CULTURE




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Sound Check! Golden Fest! Nysa! Mengers! & More!

These shows got me amped. Join me and catch the wind in the sails and take off into a musical tomorrow across a sea of uncertainty. If you’ve got any tips, send them my way. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at...

VHS Club | Escape from New York

Given our current political predicament, no line in cinema feels more relevant than when Bob Hauk, the police commissioner in Escape from New York, says to Snake Plissken, “The president’s gone missing.” To which Plissken coolly responds, “President of what?” ...

Opinion | Richmond, We Don’t Need Another Love Song

Music has always been a mirror. It tells us who we are, what we value, and, sometimes, what we’re too afraid to face. But if music is supposed to reflect the world around us, then what does it say that so much of today’s mainstream music says… nothing at all? Richmond...

Sound Check! Bright Eyes! Hovvdy! Richmond Renaissance Fair! & More!

I am very grateful for this job, purely for the amount of new music I become aware of. This week, we got some softer stuff that I normally would not have been hip to, but now it's going into regular rotation.If you’ve got any tips, send them my way. Got a show coming...

EXCLUSIVE | TROY x FAN RAN, TRACK001

TROY and Fan Ran link up for a joint that’s less a track and more a cipher carved in concrete—an underground testament to Richmond’s hip-hop lineage, equal parts street sermon and boom-bap baptism. The energy is straight off a dubbed Maxell cassette, that golden-era...

PHOTOS | Richmond Paid Tribute to ‘J Dilla’ at RVA Boombox

On February 27, 2025, Richmond's hip-hop community converged at RVA Boombox to honor the legendary J Dilla during Dilla Day VA. The event, which was also joined by Ma Dukes, Dilla's mother, transformed the venue into a sanctuary for beat enthusiasts, including a beat...

‘It’s Still Our City’ Podcast | Episode 1: Broad Street Bullies

"Broad Street Bullies, it's like an anomaly. It's like a, it's interesting. It's like a self-supporting entity. There's either a lot of love for the situation, or there's like a lot of just sort of misguided, like non-understanding about it. And I've always thought it was such a cool thing. I remember the first time encountering them, I was on...

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RVA Magazine 20 Years | Stories from 2005

As we look back on 20 years of publishing RVA Magazine, we’re diving into our origins, beginning with our official launch in 2005. That year marked the debut of RVA Magazine, Issue 1, Volume 1, and our April 15th kickoff event at Gallery5. In the process of archiving, we realized that many articles from our early print issues—specifically from...

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Photos | Carytown Got Coned, and It Was Glorious

There’s a certain kind of magic that comes alive in Richmond when the locals decide to let their weird flag fly. And the Richmond Cone Parade? That’s as Richmond as it gets—a little absurd, a lot creative, and deeply communal. So, what exactly is this Cone Parade business? It’s a celebration of, well, cones. Participants are asked to craft their...

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Sound Check! X-Cops, Velvet Ruin & Camo Face

What Richmond needs is a good music documentary. If you look at these bills, week after week is insane talent front to back. I want someone to document all of these bands, each one deserves it. We need to cherish and capture this Richmond musical renaissance. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at...

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Carytown New Year’s: We Hardly Knew Ye

A couple days ago, Instagram publisher @therichmondexperience posted an iconic image from the 2008 Carytown New Years’ Eve event you may or may not have been at, or even heard of. Judging from the 4000 plus “hearts” and over 140 comments ranging from “please don’t ever do this again” to “why can’t we have nice things?”, I’d say there’s at least...

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New Year’s Eve! Looking Back at Our Biggest Stories of 2024

So, it’s New Year’s Eve. The drinks are poured, the fireworks are loaded, and before the clock strikes midnight, let’s take a moment to sift through the rubble of the year that was. Richmond in 2024—messy, beautiful, endlessly fascinating. Thanks for sticking with us through it all and pushing our readership to all time highs. Be safe out there...

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Richmond New Year’s Eve 2024-2025! The Ultimate Rundown

Richmond does New Year’s Eve like only it can—mixing a love for nostalgia with a flair for the unexpected. Whether you’re chasing live music, glamorous parties, or low-key drinks, RVA delivers with gritty charm and a shot of elegance. Here’s everything you need to know to close out 2024 in style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dro7S6SoiWM RVA...

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