Editor's note: Edited to reflect that they have played here before. Richmond has become a burgeoning hub of post punk. Bands like Orthotonics cut through the tall grass of the scene in the 1980s, and now we have the likes of Tentative Decisions, Shagg Carpet, Hard...
Given our current political predicament, no line in cinema feels more relevant than when Bob Hauk, the police commissioner in Escape from New York, says to Snake Plissken, “The president’s gone missing.” To which Plissken coolly responds, “President of what?” Released in 1981 and directed by John Carpenter, Escape from New York, is arguably...
A longtime recreational and cultural landmark in Henrico County, Hadad’s Lake is set to be auctioned next month, signaling the possible end of its nearly 60-year legacy. Established in 1965 by Ronald Hadad Sr. and his father, the lake became a beloved local destination, offering a natural-bottom swimming pool, fishing...
Music has always been a mirror. It tells us who we are, what we value, and, sometimes, what we’re too afraid to face. But if music is supposed to reflect the world around us, then what does it say that so much of today’s mainstream music says… nothing at all? Richmond once had something to say. It made music that rattled cages, music that took a...
There are few people who can expose the playbooks of power quite like NYT bestselling author Cory Doctorow—unraveling how tech monopolies, political elites, and radicalization can converge at a singular point. As a science fiction writer, activist, and former European Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, he’s always been at the...
This past Saturday, Richmond heavyweight, Ducttape Jesus, took over Gallery5 to celebrate the release of Chester Skate Land Deluxe Vinyl with a night of hypnotic beats and ethereal energy. The event brought together a stacked lineup of local legends, including DJ Harrison, Ohbliv, Nick F, GAWD, and hernbean5150, each delivering intoxicating...
Gallery5 and the surrounding blocks of Jackson Ward became a portal to the past, where the clang of steel, the scent of woodsmoke, and the hum of lively conversation set the scene for the Richmond Renaissance Faire’s fundraising kickoff. Organized by Virago Alley in collaboration with The Richmond Moon Market, the event aimed to build support for...
Music is the lifeblood of a city. The late-night sets, the sweat-soaked venues, the dusty record bins filled with someone else’s memories. Richmond gets this. Always has. So here’s Weekend Frequency—a weekly, reader-curated playlist built for the city, by the city. It’s a revival, really. A continuation of our RVA Mag Weekend Playlists, a series...
I am very grateful for this job, purely for the amount of new music I become aware of. This week, we got some softer stuff that I normally would not have been hip to, but now it's going into regular rotation.If you’ve got any tips, send them my way. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at...
TROY and Fan Ran link up for a joint that’s less a track and more a cipher carved in concrete—an underground testament to Richmond’s hip-hop lineage, equal parts street sermon and boom-bap baptism. The energy is straight off a dubbed Maxell cassette, that golden-era grit where the drums snap like corner store gossip and the bassline hums like an...
