MUSIC




more in music

Life Wrote These Lines: Local Musicians Against AI

I was recently reflecting on a line I am particularly proud of. The tail half is: “I’ll go to the funeral if I get off of work.” As I am prone to do, it got me thinking about my abrasive hatred towards AI, especially in art. But I have to justify myself, if a computer...

Photos | the Flaming Lips & Modest Mouse on Brown’s island

Sunday night’s show on Brown’s Island felt like a ritual, maybe even a communion, as a field full of strangers came together under clear skies and perfect weather. Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, and opener Friko gave the crowd exactly what we came for. Modest Mouse...

The Head and The Heart Bring Aperture Home to Richmond

This Friday, The Head and The Heart will return to the stage in Richmond for the first time in awhile by headlining the new Allianz Riverfront Amphitheater with their biggest local show to date. While the band originally formed in Seattle, two of its founding members,...

Why Alexander Mack Might Be the Next Big Thing Out of Richmond

Unsigned but far from unseen, Richmond’s own Alexander Mack is pulling over 35,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with standout tracks like “Young Man” crossing 1.3 million streams. On YouTube, his video for “Cucumber Cool” has racked up over 367,000 views in just a...

It’s Still Our City | Ep. 12 Hotspit

“This interview was a blast. You know it’s a good one when even the editing (work) is fun. Join us in this episode as we discuss the creation of this wonderful band, their goals, and the process of building the perfect lineup (it’s tough), Crayola House and unwanted snowball fights, the unfortunate ending of Strange Matter, and quitting one Red...

Read More

Its-Still-Our-City_hotspit-RVA Magazine 2025

Photos | Teddy Swims Packed out Virginia Credit Union LIVE! in Richmond

Singer-songwriter Teddy Swims performed to a near-capacity crowd at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! in Richmond on Monday night, delivering a high-energy set that showcased his wide vocal range and genre-blending style. The show is part of Swims’ current tour in support of his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy. Fans filled the outdoor...

Read More

Teddy Swims in Richmond VA_photo by Joey Wharton_RVA Magazine 2025

Sound Check | Miramar, New Lions, Friday Junior & More!

The rain can’t keep us down. Even though it has been pouring for a week, the shows are still going on, life continues despite it all! Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twshwb1oXbM MiramarSunday July 20th, 2025Get Tight Lounge Few concert...

Read More

Miramar-at-Get-Tight-Lounge_RVA-Magazine-2025

Photos | Dave Matthews Band Draws Record Crowd in Richmond

Dave Matthews Band played to a capacity crowd at Richmond’s new Allianz Amphitheater on Tuesday night, delivering the venue’s biggest show since it opened earlier this year. Roads around the Riverfront were closed off as thousands of fans packed into the area, creating a festival-like atmosphere that extended well beyond the gates. The show...

Read More

Dave Matthews Band Richmond VA_photo by Joey Wharton_RVA Magazine 2025

Play Music I Love, With People I Love, For People I Love

When Jeff Gorman of Illiterate Light steps on stage, it’s not hype you feel, it’s heat. Not the kind that grabs at you immediately, but the kind that builds steady, loud, and unflinching. Just two guys onstage with a sound that hits like a full band. Offstage is where the real story takes shape. In the van, at the merch table, over weak coffee...

Read More

Illiterate-Light-at-The-National-Richmond-VA_photo-by-Joey-Wharton_RVA-Magazine-2025

When the Music Ends, The Bukit Hedz Begin

I came across them one night, sitting in the grass at Kanawha Plaza. Two men, buckets stacked like makeshift toms, a lone snare resting in one lap, framed by the warm glow skyline of downtown Richmond. Beside them, a sign made the economics clear: VENMO DRUMKEEM. PAYPAL DRUMMERVA. CASHAPP DRUMKING7. They weren’t playing yet. Just waiting....

Read More

The Bukit Hedz Richmond VA_photo by R Anthony Harris RVA Magazine 2025

Because None of This is Important, All of It Is.

Amid feedback loops, flickering lights, and fleeting connections at Get Tight Lounge, a local sound tech finds clarity in the chaos and meaning in the impermanence. by Eric Kalata I had to go across town first, to a different venue, to grab the microphones and monitors that I would need for the night. There were six speakers, and I was to take...

Read More

Eric Kalata writing_photo by R Anthony Harris_RVA Magazine 2025

200 People, One Backyard, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Local Brandon Crowe has quietly built something special in Richmond’s underground scene, a Fourth of July tradition called Crowefest. No corporate sponsors, maybe a few local ones. No massive gates or fences, just the usual short backyard one. What you get is a stage, a lawn, and a handpicked lineup of local heavy-hitters and rising stars....

Read More

Crowe Fest 2025_photo by Joey Wharton_RVA Magazine 2025