It’s time for the 9th Annual 2nd Best Comedy Fest running June 11–13, 2026. The Coalition Theater hosts this annual event, and is the brick-and-mortar heart of Richmond's alternative comedy ecosystem. Calling it the 2nd Best Fest is a beautifully defensive undersell...
There are certain people who become part of a neighborhood so slowly that nobody notices it happening until one day they realize the place would feel strange without them. If you’ve spent enough time around The Fan late at night, then you probably know Sunny Mart. It sits right around the corner on Cary Street past Carytown around the corner...
John Martin, the lead singer of Mick’s Jaguar, may be one of the most influential individuals in 21st century lifestyle media. I’ve been lucky to know him for most of that time and even had a chance to work with him directly a while back. Today, for our purposes, he’s simply the lead singer of a fucking raucous, spittle-and-leather,...
Beloved humorist and New York Times bestselling author, David Sedaris, will land feet first on April 17th during a stop at the Altria Theater as part of his “An Evening with David Sedaris” 43-show US tour, featuring all-new readings and recollections. Maybe you have been a fan of Sedaris since 1992 when his essay “Santaland Diaries” was broadcast...
Christmas Eve, 1928. Richmond is cold and the city is dressed for the holiday. On West Cary Street, a crowd gathers outside a building that wasn't there six months ago; a French Empire facade rising up in the middle of a neighborhood that had no idea it was about to become something. The first film that night was Waterfront, a First National...
There’s a moment during a Babe Improv set where you realize two things at once. First, they have no idea what they’re about to do next. Second, it’s all going to work out somehow. That tightrope is what makes it work, and when you have two people this in sync, it turns into something genuinely laugh-out-loud entertaining. Richmond duo Babe...
On the first warm weekend of 2026, in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 21, at least nine people were shot on North 18th Street in Shockoe Bottom. Two people, 23-year-old Genesis Tamar Jones and 42-year-old Dominic Antoine Jackson, were killed, and seven others were wounded. Police say the shooting began as an argument between two groups after...
Earlier this week, I sat down with Alli and Char of NYC rock band SKORTS to talk about their origins as a band, the ethos they carry, and their shared love of Richmond. The conversation was in preparation for their upcoming show at Get Tight Lounge this Friday with Deathcat and Human Worm. Alli Walls was serving in a multitude of roles on a...
Nothing but crazy bangers this week. These are all pretty big shows but it’s some of the best of the best in their respective genres, all in Richmond this week. 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=mTLJy2NIlSs Marc Rebillet, Gelli Haha,...
In 2018, Marc Rebillet showed up at The Camel in Richmond, a 200-cap room with sticky floors and a knack for producing nights that linger longer than they should. He wore robes then silky, gaudy, ceremonial things and improvised entire sets out of loops that seemed pulled out of nowhere. Reinhold, DJ, promoter, and respected member of this very...
