RVA Magazine Articles

Snowmageddon.

anthony — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:17:15 -0500

Tag your photos #rvamag and they will automatically be included on the RVAMAG.com front page Flickr box.

Thank you to local photographer Dean Freeman.

Check out the whole set via RVAFlickr

Hail the Pho King!!

anthony — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:59:04 -0500

This is how we spent our Super Bowl, watching Reinhold compete in the annual Super Bowl Of Pho at Mekong. Highlights include the crazy Asian laughing, the "REINHOLD" chanting, and the almost full-on 'hurl' that would have made great viral video.

Reinhold is the Pho King of Mekong. All hail the king!

Music that Tears Itself Apart, Jason Webley at Gallery 5

anthony — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:54:30 -0500

"Jason Webley is a musician who began as a busker, playing accordion in the streets of Seattle, but has since moved in-doors and on stage, playing venues and festivals all across the world. His music is a combination of folk, gypsy, punk, and sea shanties." - www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Webley

The talented Jason Webley played Gallery 5 a few weeks ago and put on a great show. Kevin Orlosky had a chance to ask him about his music and inspirations.

More information
www.jasonwebley.com

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RVA Magazine represent a slice of the culture of Richmond, VA. You can check out more of our handpicked design, video, art, music and locally centered posts at rvamag.com and read our little maghere.

Videos from RVA TV
RVA TV: 'Last Friday' February 2010
RVA TV: 'Last Friday' January 2010
RVA TV: 'Last Friday' December 2009 from RVA TV on Vimeo.

RVA TV: 'THE PROCESS' Ep. 18 - Catherine Brooks
RVA TV: 'THE PROCESS' Ep. 17 - Mike Moses
RVA TV: 'THE PROCESS' Ep. 16 - SunTek Chung

Here are other music favorites -
DAILY FIX: RJD2, "Let There Be Horns"
DAILY FIX: Empire Of The Sun, "Standing On The Shore"
DAILY FIX: Crystal Castles, "Courtship Date"

Ozric Tentacles, 'Mooncalf'

anthony — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:13:26 -0500

Our buddy Todd loves these guys and went to cover them last year sometime for us. He finished this crazy video the other day for us to share with you.

"Footage from June 24 2009 Ozric Tentacles show in Richmond, Virginia. Edited from footage shot on a Canon Powershot A95, and manipulated with extreme kaleidoscopeing in Final Cut Pro and up-rezed to create a colorful high def video experiment." - Todd Raviotta

This Week Buried in Press Releases #3

anthony — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:21:43 -0500

We have compiled all the music news RVA has received during the last week.

Indie pop/rock pianist and native Virginian Chris Merritt has a new album coming out May 1st. Comparable to acts like Weezer, Ben Folds (playing at the National in a couple of weeks), Frank Black, he is busy at work in the home studio of RVA band of Caulit Anything's Jake Thro cutting this next release. His next show is February 19th with Gills and Wings at Capital Ale House Music Hall.

Here is a 3 song sample for DOWNLOAD.

More information
www.chrismerrittmusic.com
www.myspace.com/chrismerritt
www.uvumi.com/#chrismerritt

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If you can forgive the terrible font choices on the cover, there might be a gem in this new release from JON RAMSEY Server Connection on Back Of The Napkin Records. The full album is available for DOWNLOAD.

More information
www.songofchance.com

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Fool's Gold has released Brooklyn producer and premiere club DJ KINGDOM's debut single "Mind Reader" to the media earlier this month. A PR described "new-school diva epic" club anthem.

"Debut single "Mind Reader" is one of the year's most anticipated releases for all the right reasons. The new-school diva epic features the indelible vocals of Shyvonne over garage-inspired, hybrid beats, and comes backed by an equally anthemic remix from house legend Todd Edwards (in fine cut-up form!), along with two vanguard takes from L-Vis1990 and Bok Bok. Another Kingdom original, the impassioned club cut "You," rounds out the set and makes this single a true must-have." - Fool's Gold

Here is the DOWNLOAD

More information
www.myspace.com/kkingdomm
www.foolsgoldrecs.com

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VICE Record's GROWING have released 2 short vignettes to promote their upcoming album Pumps. The videos "Hormone" and "Drone Burger" add visuals and mood to the songs on the record. Hyponotic and spaced recalling a "halcyon period of sci-fi cinema" in each track.

