Imagine pulling into a suburban shopping center to buy a toaster and finding a department store that appeared to be falling apart with corners breaking away, walls peeling open like a giant cardboard box, or facades seemingly collapsing under their own weight. For...
I flew in under the wire to catch 5th Wall Theatre’s final performance of Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City at Richmond Triangle Players' impressive stage in Scott’s Addition. This play is a curious hybrid, a bifurcated cryptid if you will, as its first and second acts are paced in startling opposition to each other. The play begins in time-lapse...
Richmond has a way of letting history slip through the cracks. Some stories get enshrined, others get forgotten, and too often, the ones that matter most fall into the latter category. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of those names that any one who loves music history should know, yet somehow, she’s often missing from the city’s narrative. That’s...
A protest has been organized for Sunday, March 23rd, at Patrick Henry Park in Richmond, coinciding with the annual reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous “Liberty or Death” speech at St. John’s Church. The demonstration, themed “250 Years of No Kings in America,” draws on the Revolutionary War-era spirit to oppose President Donald Trump. The...
According to Richmond Bizsense, a new high-rise could soon reshape Richmond’s skyline as a mystery developer from New York considers building a 35-to-40-story mixed-use tower on a prime state-owned lot at 703 E. Main Street. The project, which would be among the tallest buildings in the city, reflects a growing wave of investment in downtown...
"Destructo Disk, an alternative punk band originally from Winchester, VA, has quickly become a Richmond staple. It’s wild to think they’ve only been tearing it up here for a few years—they’ve covered serious ground in no time. If you haven’t checked them out yet, do yourself a favor. Their live shows are pure energy, and they know how to bring...
Sixty-five years ago, a group of brave young Black Richmonders walked into a department store, sat down at a lunch counter, and refused to leave. That’s what they did. That’s what got them arrested. They just sat in a segregated space where their presence alone was considered a crime. https://vimeo.com/9827740?share=copy That moment—the...
I’ve given up on trying to write reviews of plays I see at the Firehouse Theatre immediately after leaving the show. Maybe I’m slow, but there is always so much to process that “sleeping on it” is the only way I’m going to unpack the turmoil they’ve left me with as I walk out the door.Detroit '67, currently showing, is no exception. The Firehouse...
If English is your first language and you own at least 100 books, I’d lay even odds that one of them is the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Even if you’ve never read it. Shakespeare’s kung fu grip on the GOAT trophy is impressive for its 400-year title retention and his distant-as-all-hell competition in the rearview. When someone gets to...
Music is the lifeblood of our city. The late-night sets, the sweat-soaked venues, the dusty record bins filled with sonic treasures and hidden frequencies. Richmond gets this— more than any other city in Virginia. So here’s Weekend Frequency—a weekly, reader-curated playlist built for the city, by the city. Part revival, part continuation of...
