When I was growing up in Martinsville, Virginia, I never thought of it as a particularly music-friendly city. Sure, there were open mic nights at local churches and I caught the Charlie Daniels Band at our local Nascar track (ed. note: Martinsville Speedway) on the...
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Richmond’s Underground EDM Scene Gains New Ground
For those already hip to electronic dance music, and all it's extreme sub-genres, we know that there aren't that many venues around town hopping on to host your shows. With the addition of Ember Music Hall to the lineup of performance spots in town who have been hosting a few, prospects are looking better, but traditionally there have been few...
Richmond International Film Fest is a Cinematic Love Letter to Richmond
We’re a week out from the 12th annual installment of the Richmond International Film Festival. For the general populace, particularly cinephiles, this is a time to plunge headfirst into our shared passion for movies. Think of it as ComiCon for film nerds. If that was all it was, that’d be enough. But it is so much more. For the city, it serves...
Tegan and Sara, Richmond Does Cohen & Illiterate Light: This Week’s Sound Check
As everyone gets back to the grind, the musicians are on it too playing shows all over town and pumping out new tunes for the public's awaiting ears. Virginia Pride is this weekend, and not only is it going to be a wonderful weekend celebrating a culture and community that makes Richmond so unique, it is also going to be full of parties and...
Views from the First Iron Blossom Music Festival
The first Iron Blossom Music Festival kicked off this weekend with a roar and resounding success as some of the biggest acts in the world descended on Richmond to play alongside an incredible line up of "who-the-hell-are-these-guys?!" and any number of bands that could become listeners' new obsession. In case you missed it, it will most likely...
Hadad’s Lake For Sale! A Tribute to Richmond’s Ragtag Disneyland
It's not every day a piece of a city's soul is put up for sale and we are a few weeks late on this piece of news. But here we are, at the edge of Hadad’s Lake, looking back at the ripples of history and community connection that this place has fostered over the years. In 1965, Dorian Hadad's father, Ronald Sr., along with the money he earned...
Powerhouse Avail Headlines a Killer Night in ‘Over The James’ 2023
Sweeping into Brown's Island, the now-annual Over The James showcase ignited the night, with local legends AVAIL leading the charge. Amidst the sweltering heat and an unforgiving sun that emerged after a summer rain, thousands of fans converged, their energy crackling like a high school reunion electrified by rock 'n' roll. Avail, delivering a...
Richmond Hidden Gem: Fever In The Candlelight
Maybe I’m squarely in the prime demo, but I haven’t been able to escape the social media ads for this series of Candlelight concerts going on in Richmond this Summer. I’m not complaining, the algorithm was right. I was very interested. From a glance at the ads while I would scroll, every iteration of the series sounded dope. A string quintet...
Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli Headline Vibe Fest Tonight! A Conversation with Creator Jay ‘Jaewar’ King
When we saw the lineup, it definitely caught our attention. Major hip hop legends coming to Charlottesville, VA for a locally grown festival? We are down to know more. Digging in with Jay "Jaewar" King, the dynamic creative force behind Vibe Riot and the creator of Vibe Fest, is on a mission to unify and celebrate diversity through the...
804 Day, Shakey Graves & REIN: This Week’s Sound Check
There are lots of celebrations in the Richmond music world coming up, and what could be a more fitting way for musicians to commemorate milestones and successes then by having a day filled with music. If you’re overwhelmed by all the exciting things happening around town, then look no further because I will be giving you the full run down on...