DRONE BURGER

HORMONE

More information
www.myspace.com/growingsoundnyc
www.vicerecords.com

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The TITLE TRACKS are coming to Gallery 5 on March 2nd with Pretty & Nice.

More information
www.flowerbooking.com/artists/titletracks

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TWIN TIGERS' "Passive Idol" has been released and ready for DOWNLOAD.

More information
www.myspace.com/thetwintigers

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PABLO new video for "Learn A Lesson" off of his There's Rope to Leave album.

More information
www.pabloband.com

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JAVELIN has announced their debut LP April 20th on Luaka Bop.

“George was pretty damn eclectic as a kid,” says Tom Van Buskirk, referring to his cousin/Javelin collaborator, George Langford. “I was more of a snob, growing up on the Beatles and classical music. Like I didn’t get into Nirvana until after MTV Unplugged came out. I’m always late to the party.”

Maybe that’s why Javelin formed in 2005—to throw a party of their own, one that sees nothing wrong with dropping crooked disco (“On It On It”), schoolyard funk (“Intervales Theme”), abstract R&B (“Dep”) and pitch-perfect pop (“Mossy Woodland”) in the same set. At least that’s the way things unfold on Javelin’s debut album, No Más, the eagerly-awaited follow-up to a self-released collection of demos (Jamz n Jemz) and a pair of limited Thrill Jockey 12-inches (Javelin, Number Two).

It’s as if Javelin were programmed to reproduce the golden age of every genre known to man, bouncing between samplers and strings, drum machines and drum sets, and a growing collection of guitars, horns and homemade thumb pianos. You read that right: Most of No Más’ dusty 45 moments aren’t lifted from actual recordcrates. They’re painstakingly recreated, note by note, from the jukebox in Javelin’s collective mind.

“I love making music that has flaws and human fingerprints all over it,” adds Langford. “There’s also that grey area where you can’t tell what’s a sample, although it leaves you wanting to say, ‘Hey, I did that!’”

There’s no denying who’s doing what at Javelin shows, ever-evolving pieces of performance art that leave the laptops at home and have more in common with the multi-tracked madness of an old Jamaican sound system than the standard guitar/bass/drums setup of a ‘band’.

“The worst thing in the world would be to have a wall of dudes staring at your gear, watching your every move,” says Langford, “So we try to inject as much life and energy into our performances as possible.”

When they first started playing around Providence, this meant an overwhelming array of “turntables, glockenspiels and percussion.” Now that they’ve settled in Brooklyn and stripped their restless sound down to its bare essentials, Javelin’s become known as the guys with the boom boxes, a Flaming Lips-like technique that’s allowed them to break down the artist/audience wall at such tour stops as New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

“A lot of people think they’re ornaments, but they play sound,” says Van Buskirk. “It’s like, ‘You really thought we dragged all of this here for nothing?”

Never. You see, everything has its place in a Javelin song, from the shimmering keys and brassy strut of “Shadow Heart” to the loony tune loops of “Oh! Centra.” So if you’re trying to ‘figure Javelin out’, don’t bother. These musical omnivores work their music like a rabid radio dial, leaving a tricky trail of sonic breadcrumbs in their wake. Or as Langford puts it, “The minute I start working in one style, I get distracted and want to work on another one. We kinda gave up on finding our ’sound’ years ago.”

Pitchfork Premieres Exclusive News : http://pitchfork.com/news/37683-javelin-announce-debut-album/
Click Here To View Exclusive XLR8R TV Interview & Download "Me Thing Drawing Me"
Pitchfork "RISING" feature : http://pitchfork.com/news/36232-rising-javelin/
Stereogum : Javelin Remix The Very Best's "Julia" (Re-do) http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/javelin-remix-the-very-best_092131.htm...

More information
www.myspace.com/hotjamzofjavelin

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VA Indie Film Fest Schedule!

ian — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:40:37 -0500

All of these films look entertaining, informative, or both. Personally, I'm the most excited about Meet Me in the Bottom and Trenches- an extremely important local cultural issue, and indie sci-fi!

