Sat beneath a shifting sun and a canopy teeming with chittering cicadas, Madison Turner and I ran the gamut. I first heard of her while I was covering the local music scene for a VCU student publication, and her angsty, self-critical, maniacally upbeat tunes spoke to...
Three-time Grammy-winning rapper and activist Michael Santiago Render, better known as Killer Mike, will be a featured panelist in an upcoming discussion on the future of free expression, hosted by the University of Richmond. Co-moderated by UR liberal arts professor Erik Nielson, Mad Skillz and journalist Bonnie Newman Davis, the panel will...
I had been mentally workshopping different analogies to prime you for this article, but when I asked Junebug for a thought on how to explain the phenomenon during our interview, they spontaneously conjured an image that does the reality a good bit of justice. “If you happen to be racing cars, all these NASCARs are souped up, and they’ve got a lot...
For those keeping tabs on the statewide music scene, this might not come as news, but it's worth noting: Over the summer, two artists from Woodbridge, Virginia—Shaboozey and Tommy Richman—made serious waves on the national stage, both landing spots on the Billboard "Hot 100" chart. It's relevant to Richmond, as both artists have ties to our city,...
Once upon a time, and at no time in particular, we were all 12 going on 20. Each and every one of us wanted to kiss someone for the very first time. All of us noticed, to our disappointment, that greed and maliciousness exists. We’ve all woken up to a world where the magic we assumed sparkled everywhere, lived solely in our imaginations. We...
On a steamy September Saturday, Richmond is set to explode with the kaleidoscopic energy of Pridefest 2024. The city’s Bon Secours Training Center will be ground zero for this year’s LGBTQ celebration, turning the Commonwealth’s capital into a pulsing epicenter of music, culture, and unapologetic self-expression. Mark your calendars for September...
“Bodhi, this is your fucking wake up call. I am an FBI Agent.” - Undercover FBI Agent, Johnny Utah. When the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, it contained two identical golden records bound for interstellar space. Within those records were sounds and images that portrayed the vast diversity of life on planet Earth, including photographs and...
The word "hustler" gets a lot of grief. Most of the people we associate with the word bring negativity, strife, betrayals, and nonsense. I believe the word is misread colloquially. The Merriam-Webster entry lists two meanings: a prostitute and an aggressively enterprising person. I think, in modern parlance, we tend to split the difference and...
DIIV delivered an electrifying performance at The National in Richmond. If you missed it, check out these photos by Bert Shepherd @birdbartbert. For those unfamiliar, DIIV, a Brooklyn-based rock band, was formed in 2011 by Zachary Cole Smith. Initially called Dive, they released their debut album "Oshin" in 2012. After the success of "Oshin,"...
Hello reader! Today we chat with the fabulous Kade Wonders, who’s about to dazzle Richmond with "The Gayest Show On Earth" on July 18th at Hardywood Craft Brewery. From navigating the jitters of open mics to hosting big names at the Funny Bone, Kade spills the tea on their comedy journey, the art of bombing gracefully, and the thrill of blending...
