On stage and in the kitchen, some recipes are meant to be followed to the letter, while some are wide open for flair and interpretation. Big Broadway musicals thrive on delivering an experience as replicable as a chain restaurant’s marquee burger. This is not a dig....
"Pain don't hurt." - Dalton, refusing anesthetic while getting stitched up after a knife fight in the Double Deuce. There was a time in the 1980s when everything was on the table. This included making a little movie called Road House. A film about a legendary bar-room bouncer with a degree in philosophy from NYU who single handily cleans up...
Collecting vinyl is a total experience, a lifestyle that connects many things into a singular space. For some, it is a way to connect past to present; for others, it is a way to support your favorite bands and artists. And for others still, it is about the hunt. Finding that one elusive record is like digging for lost treasure, revealing itself...
"If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It’s not tragic to die doing what you love.” — Bodhi, Point Break. Since the dawn of mankind, disparate religions have contemplated the nature of heaven, the afterlife, and the ethereal beings who have guided humanity (for better or worse) — some cultures refer to...
First Friday is upon us once again and maybe, just maybe, the weather won’t be horrible. 1708 Gallery has a lot in store this month and I hope we all get to make there. 1708’s exhibition, The Den of Ingenuity, puts five of Richmond’s most potent and recognizable artists on the gallery scene. The curation reflects a consistent push from the talent...
Driving down the business district toward Brown's Island on Thursday evening, there was nothing but a sea of pink—pink dresses, pink overalls, pink cowboy hats, pink glitter, pink rhinestones, pink everything. Anyone who didn't know better might have quietly wondered if they had accidentally time-traveled to July 2023, when the dress code was the...
The name Wes Parker had been appearing on my radar for many weeks, and he seemed like the new kid on the block to talk to. Parker in 2024 alone had released two new singles, the second one by the name “Annie Moore” with a video to accompany it, and then with another track not far behind, this guitar playing stranger seemed to be making a name for...
In 1984, Steven Spielberg unleashed hell on the children of the world. Okay, maybe I'm overselling, but let's keep it real: even though it somehow emerged as a family favorite, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is seriously demented. I'd even go so far as to call it mean-spirited. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBdyLyijZhU It's one thing to...
"Okay, you people sit tight, hold the fort, and keep the home fires burning. And if we're not back by dawn... call the president." — Jack Burton on his way to battle the Chinese sorcerer David Lo Pan. Big Trouble in Little China is a perfect example of a movie that has aged better than any fine wine currently available on planet Earth. To make a...
The James River Film Festival, now in its 30th year, spanned two weekends in April 2024. It began with screenings at Studio Two Three, then moved to the Richmond Public Library, the Grace Street Theater, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and concluded with a full day at the Byrd Theatre. Over its storied three decades, the event has taken place...
