CULTURE




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Cheap Suits And Bad Jokes

Neil Hamburger's standup comedy often feels more like performance art that is primarily intended to make you uncomfortable. What would that be like live and in person? When Hamburger came to Richmond Music Hall last month, Ryan Kent went to find out. The elephant...

Outlaw Comedy: An Interview With Paige Campbell

Born in Staunton and based in Richmond, comedian Paige Campbell wears a cowboy hat and books a monthly showcase at Buskey Cider. This month, it's on Black Friday, and it's got a lineup sure to excite RVA comedy lovers. Gabe Santamaria caught up with Paige to get the...

Winston Hodges Is Already Aware (And Thank You For Asking)

Virginia standup comedian Winston Hodges just released his first professionally-recorded album, Already Aware, with Helium Comedy Records. But he's far from new to the comedy game, as RVA Mag's Ash Griffith learned during their conversation. Winston Hodges is doing...

Comedy Comfort Food

When Steve Martin and Martin Short came to the Altria Theater on October 22, they proved that comedy doesn't have to be edgy to be extremely funny. "You can start by wiping that fucking dumbass smile off your rosy fucking cheeks. And you can give me a fucking...

RVA Mag Presents Your Perfect Scary Movie Marathon

The weather's crummy, but it's Halloween weekend, so the time is right to get your scares on -- even if you have no interest in putting on a costume and leaving the house. For the perfect way to kick off Halloweekend, here an essential streaming horror marathon, from...

The Visual Splendor of Anime Ink

Anime Ink, a convention celebrating anime, tattoos, and anime tattoos, as well as many related elements of pop culture, took over the Greater Richmond Convention Center this past weekend, for the first time since before the pandemic. Fans flocked to the gathering; our...

Nightmare On Broad Street: An Interview With David Pijor

After a long pandemic-related sabbatical, the Coalition Theater has returned to action, and this Halloween weekend will bring the eighth incarnation of their long-running Halloween event, spread across four nights. Gabe Santamaria spoke to Coalition co-founder and...

Opinion: TikTok Can’t Hold A Candle To Vine

Vine is dead, I know. But the recent onslaught of TikTok ads on the internet has left me feeling nostalgic for the once beloved video app. So in the spirit of love, Vine, and my opinions, “welcome back to... me, screaming.” In search of the right herbal tea, or bubble bath, or Netflix series, I have discovered that nothing eases my anxiety better...

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Netflix’s You Reminds Us That Men Can Be Creepy And Terrifying

The hit Netflix series frighteningly subverts a host of romantic-comedy cliches to bring us a powerful point: our culture needs to stop romanticizing abusive men. The TV series You, an adaptation of Caroline Kepnes's addicting 2014 novel of the same name, premiered on Lifetime in September 2018. But it really caught fire once it moved to Netflix...

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Ancient Witch Marks May Reveal The Entrance To Hell

What was it about England's Creswell Crags that so frightened its ancient visitors? Whatever it was, they sure left a lot of ritual markings to commemorate it. Now researchers are making their own investigations. Last week, a major discovery was made in a scattered stretch of British caves. Apotropaic markings -- carvings with barrier-like...

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A Main Street Movie Theatre Returns To Former Glory In Ashland

From first-run movies and a unique, locally-focused atmosphere to live music presented by the Broadberry Entertainment Group, the Ashland Theatre's got it all. Local is EVERYTHING. And at the Ashland Theatre, Ashland is exactly what you get. The rich history, the architecture, the food, the music, everything. “When we opened we wanted to make...

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