It was 72 and breezy. Unseasonably pleasant, almost chilly. VCU students were splayed out on picnic blankets in Monroe Park enjoying soft serve and the sunshine. Citronella and the smell of hot dogs wafted through the air from some folks having a cookout. “High...
On Sunday afternoon, the last baseball game will be held at The Diamond after 40 years of service to a city and region and two baseball teams in what was, when it opened, “a major league park in a minor league town.” Between opening night in 1985 and the last game on Sunday is a span of 14,761 days. Through all the debates over the decades about...
It’s early afternoon at Kuba Kuba, and the place is buzzing. Coffee cups clatter, plates hit the counter, and over it all, Melissa Vaughn is already in motion. Before we’ve even ordered our food, she’s out of her chair, greeting someone at the table next to us like a long-lost friend, leaning in to compliment another patron on their work. ...
Nothing but insanely stacked bills this week. Indie, hip hop, alternative, it’s all popping off, and I can’t wait to be part of it. 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=CprfjfN5PRs Get tickets HERE The Richmond All Star Ozzy Osbourne Tribute...
Before the beer taps and condos, before the buzzwords about ‘revitalization,’ Scott’s Addition’s future passed through the hands of a single man: Justin Glynn French. A convicted felon whose empire collapsed in scandal, he set the stage, even if unintentionally, for the neighborhood we know today. Scott’s Addition is now one of the crown jewels...
Sat beneath a shifting sun and a canopy teeming with chittering cicadas, Madison Turner and I ran the gamut. I first heard of her while I was covering the local music scene for a VCU student publication, and her angsty, self-critical, maniacally upbeat tunes spoke to my brittle emo heart. I’ve gotten to know her a bit through sporadic...
Got a couple icons of the American alternative scene in town, which pairs well with some local killers in the same realm. Some chill, some not, some right in the middle. 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=ba44JRAjpV4 Superchunk, Cor De...
For 35 years, Richmond hairdresser Rick Bridgforth has been quietly transforming a forgotten alley in The Fan into something remarkable. What began as a way to clean up trash and keep crime at bay grew into a lush oasis that's alive with color, buzzing with pollinators, and offering neighbors a place to pause and breathe. The catch is, Rick...
Feeling warmer today, not the weather, just the shows. Got a lot of calming stuff on the doc, but even the harsher stuff can be calming if you’re into all that. 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=OZRYzH0Q0pU Men I Trust, Strongboituesday,...
Elyza Reinhart has been shooting shows since she was twelve, before she had a photo pass, before she even really knew what she was doing. That early start, and the nerves that came with it, still shape how she works today. Now based in Richmond, she’s finding new ways to connect music, skateboarding, food, and friends through her lens. Photo by...
