: Branson Comes to Richmond
Richmond, “Untied,” yet United. I waited a while to digest the Richmond Unite conference on September 9 before I wrote, simply because I could not believe that, in my long yet brief lifetime on this planet in this microcosm of Richmond, I would ever see this happen. I still find it hard to fathom. Richmond is moving ahead. Screw the trolley system--which, yes, would've put Richmond ahead of its current spot on the list of best cities in the world. What was happening now was electric, cataclysmic. Orgasmic. Breathtaking.
Bouncing Betties Presents Pretty in Pink
There’s something about getting all dolled up for a night on the town and going to see a beautiful burlesque show. Although the Richmond Triangle Players Theater can be a bit hidden, it’s a gem and really gives you the feeling as though it’s some secret club you’ve been given the keys to. I honestly love this venue because it is a true theater setting with cocktail tables to boot!
Bouncing Betties Burlesque is known for their work in the non-profit world and I’ve enjoyed seeing Skye and Stormie grow in their endeavor. Their shows keep getting better and better with a lot of newcomers adorning the lineup. You could say Mark Slomski is resident host for BB, and I can say that I enjoy the chemistry he has with his audience. As I’ve said many many times before, the man can charm the pants off of you. He lets the performers do that for him, though, of course.
Technology And Small Business: Jennifro
After spending some time speaking with the owners of a few of Richmond’s most iconic small businesses to learn how technology has affected their operations over the years, I decided to turn my focus to a few of Richmond’s newer small business owners to see how technology plays a part in their enterprises.
I sat down with Jennifer Mantura, one of Richmond’s leading makeup artists and hair stylists, who, after gaining over 17 years of experience working in the beauty industry, recently decided to launch her own full-time small business, Jennifro.
I was first introduced to Jennifer when I was searching for a new hair stylist, and decided, on a random whim, to try a new salon. When I arrived at the salon, the front desk receptionist immediately greeted me with the disappointing news that the stylist that I had my appointment scheduled with was suddenly unavailable. I frowned. With her pearly whites glistening, she asked if I minded having another stylist. Instantly I thought, “Yes”—yes, I did mind. Tremendously. It was hard enough to convince myself to walk into this place, and now the curveball was officially thrown. Instead of turning on my heel and walking out the door, which was what I would have normally done, I decided, already overcome with uncomfortable remorse at choosing my new salon, to lighten up and give it a try. After all, I had never met my new “new” stylist, so, with Bob Ross’s words about “happy little accidents” being my mantra for the day, I soothed my hackles back down.
An hour later, I was praising old Bob’s timeless wisdom as I smiled with pleasure at Jennifer’s expertise. I was absolutely delighted with my experience and end result, and knew that I had found my new stylist. When asked as I paid how the appointment went, I could only reply, “Fantastic. Truly wonderful.”
Months later, pulling the cutting cape away from me and handing me a mirror at the end of another appointment, she said, “So, I wanted to let you know something. I handed in my resignation.” My heart fell. I had been through this so many times in Richmond. I was being dumped by another stylist. Stylists come and go--they move, they quit, and the great ones end up getting so disgruntled by the corporate machinations of the industry that they just leave the profession altogether. She pressed a business card into my hand and said, as her eyes twinkled and she grinned, “I’ve finally decided to start my own business.”
The confidence and energy needed to start a small business leaves many people drained, and many more flailing as they realize how deep the waters of business birth really are. What starts as a great idea so often dead-ends into small business burnout. New owners get exhausted and throw in the towel prematurely, and never allow their dream to come to fruition. They carry their business to term, but end up freaking out on delivery day. So many times when I ask new small business owners how it’s going, they mumble, frowning, “I’m absolutely exhausted.” Jennifer, on the other hand, always replies, “It’s fabulous! I’m loving it!”
“I just keep it as simple as possible,” she told me, as she swiped my credit card through her iPhone to take my payment.
“What is that?” I asked, referring to the technology that allowed her to charge a credit card with an iPhone, which I later learned was called Square.
“Simplicity,” she replied. And with that, we began a discussion of the newest invention in payment technology, as well as the latest in technological conveniences that she discovered along the way.
Blow the Whistle While You Work: Richmond City Workers Confront Racism
In Virginia, there are ways of addressing mistreatment based on race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or religion, but the risks of confronting employers are high. “A bad economy is an employer's market,” explained Sa'ad El-Amin, President of the Employment Advocacy Center, based in Richmond. When an employee files a discrimination complaint, they go head-to-head with their employers and a way of life. This is a daunting task. However, “the only way you are going to change the culture is to not allow it to occur,” said El-Amin.
On March 1 of this year twelve pipe fitters reported acts of racism by peers and superiors also working in the Water Distribution division of the Department of Public Utilities. The original complaint states, “We have been hired and trained to do our assigned tasks, however, are constantly overlooked because of the color of our skin.” The pipe fitters claimed promotions were systematically denied to African Americans, and white employees were allowed to made racist comments at work.
The DPU's Human Resources Department confirmed the pipe fitters' complaints. The investigation report, released July 22, “found the allegation of disparate treatment of individuals in the protected categories involving recruitment, promotional opportunities and application of policies was founded.” For example, after reviewing an interview packet released by the DPU, the team of investigators observed there were “no interview comments and notes” for African American applicants.
Radio Rubber Room EP30 Feat. Dane Ferguson
Last Saturday, Dane Ferguson joined us last minute on Radio Rubber Room. He brought his guitar and some really cool songs he wrote inspired by life in Richmond. Though Dane had no idea what he was getting himself into he was a good sport and rolled with the punches for two straight hours. At the end of the show, he even ate one of the old rancid hotdogs we brought for him, and he liked it. New content this episode: The Fine World Of Art w/ Alijuandro - Sculptures.
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