DOCUMENTARIES
1pm - 3pm

The Colors of Veil
5 min 17 sec
Synopsis: The five-minute film presents the unconventional story of Kimberly King, a former US soldier who ultimately found her identity in Islam and in wearing the veil. King overcame her resulting isolation and unemployment to become a leader guiding others to bridge cultural and religious barriers in her community and around the world.
Director: Jehan Harney
Producer: Jehan Harney
Editor: Jehan Harney

Meet Me in the Bottom: The Struggle to Reclaim Richmond's African Burial Grounds
44 min

Synopsis: A documentary about African American burial grounds in Richmond.
Director: Shawn Utsey
Producer: Department of African American Studies, VCU
Editor: Shanika Smiley, Jennida Chase

Death
28 min 50 sec
Synopsis: Interviews with different perspectives on death and the afterlife.
Director: Alexander Germanotta
Producer: Matt Lively, Alexander Germanotta
Editor: Alexander Germanotta

Q&A Session with All Filmmakers
Session Winner and Audience Choice Award Announced

SHORT FILMS
3-5PM

Squashing Ticks
5 min
Synopsis: A couple of kids kill time and ticks on an isolated country road.
Director: Megan Holley
Producer: Kevin Hershberger
Screenwriter: Megan Holley
Editor: Patrick Gregory
Cast: Adian Schools, Kayleigh Bohn, Coby Batty,
Meredith Garrison

Posting
7 min 55 sec

Synopsis: A wife's revelation causes a husband to question the foundation of their marriage.
Director: Keith Jodoin
Producer: Bruce Milton, Keith Jodoin
Screenwriter: Keith Jodoin
Editor: Keith Jodoin
Cast: Frank Moorman, Kathryn Klvana

Any Sense in Cents
6 min 25 sec
Synopsis: What is a penny worth to you?
Directed, Produced, Written and Edited by: Aidan Keith-
Hynes, Kevin Eichenberger, Marco Duran
Cast: Will Tighman

Plink
8 min 42 sec
Synopsis: Ain't nobody around…
Director: J. Darin Wales
Producer: J. Darin Wales, Lyndabeth Bureau, Jean-Guy Bureau
Screenwriter & Editor: J. Darin Wales
Cast: Mark Atteberry, Kelley Davis

Santo Diablo!
18 min 18 sec

Synopsis: A comedy about a man slowly being driven mad by guilt and paranoia as he becomes convinced his roomates are trying to kill him.
Director: Shawn Hambright, Joey Tran
Producer: Shawn Hambright, Joey Tran
Screenwriter: Shawn Hambright
Editor: Joey Tran
Cast: Matt Hackman, Erin King, Chad Lewis, Deanna Lavery

Paperwise
3 min 35 sec
Synopsis: A pencil drawn stick figure comes to life and risks it all to save a friend.
Directed, Produced, Written and Edited by: Chris
Yeaton, Jared Carlisle

Q&A Session with All Filmmakers
Session Winner and Audience Choice Award Announced

FEATURES
5PM-10PM

Blue Ridge showing at 5pm
97 min

Synopsis: Sara falls for JT, an unstable young man who lives in a rural trailer park. Together they plan for a new life and dream of operating an amusement park ride.
Director: Vincent Sweeney
Producer: Vincent Sweeney
Screenwriter: Vincent Sweeney
Editor: Vincent Sweeney
Cast: Sean Gullette, Audra Glyn Smith, Eric Sweeney, Ellie St. John

Q&A Session with Audience for Blue Ridge

Trenches showing at 6:50pm
60 min

Synopsis: Locked in a grueling war on a backwater planet, two enemies find themselves abandoned by their own. They must put aside their differences and work together if they are to survive, and they better do it quick-they are not alone on this rock.
Director: Shane Felux
Producer: Shane Felux
Screenwriter: Peter Gamble Robinson, Ian Shorr
Cast: Aaron Mathis, Mercy Malick, Lev Gorn, Hong
Chau, Daz Crawford, Scott Nankivel

Q&A Session with Audience for Trenches

Mantra showing at 8pm
97 min

Synopsis: A graphic, unflinching depiction of six people's inner demons.
Director: Brian Wimer
Producer: Brian Wimer
Screenwriter: Brian Wimer
Editor: Brian Wimer, Stephen Thomas
Cast: Lora Lee Jones, Callisto Warner, Doug Bari, Bob
Dorsey, Trevor Przyuski, Brian Wimer

Q&A Session with Audience for Mantra
Session Winner and Audience Choice Award
Announced

WRIR turns FIVE tonight!

ian — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:51:11 -0500

Rain? Snow? Yeti? It's still on!

