In the electric and perpetually sincere terrain of Richmond’s theatre culture, there are institutions that do more than merely reside, they lead. They serve as a measure of our city's potential beyond its natural aspirations. I've witnessed Firehouse Theatre inhabit...
The more I sat with this album, the more the title started to hit different. Pigs can’t fly, and Northside kids aren’t supposed to either. That’s the lie they grow up hearing. It echoes in the way just surviving gets mistaken for success. Don’t aim too high. Don’t miss. Pigs Can’t Fly Vol. 1, the album Troy made with producer Fan Ran and vocalist...
A 100-foot brick wall in Richmond’s Fan District now carries a word in bold ghost-sign lettering: RELIABILITY. Painted by local artists Noah Scalin and Alfonso Pérez Acosta, it’s the first in a four-part series of murals under the banner Trust Buildings, part of the Mending Walls RVA public art initiative. Each mural will center on one...
The return of cumbia in Richmond, alongside a whole bunch of other fun shows! Maybe cumbia never left Richmond and I just don’t know about it. That being said, 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=qxa3xnM5-hk Yeison LanderoThursday July 3rd,...
On stage and in the kitchen, some recipes are meant to be followed to the letter, while some are wide open for flair and interpretation. Big Broadway musicals thrive on delivering an experience as replicable as a chain restaurant’s marquee burger. This is not a dig. When you pay for a Broadway hit musical, you want a Broadway hit musical with all...
Every day we grow the good name of Richmond music. Slowly but surely, we’re taking our place on the nation’s grand stage, showing the rest of the country what we have to offer in nearly every genre. This week’s shows are a continual testament to that fact. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy...
In this city of the dead, I felt the weight of history bearing down upon me, the accumulated whispers of the past echoing through the hollows of my ears like a mournful sigh. No one needs teachings to realize that this ancient place wields some mystery. The James River, a lifeblood of sorts, flowed quietly in the distance, but my immediate...
I am glad to say Richmond shows out when need be. Even at the most empty shows there's two buddies in the corner that came to support. Keep RVA supportive. 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=ol-j9mnLgWY Friday Cheers The War and Treaty,...
When Mark Szafranski bought the building at 117 West Broad Street in 1991, the property was in disrepair. Water seeped from the upper floors, the windows were falling in, and downtown Richmond was, at the time, more forgotten than revitalized. But Szafranski, a musician—not a developer—saw possibility in the neglect. He was playing accordion...
This week we have artists that were born here, artists clawing their way up in the scene, and artists making their last stands. No matter what stage you’re at—give ‘em hell. No relent. Push, drive, make yourself better, and keep Richmond the haven it is. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy...
