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ZOMBIE PROM at Empire
At 10pm Empire hosts a Zombie Prom Dance Party. What you have to do to be named prom king and queen at a zombie prom, we don't know. The mind reels.
Raven Darkhold talks Nightmare on 3rd Street
In anticipation of the upcoming Nightmare On 3rd Street, we caught up with Kristen Porter aka Raven Darkhold to ask a few questions about picking a tough derby name, getting ready for a bout and what it means to be a roller derby girl.
RVA: When did you first hear about Roller Derby?
Raven Darkhold: I first heard that roller derby was in Richmond in June of 2006 from a friend of mine and I have been playing ever since.
RVA: What initially interested you about it? And how did that lead to being involved?
Raven Darkhold: I actually began watching roller derby on television when I was about 10 and told myself that I wanted to do it when I grew up!
RVA: Explain your derby name, Raven Darkhold.
Raven Darkhold: My derby name is based on one of my favorite characters from the Marvel comic X-Men called Mystique, who has blue skin and can change her body shape. She is a very strong woman in the Marvel Comic world. Her legal name in the comic is Raven Darkholme, therefore I chose Raven Darkhold as my derby name as a play off of hers.
RVA: Could you give a brief of description of the position you play?
Raven Darkhold: I play as lead blocker (B3) in the back and as a Jammer mostly. Blocker 3 (B3) is the blocker that mainly positions herself n the back as the first line of defense. She is usually very agile and aggressive. As a jammer, I score points for our team by passing opposing players as my team assists me through the pack.
RVA: What kind of practice schedule do you have for the Derby's?
Raven Darkhold: I practice 3 days a week: Sunday 10:30am – 1:30 pm, Tuesday 7-10:30 pm, and Thursday 7-9 pm. I also have a membership at Gold's Gym which I use once or twice a week. I visit open skates at least once a week and if I am unable to attend the gym I do light cardio and core exercises at home so that I am active between practices.
RVA: How physically demanding is this sport? And who is the toughest girl on the squad?
Raven Darkhold: The sport of roller derby is very physically demanding! We need to have very strong core muscles, endurance, and agility in order to play all positions to the best of our ability. All of RCR is tough! We all have our different strengths that make us assets to our league and teams.
RVA: What is match day like, and how is it working with multiple groups and teams?
Raven Darkhold: Bout day definitely gives me very mixed emotions. I'm usually very excited early in the day and as it gets closer to bout time I may feel a little nervous as I see our fans, family and friends arrive. However, once I'm on the track and skating I tend to forget that anyone else is watching and I focus on playing my best. It is very fun to work with our visiting teams. I am River City's Interleague Coordinator, meaning that I am the main contact for the teams we play for bouts, scrimmages, and events. I have been in my position for 2 years and had the pleasure of helping us obtain WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) status so that we are able to be ranked amongst other leagues within the organization. I have to say that I have enjoyed every minute of it! I enjoy it so much because I love meeting other women who play derby and learning from them.
RVA: How has your life been effected by being a River City Rollergirl?
Raven Darkhold: My life has been so much more exciting and fun by being a River City Rollergirl. I have made so many lifelong friendships, challenged myself mentally and physically, and have had the pleasure of being a mentor to young women. I love being an athlete and challenging myself to be the best for my league. My husband, Chris, has been very supportive throughout my 4 years of playing roller derby. He attends all of my home bouts and away ones when he is able to take time off from work. He has been thinking of volunteering more for my league so that we can spend more time together and he can be more involved in the sport I love so much.
RVA: Is there a Roller Derby Legend or girl playing now you look up to or consider a star?
Raven Darkhold: Yes! Beonsláy from Gotham Girls Roller Derby. She is such an inspiration to me and I hope to play as well as her someday. She has hundreds of derby girls emailing her to ask her for advice and training tips because she is such a huge force on the track. She is one of the best blockers out there and is a huge asset to her team.
RVA: Thank you Raven, we can't wait to check you out on the course.
See Raven in her upcoming match and catch them afterwords at Belly Timber Tavern (http://www.bellytimbertavern.com/) where they will be hanging and chilling with fans. More information about the River City Rollergirls is below.
http://www.rivercityrollergirls.org
http://www.facebook.com/RiverCityRollergirls
http://tiny.cc/ROLLERGIRLRSVP (facebook event)
RIVER CITY ROLLER GIRLS
Real, Live Roller Derby from your favorite Richmond Roller Derby Team.
Doors are at 5:30pm, bout begins at 6pm!
$12 adults, $6 kids 7-12, kids 6 and under are free.
Half time features a raffle (featuring awesome prizes like free tickets to Blood Lake Haunts and more!), a costume contest ($5 to enter, with prizes for the top 5 contestants. The grand prize winner gets half of the entry money!) and live music by the amazingly talented No BS! Brass Band! You'll want to stick around for this thrilling entertainment!