From 7pm to Midnight, Friday February 5th, WRIR celebrates 5 years of Richmond Independent Radio. Come out to the Renaissance Ballroom and join fellow WRIR supporters, DJs and volunteers for a party like no other.

Date: Friday, February 5, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 11:55pm
Location:
Renaissance Ballroom
107 West Broad St.
Richmond, VA (map)

There will be two rooms of WRIR Djs spinning it crazy as well as food, beverages and birthday cake.

Live music will be provided by:
Heks Orkest
Amazing Ghost
The Hot Damns
Long Arms
Photosynthesizers
Black Liquid
Turnstyle Soundsystem

A suggested donation of $10 will taken at the door. All proceeds benefit WRIR 97.3 Richmond Independent Radio.

PLEASE TRAVEL SAFELY!

DAILY FIX: Die Antwoord

anthony — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:07:42 -0500

What is this music coming outta South Africa? I was laughing at first then I was confused and now I am on the fence. Thoughts on this Vanilla ICE looking dude and his crew? Thanks Ben for passing this on.

When You Are Strange.

anthony — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:33:00 -0500

Pretty stoked about seeing this. I wonder how they went about getting all this original footage?

Color pictures from Czarist Russia

ian — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:53:07 -0500

I stumbled upon these images a few months back, but didn't really look into the gallery. Now that I'm seeing them again, it is a fascinating documentation of the last years of Czarist Russia. The image above is probably my favorite, showing classic Russian architecture alongside the beginnings of the industrial revolution, and the images I have selected to show here involve physical representations of such lines- the old and the new, the rich and the poor.

From Alex Gridenko:
Born in St. Petersburg and educated as a chemist, Prokudin-Gorskii devoted his career to the advancement of photography. In the early 1900s, he developed an ingenious technique of taking colour photographs. The same object was captured in black and white on glass plate negatives, using red, green and blue filters. He then presented these images in colour in slide lectures using a light-projection system involving the same three filters.

Comix: Natalie Dee

ian — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:16:51 -0500

Don't ride my jock if you don't like where it's goin.

Strange Matter: The 929 West Grace Street Saga Continues

ian — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:49:54 -0500

The re-vamping of 929 West Grace street (formerly Twisters, 929 Cafe, The Nanci Raygun, Bagel Czar... et cetera, extensive and well written article about the spot can be read right here) is in it's final stages, and they are open for business. There are no good reasons not to go and check it out- their menu is fantastic, full of sandwiches and entrees (the majority of which are available as vegan / vegetarian) and delicious beverages. I particularly loved the vegan mango doughnut holes, pictured below. The art on the walls is fresh and in the flavor that one would expect- good graffiti and 8-bit inspiration.

Oh, you didn't know? Strange Matter has a wall of awesome old school arcade games, ranging from Mortal Kombat II to Lethal Enforcers. There's a different kind of smile on your face when you head to a cool spot that makes wicked burgers with a sock full of quarters and some ass to kick.

They're going to have shows soon, too, in keeping with the tradition of the address being a spot for awesome music. The list of bands who have played this address is extremely long, and I have no doubts that the new keepers will maintain this tradition as soon as they can. They're currently hosting movie nights with Rumors Boutique, showing music documentaries every wednesday night starting at 7:30.

What's Happening with RVA.

anthony — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:08:18 -0500

When RVA launched in April 2005 Richmond's cultural scene was a blank canvas waiting for direction, documentation and new vision. To our excitement, many groups (Gallery 5, Curated Culture, Venture Richmond, Books On Wheels, etc.), businesses (Kulture, Sticky Rice, Rumors, Chop Suey, The Camel, New York Deli, Ellwood Thompson, etc.) and promoters (PLF, Best Friend's Day, Community Chest, Brain Drain, etc.) heard the call and helped create a homegrown culture to be proud of. Almost five years later the city is entering a new phase of cultural growth, and with respect for the changes in media consumption and technological advancements in communication, we've decided to make some big changes too.

In April 2009, we relaunched RVAMAG.com to match the online habits of our readership (and the world at large), and to keep pace with digital media. Since then our web traffic has improved dramatically and is increasing daily. The roles of the printed magazine and website have been blurred with this success, leading us to examine our award-winning print publication for improvements as well.

