On a hot day in June, while visiting The Veiled Mirror and talking with them about collecting old books and DVDs, I was told that next door would be opening as a VHS video store soon. All throughout July, several of my friends who knew of my movie library habit...
Richmond’s own Black VA Theatre Alliance brings this month’s second outing of a Dominique Morrisseau play to a local stage, following Firehouse Theatre’s excellent production of Detroit 67. Like Detroit 67, Sunset Baby explores the living room dramas that persist against the backdrop of social unrest, activism, and disenfranchisement. We are...
"A long, long time ago, I was in a Richmond, Virginia–based band called The Jefferson Plane Crash. We were writing an album, and our practice space was the old, infamous Compound. I distinctly remember walking into the restroom to hit the head, and I noticed a perfectly—vertically—placed magazine with artwork and imagery that just stood the fuck...
“Everything seemed the same, but it wasn’t. It was a nightmare.” By 1978, the American Dream was officially dead. The counterculture of the ’60s and early ’70s had been absorbed into the mainstream, packaged and sold through a matrix of unlimited consumerism and second-rate marketing. The Vietnam War ended disastrously. Nixon had just...
It’s a great week to be a Richmonder. I tried to cover a little bit of everything here—something to calm the storm, something to shake it up more—and as always, if you’ve got something, let me know. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. The CameLTuesday, April 8th, 2025Teen...
The room was charged the moment the doors opened. Richmond showed up ready—you could feel it in the air, like the bassline of a song you know by heart. And at the center of it all stood The Ghost himself: Styles P. Live at Ember Music Hall. A masterclass in presence, precision, and passion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjqkhcJzoA He didn’t...
Last weekend in Church Hill, Richmond did something that only Richmond can do — it let history walk and talk right in front of us. Inside St. John’s Church, the scene was familiar. A reenactor delivered Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech to an attentive audience, a ritual that’s been part of the city’s cultural calendar for...
When it comes to creating visual work that uplifts Richmond’s music scene, The Sunroom has quickly become a trusted name. I caught up with Michael Thibodeau, the founder, creative director and producer at The Sunroom, to talk about how they started, their growing body of work with local artists, and what’s coming next. “So I’m Michael Thibodeau....
Twenty years ago, RVA Magazine and Gallery5 came to life together—two DIY efforts launched with no budget, no blueprint, and no permission. What they shared was a vision: that Richmond’s creative culture was worth showing up for, amplifying, and celebrating. On First Friday, April 4th, both organizations come together to mark their...
The enchanting world of Studio Ghibli returns to Richmond this week as Studio Ghibli Fest takes over the historic Byrd Theatre. Kicking off Monday, March 31 with a screening of Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), the fest brings a lineup of beloved animated films that have defined generations — and there's more magic ahead all week long. A bit of a...
