What could be better than 12 hours of 12 of the best music and comedy acts Richmond has to offer all for a good cause? I can’t think of much.
What could be better than 12 hours of 12 of the best music and comedy acts Richmond has to offer all for a good cause? I can’t think of much.
Gallery5 will host a “12 Acts in 12 Hours” benefit event this weekend to provide your ears with 11 local bands and two acts from the Coalition Theater.
The stacked lineup includes Camp Howard, The Wimps, New Turks, Prayer Group, The Smirks, Naked Pictures, Peace Beast, Fetish Gear, Khonsu Djinn, The Milkstains, and Toward Space.
The Coalition Theater’s Slean Dion and winner of Richmond’s best comic in 2016 Josh Blubaugh from the local comedy improv organization will be performing as well.
Proceeds from the event will go back to the Jackson Ward gallery for some much-needed maintenance and upgrades.
“A hundred percent of it will go toward things people will notice,” said Nick Crider, Executive Director of Gallery5. “Most of it will go to stage improvements and sound improvements.”
Beyond performance equipment, Crider hopes that the event will help secure the funds to keep the building in good condition. Located on West Marshall Street, Gallery5 was originally created to protect the building itself, the National Historic Landmark, Steamer Company No.5, which dates back to 1849.
The landmark building has been under threat of demolition for over three decades, though the devoted efforts of volunteers have kept the building intact.
“The people who work here or volunteer here have donated thousands of dollars, have loaned thousands of dollars, have put in countless hours working on these things,” Crider said. “When you come to the show, that’s just helping us keep the building from falling apart.”
Though the musical lineup went through some changes, Crider said he’s stoked about who’s performing.
“[The lineup change] started off with us taking it down so that we could reschedule it to make it more inclusive, have a much more diverse lineup,” he said.
He particularly excited about the New Turks performing at the event. The band broke up about two years ago, but has reunited for this performance, giving attendees a unique chance to see them perform live.
“I don’t think that they’re planning on staying together,” Crider said. “They’re just playing the last show they never got to play.”
Local 60s pop band The Wimps, who dropped their debut album back in April, consider Gallery5 a favorite performance venue for most musicians around town.
“All of our friends that play in bands that we really respect and admire artistically really call Gallery5 their home base,” said Brent McCormick, vocalist/guitarist for The Wimps. “At Gallery5, everyone is really interested in making interesting music and kind of fostering a really great community among one another.”
He recalled one of his performances at Gallery5, the Black Valentine’s Day show. The idea was to play a show for everyone who was bitter and unloved on Valentine’s Day- and also to support local radio station WRIR. To McCormick, this dual purpose, to put on an awesome show while supporting the community, is a good example of Gallery5’s mission statement in action.
“It’s one of my favorite places to play in the city,” he said. “It’s a little more culturally minded than a lot of the other venues.”
In addition to the performing acts, the event will showcase the new exhibit “Signal Flare” by RVA muralist Mickael Broth in the upstairs gallery.
If music, comedy, and art aren’t enough to entice you, Gallery5 will also hold a raffle with prizes from the gallery itself, Brick City Sounds, Beach City Spa, Saison Market, Byrd Theatre, and the Science Museum of Virginia.
Gallery5’s “12 Acts in 12 Hours” event will kickoff Sept. 17 and run from 12 pm to 12 am. Admission costs $7. Now go hear some cool music and support your local art gallery.