In 2010, RVA magazine will be published as a full-size (10" x 13") glossy quarterly, with the first issue being in April. The larger format will allow editorial to expand towards more in-depth articles on Richmond's musicians, characters, artists, events and issues, and will be a better platform for our original intent of highlighting Richmond's visual and performance art culture. The quarterly distribution will allow us to craft lovingly made showpieces - books that will be kept forever and displayed in readers' homes as proudly as the art on their walls. This keepsake media will remain free and allow us to do more in other media platforms.

With the rise of Youtube, Hulu, Vimeo and other video-centric sites, we've recognized this format as an important component of the growth puzzle. We have reinvested our attention in RVA TV, our online video media resource. We've added essential staff to oversee quality control and are in the process of developing original programming across music, lifestyle and art channels. Expect quality, informative and entertaining content through RVA TV starting... now.

We've never been more excited or prepared to take on documenting what our readers have built into our favorite place in the world. Richmond and RVA are on the rise and we want to thank you for your support. Stay tuned.

- RVA

On Feb. 1, 1960, four freshmen changed history by not getting lunch.

ian — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:29:05 -0500

It had been six years since the landmark Brown V. Board of Education and segregation still reigned supreme. Practically none of the schools had integrated, and state-sponsored racism was still rampant. Then, on this date fifty years ago, these four men- known as The Greensboro Four, revitalized a waning civil rights movement. First, there were four; the next day, over twenty, and within five days, hundreds of students, activists, protesters and ordinary citizens sparked a movement across the American South that would continue until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to Franklin McCain, one of the four black teenagers who sat at the "whites only" stools:

"Some way through, an old white lady, who must have been 75 or 85, came over and put her hands on my shoulders and said, 'Boys, I am so proud of you. You should have done this 10 years ago.'"

Their act of defiance changed history, set off the sit-in movement that swept the South and paved the way for a series of changes that transformed American society.

“The moments they sat in those chairs have had a lasting impact on our nation,” President Barack Obama said in an e-mail to the News & Record. “The lessons taught at that five-and-dime challenged us to consider who we are as a nation and what kind of future we want to build for our children.”

Full story from The News-Record

FILM REVIEW: Edge of Darkness

anthony — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:28:22 -0500

I would like to think that Edge of Darkness comes as the result of a long overdue conversation that someone finally worked up the courage to have with Mel Gibson. Perhaps someone reminded him that he was once one of the most popular movie stars in the world before he began coming off as a racist lunatic in interviews or taking a drive after knocking back a few drinks. When he stopped acting in movies and made his personal life tabloid fodder people began questioning why they ever liked him in the first place. Now, Edge of Darkness, Gibson’s first starring role in eight years, arrives to remind us all that whoever he may be in private, Mel Gibson is a talented and charismatic actor that belongs on the big screen.

In this film, Gibson returns to a kind of role that he is no stranger to. He plays an honest Boston police detective by the name of Tom Craven. He lives alone. He has a daughter, Emma, but she is grown and lives far away. He loves her but rarely has the time to speak with her, let alone visit her. That makes her surprise visit home all the more special to him. Unfortunately, the reunion does not turn out the way either of them planned. Emma is terribly sick and tells her father that she has something important she needs to say to him. She does not have the chance, though. She is gunned down right in front of Tom on his front porch. Tom’s friends in the department assume that he was the intended target and Emma was killed by mistake. Tom requests all of his old case files sent to his home so he can begin to investigate who killed his daughter while trying to get him.

This is certainly a familiar set up, and it leads to an equally familiar story involving government cover ups and evil corporations and mysterious agents who may or may not be on Craven’s side. There are chases and fights as Craven begins to unravel the truth behind his daughter’s murder. One character actually states plainly the lesson that this and all other movies like it teach to us. He somberly reminds Craven that nothing is the way it actually is, and that everything is just the way someone made it appear to be. Fortunately, Craven does not accept defeat so easily.

Yes, all of this has been done many times before, but it is done exceptionally well in this case. The director, Martin Campbell, knows how to craft a smart action thriller. His most recent film prior to this was Casino Royale, the best James Bond movie in recent memory. Some directors may have looked at this project and decided to downplay the investigation scenes because the action is what brings in the masses. Others might have had the opposite approach because a lot action is overdone. Campbell achieves a perfect balance. The meticulous investigation is not glossed over, but at no time does the pace feel slow. This is definitely an action movie, but at least there is a clear reason for everything that occurs.

