AMERICANA & BLUES




more in music

Fourth of July 2026 in Richmond: Fireworks, Festivals, and More

The best Fourth of July celebration in Richmond probably isn't the one with the biggest fireworks. It's the one where someone forgot the hot dog buns, the cooler is running low on ice, kids are chasing each other through sprinklers, and somebody insists they know a...

IllumiNATION Tells America’s Story on a Monumental Scale

Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on coverage related to America’s 250th anniversary, including Richmond SailFest and IllumiNation. It's hard to impress people with just a building. Yet standing in front of the...

Blöthar: “GWAR Didn’t Change. The World Freakin Changed.”

Richmond metal band GWAR says the Secret Service contacted the group following a recent performance at the Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C., that featured the mock execution of a Donald Trump effigy. Video of the performance, which showed band members...

Kelli Strawbridge Re-Releases Kings And Returns To The Camel

Ten years ago, Richmond drummer, bandleader, and all-around musical utility player Kelli Strawbridge released Kings, a collaborative soul and funk record built alongside producer and keyboardist DJ Harrison of Butcher Brown. The album arrived at a moment when...

The Last Ride of The Golden Pony

Every good music scene has a few rooms that become bigger than themselves. They rarely make headlines while they're open, but their importance becomes obvious when they disappear. For Harrisonburg, The Golden Pony was one of those places. After eleven years of hosting...

Stay Hungry pt. 1 | Band on the Road

Editor's Note: Writer's Block is a space for Virginia writers to share personal essays, fiction, memoir, and works that fall somewhere in between. In Stay Hungry, Richmond local Eric Kalata looks back on a cross-country tour and the restless optimism of...

Photos | Hopscotch Music Festival 2024 by Jesse Peters

We usually stick to our Richmond roots, but Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, has earned its place in our coverage. For over a decade, Hopscotch has been a magnet for Richmond bands, a cultural exchange that throws Virginia's finest into the mix of one of the most adventurous festivals around. This three-day marathon, sprawling...

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Sound Check! The Lemonheads, Goth Babe & Shagwüf

This was an overwhelming week of Sound Check as there is just so much amazing music in Richmond this week. Picking which shows to cover was like picking which hand to eat soup with. The weather is beautiful, shows are plentiful, life is good and I want to get out there. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am...

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Sound Check! Crumb, Deau Eyes and Dean Hurley

I believe we are in a Richmond Music Renaissance. It seems like everywhere I look there are new bands playing their first few gigs, more developed groups putting out their first big releases, or pairs going off on their first tour. Let’s water the flowers that are sprouting up everywhere, it makes the city prettier. We give our locals a backing,...

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Sound Check! Crumb, Deau Eyes and Dean Hurley by Griffin Smalley_RVA Magazine 2024

Sound Check! Primus, Tophouse and Jake The Dog

This week I am looking at three shows that could not be less similar in my eyes. There is a sharp contrast of energy and volume between the bands, a little bit of this and I dare say a little bit of that. I was not totally familiar with a lot of these artists and I am glad I have made some new discoveries, hopefully you have to! Got a show coming...

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Sound Check! Primus, Tophouse and Jake The Dog by Griffin Smalley_RVA Magazine 2024

Sound Check! Dogstar, Greensky Bluegrass & Ten Pound Snail

I am having one of those weeks where I fall absolutely head over heels in love with music and listening to these bands has done absolute wonders. Seeing Palmyra last week has me back on the grass (the blue kind) which could not line up better with the upcoming Brown’s Island Beer Fest. I am doing a bit of reminiscing at the Camel with bands I...

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Sound Check_Dogstar, Greensky Bluegrass & Ten Pound Snail by Griffin Smalley_RVA Magazine 2024