If you’ve been to a local rock show in Richmond in the past half-decade, chances are you’ve bumped into Andrew Cothern, creator of the blog RVA Playlist.
If you’ve been to a local rock show in Richmond in the past half-decade, chances are you’ve bumped into Andrew Cothern, creator of the blog RVA Playlist.
What has now become one of the cornerstones of Richmond’s music coverage and promotion begin in June 2010 simply as an outlet for Andrew to share the music he loved at the moment without crowding Facebook feeds or unleashing an endless onslaught of tweets.
Admittedly, Cothern (pictured below) never expected it to take off, to become a staple of the scene. He credits the growth of his platform to the myriad musical talent that has grown and cultivated within the River City since the inception of his moniker.
He may just be modest, though; the man writes like a machine.
As a direct consequence of RVA Playlist’s ceaseless dedication to the artists that make RVA such a vibrant artistic community, The Broadberry was the center of the local universe on Thursday evening to celebrate the blog’s fifth anniversary.
Cothern greeted many early arrivals personally at the door and distributed a more literal RVA playlist, pressed by local outfit Triple Stamp Records and chock full of tunes from Richmond-based bands, a few of whom would later perform. The physical product was a nice touch in an era where music ownership often feels as thin as a line of code on a digital screen.
An outspoken critic of the lack of promptness in the Richmond music scene, Cothern’s event predictably began precisely at half-past seven with the kick of a thunderous bass drum delivered by Chandler Matkins of the outfit Big Mama Shakes.
For a band that’s been playing together for only a little over a year and just released their debut record less than a month prior, Big Mama Shakes (pictured below) sounded as polished as a band that’s been playing together for a decade. Their coordinated syncopation had polished punctuality as they established a vast musical breadth, with both hard and soft edges, throughout their 45-minute set.
Frontman and lead guitarist Brady Heck demonstrated a mature talent as he effortlessly scorched through a number of impressive guitar solos while maintaining a vibrant stage presence. This was accented by his performance on a cover of B.B King’s “Chains and Things.” Keyboardist Elijah Righter’s role morphed between colorful percussionist, lead singer, and wielder of a piercing, soulful harmonica. As a collective, the members shared harmonies reminiscent of those of The Band.
If Big Mama Shakes continues to color the Richmond scene with its impressive virtuosity; there’s no doubt they’ll continue to be a fixture on the blog they came to celebrate.
Providing a contrast to the volume and tone of the opening act, Jonathan Vassar and the Badlands assembled their three-piece ensemble to deliver a stripped-down, indie-folk aesthetic. Their presence among the lineup most truthfully illustrated the diversity of Richmond’s music scene and consequently the diversity of RVA Playlist’s coverage.
There would be no shortage of kind words that evening for the work that Cothern has done to promote local artists in RVA, but Vassar kicked-off the trend with his story of buying a guitar amplifier from Cothern many years ago. The amp in question adorned the stage as Vassar and company lulled the audience into a comfortable, quiet, melancholy haze. During the quietest moments, one could only hear the faintest murmurs of conversation near the venue’s door. This show of adoration and respect was a welcome respite from the unfortunate norm that Richmond concertgoers have come to expect.
The trio represents a new musical chapter for Vassar, who’s been writing and performing as a solo artist after the dissipation of his former backing band: The Speckled Bird. This new incarnation has an EP due out later this year.
RVA Playlist’ debut post was a promotion for a concert at the late Six-Burner by a band then called “Prabir/Goldrush.” It was only right, then, that Prabir Mehta and his classically trained band mates, now simply “Goldrush”, bounced happily on to the stage next.
Goldrush (top image) began their set with a string of their more familiar hits that highlighted their unique pop-rock / classical scope. Members of the band shared a shot (supposedly tequila) with Cothern mid-set, and were not shy about professing their love for the man who’d covered their musical journey since it’s inception.
About halfway through their performance, the group unleashed a string of new material, including two sub-minute thrashers entitled “Thank You” and “The Ballad of the Skeptical Pisces.” These compositions were louder and more furious than their familiar tracks, but other new songs represented a more nuanced transition from the group’s previous material.
Mehta later shared that new material would be released on an upcoming EP entitled, “Summer Sun.” The theme of the record will be “independence” and the group hopes to deliver it just before the July 4th holiday. A performance at the VMFA is already scheduled for July 3rd, so Mehta hopes the band’s finishing touches come with some measure of expedience.
Goldrush closed their set with a collaboration featuring select members of No BS! Brass Band. The animated partnership made for a unique highlight of the evening and emboldened a feeling of community between the artists within the landscape of RVA Playlist’s coverage.
The audience seemed to grow exponentially within the next few minutes and solidified around the stage, where what appeared to be a barricade of at least 14 microphones began to assemble for the start of No BS! Brass Band’s performance.
In Cothern’s own words, “Nobody can own a room like No BS Brass Band can,” and the evening’s performance would prove to cement that unmistakable truth. Reggie Pace and company have a matchless chemistry on stage wherein their songs present fine-tuned, articulate compositions of pure energy and interludes feel like a frenzied, chaotic house party to which the audience is invited.
No BS’s 70-minute set (pictured below) was an exquisite display of the ensembles diverse talent. At least four members took the mike to lead vocals and brilliantly crafted solos were too numerous to count.
Not to be outdone, No BS! Brought with them a slew of unheard material to compliment crowd favorites such as “Get it Awn”, “Boss Battle”, and their pep-band-esque cover of A-ha’s “Take On Me.” New songs “3AM Bounce” and “Brass Knuckles” illustrated that the band shows no signs of slowing down or lacking in originality; coming off just as vibrant, expressive, and polished as any piece of their expansive catalog.
The performance was highlighted by a masterful rendition of “Khan!!!” which featured a four-minute dynamic drum solo from Lance Koehler.
As the set came to a close and the band began to disperse off of stage left, Koehler remained at his drums and shouted, “F**k y’all, I’m not leaving until we play RVA All Day.” The audience was uncertain if this was a genuine show of protest or a fine display of showmanship, but the band nonetheless obliged.
It felt as though echoes of the trademark chant could still be heard ringing into the emptiness of midnight Broad Street as the audience reluctantly disbanded from a showcase that could not have more raucously celebrated a music community so plentiful in raw talent and their unwavering allegiance to RVA Playlist.