So many actors make a comeback after several years by returning in a role unlike anything they have done before. In Edge of Darkness, Mel Gibson returns in the kind of role he does best. Everyone always liked him as an action hero, and he has now proven he can still play one convincingly and enjoyably. The box office numbers will likely determine if this is the start of a comeback or merely a last hurrah.

RVA TV 'Last Friday' February 2010

anthony — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:13:59 -0500

Last Friday' brings you interviews, art, music and the events that make up Richmond's First Fridays. This episode is our best yet and features the debut of our new host Anna Wittel.

Check out past episodes here:
Last Friday January from RVA TV on Vimeo.
Last Friday December from RVA TV on Vimeo.

DayByDay on HBO 02/19

anthony — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:57:51 -0500

Richmond boys DayByDay to premiere on HBO's Funny Or Die February 19th.

Welcome to RVA: Carytown

ian — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:31:39 -0500

This month's Welcome to RVA takes us to Carytown, first to the historic Byrd Theater. If you've never heard their Wurlitzer organ play, you're missing out.

The next stop is Richmond's best grocery, Ellwood Thompson's. Specializing in local and organic products, they carry just about everything you'd expect a grocery store to have. Patrons receive a discount for using ecologically friendly transportation (bicycles, hybrids) to visit their store, and their hot food bar is one of the best deals and meals in town.

RJD2: The Colossus

ian — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:55:36 -0500

The definition of a musician is changing rapidly. It is 2010; world-famous deejays often perform using a laptop, sometimes even without the turntables that are now used to control MP3s instead of actual vinyl. When MixMaster Mike came through RVA not too long ago, he did exactly this, and it was a great performance. Beats bumped fluidly, the transitions were smooth, the tracks were a combination of fresh and classic, and watching Mike himself was about as interesting as, well, watching someone dick around on a laptop.

This is neither folly nor faux-pas; deejays have the luxury of their audience largely not expecting a stage show. A deejay is a connoisseur of music who shares their taste with you, usually while you move your ass. There are “bands” out there now- many of which I enjoy thoroughly- who lack a traditionally defined musician in their ensemble.

With this most recent tour, RJD2 has moved into the echelons of musicians, multi-instrumentalists, producers and performers who go above and beyond expectation in concert. RJD2 played his sampler (mounted on his crotch) like an instrument. He used real vinyl to compose tracks on the fly. He played guitar and bass and sang with a full band. The band helped him do live versions of his tracks, using guitar, drums, and synths. In short- he does it all. This is not a concert- it is a show.

He was also kind enough to answer some questions for us:

What were your five favorite albums of 2009?
They were not albums that all came out in 2009, fyi:

-Isao Tomita- Holst’s The Planets
-Mastodon- Crack the Skye
-Stanley Clarke- Journey to Love
-Foreign Exchange- Leave It All Behind
-Vangelis- Earth

If you had to enter the Thunderdome to battle another DJ to death, who would it be and why?
Probably one with just a laptop and no turntables, cause I like shooting fish in a barrel. I kid! I kid! (Or am I kidding?)

What was the greatest loss for hiphop in 2009?
Hard to say. I don’t like focusing on that; in the last few years, a handful of people passed away on a personal level that I worked with, knew, toured with, etc.

What is your current favorite toy?
Blackberry 9630.

What are you most looking forward to in 2010?
Seeing how my album does.

Conan or Leno?
Well that’s easy; Conan wrote for the Simpsons, he trumps all of ‘em except maybe Letterman.

What is your favorite small venue to play, and why?
Record Bart, KC maybe? Its just so much fun, crowds are great.

A Gay Edict for Straight Bars

ian — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:43:53 -0500

Gay bars are gay bars. Is there even such a thing as straight bars? Is an establishment that is not expressly LGBT-oriented a de facto hetero establishment?

From Gay RVA, an op-ed by Cameron Parker:

Why should straight bars try to reel in the gays? Well, for several reasons. Although the Richmond bar scene is already pretty progressive, it seems to be timidly so. When Richmonders feel comfortable in their drinking environment, word spreads like wildfire and people flock to those bars.

Full text on GayRVA.com