To The Bottom and Back Bus will be providing their services to and from the bout. Pick up the bus out front of Heroes and Ghosts Tattoo (3112 W. Cary St) for all the bout and after party action
This Bout is an official event of Halloweek 2010! Thanks to our pals at RVA magazine for planning a totally rad after party for us too at Belly Timber Tavern, located at the corner of Plum and Main streets .
TICKETS ONLINE
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/128118
A Halloweek Love Story
RVA TV produced a commercial for next weeks Halloweek 2010! Have you checked out all of our events through the week yet?
RVA TV: Eurotics at Strange Matter
Sex, Subversion, Style = Eurotics
They like house shows and will play for booze. Peep Richmond based punk/rock n' roll band Eurotics giving Strange Matter a taste.
DAILY FIX: New !!! Video(!)
I've been a big fan of !!! (most commonly pronounced "chik-chik-chik," though I've always said "pow-pow-pow") since their first single ("The Dis-ease," on GSL Records, 1998), so I'm pretty stoked about this new video for their latest single, "Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass." It's a hilarious, ridiculous, over-the-top romp through flower-petal festooned domestic scenes and construction paper portals through space and time, but the ultimate point--just as it always is for !!!--is to make you laugh and get you dancing. Judged in those terms, the video is an unqualified success.
SHOW REVIEW: New Pornographers and Tokyo Police Club
The New Pornographers and Tokyo Police Club
Monday, October 18 at The National
Monday night’s show at the National started promptly at 8:00, and by the end of the night, the New Pornographers and Tokyo Police Club had delivered a solid three hours of all that rocks, Canadian-style.
DAILY RECORDS: Wow And Flutter, House Of Bread, Dirty Tactics
Wow And Flutter - Equilibrio! (Mt. Fuji)
These guys remind me of recent sounds from Washington DC; their herky-jerky, structurally complex, but still quite melodic music isn't exactly like Black Eyes, Smart Went Crazy, or the Dismemberment Plan, but it would surprise me if fans of those bands didn't enjoy Wow And Flutter as well.
House Of Bread - Superhuman Tomb (Self-released)
A guitar-driven, droning, yet melodic album of noisy pop jams, reminiscent of The Jesus And Mary Chain circa Honey's Dead on even more psychedelic drugs than usual. Keyboard interludes and other weird moments keep the mood from stagnating, but the album works well as a whole. An enjoyable listen.
Dirty Tactics - It Is What It Is (Say-10)
There are some folk-punk touches on this album, and some moments where the anthemic punk choruses of Dillinger Four are sought, if not attained. But in the end, Dirty Tactics don't have the songwriting chops necessary to make more than a mediocre version of the sound they aspire to.
DAILY FIX: The Slits
Ari Up, founder and lead vocalist for The Slits, passed away yesterday at age 48. A highly influential figure in the history of punk, postpunk, indie and rock music, she formed The Slits, the first all-female band of the punk era, when she was only 14 years old. Their first album, Cut, released in 1979, fused the harsh sound of punk rock with significant tinges of reggae, helping to create a new, funkier sound that would come to be called "postpunk." Perhaps more significantly, Ari Up's role as a powerful, confrontational female lead vocalist helped to create a new paradigm for the role of women in the music world, and paved the way for singers like Kathleen Hanna and Karen O.
The Slits broke up in 1982, but had reformed in recent years, featuring only Ari Up and bassist Tessa Pollitt from the band's original lineup. They released an LP, Trapped Animal, in 2009, and the video above is for the song "Lazy Slam," from that record. It was the last work the Slits completed as a group, and was released posthumously according to Ari Up's wishes. The song is a straight-up reggae jam, with Ari adopting a Jamaican accent for her vocals, and sounds quite a bit different from the early work that The Slits are most famous for. Both the song and the video are quite entertaining, though, especially the latter, with Ari cavorting on the streets of LA in one of her trademark bizarre, colorful stage outfits. Chloe Sevigny also makes a cameo, seeming more like the New York hipster characters she was originally identified with than she has in a long time. The whole thing is certainly worth watching, though for those not familiar with the music of The Slits, it might not be the best introduction. For that, we've got this special bonus video, for "Typical Girls," the first single from their album Cut and possibly the band's best song:
Ari Up, 1962-2010. R.I.P.
Balliceaux Side Cheaux
Balliceaux Side Cheaux -
This is a very special show at Balliceaux on Lombardy Street tomorrow night Oct 21, bringing together local acts with a carnival sideshow feel. There will be plenty of special entertainment planned, and music for everyone. Weeks in the planning, this night is sure to be a unique experience with amazing artists, hosted by the one & only Parker S. Galore!!
The stellar indigenous musical talents of Richmond's dark, carnival-like acts Fuzzy Baby, Ghostdog & Cinnamon, and, resurfacing after a long hiatus, the Huckiddy Puppet Theater (Chris Milk), will create an evening of the surreal. Also on hand will be juggling sensation Jonathan Austin, entertaining the masses between the melodic merriment. Enter into the minds and sounds of some of Richmond's top performers. Pay a mere $5 at the door and leave a different person. Check below for more information and links to the artists:
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