Editor’s Note: This piece was written by a student at Randolph-Macon College as part of a feature writing course. Thank you to the students and to Professor Seth Clabough, Ph.D., for organizing the project. Gavin Lawton remembers the exact moment he decided music was...
It seems only natural for a musician to be the subject of a musical, and this, of course, must be why the idea has become incredibly common in the last few years. Films have done this repeatedly, such as 'Across the Universe,' adapting the music of The Beatles into a narrative structure. More directly than that, though, you have stage productions...
My FaceTime call with Rikki Rakki opened up on the picturesque scene of the four band members drinking cocktails on a wooden porch in the Black Mountains of North Carolina. I felt as though I interrupted a most intimate moment of not only a band, but a dear group of friends in the midst of a hang out in which I was not invited. Of course I was,...
Looks like we got another dose from NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series this week, the spotlight is not only on the legendary West Coast hip-hop ensemble, Cypress Hill, but also on a few of our favorite homegrown musicians hailing from Richmond. This killer set, along with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, was cherry-on-top blessed...
A bit of Richmond music news making national headlines this morning. Music fans in Richmond, and we at the mag, have a well-documented love for Lucy Dacus, a homegrown talent. But apparently, she shares no love for former President Barak Obama. Each summer, the former president curates a diverse and eclectic playlist showcasing his musical...
Punk is thriving in Richmond, as punk tends to do anytime the country feels in turmoil, and disarray, a tightly wound spring of frustration and discontent just itching to burst forth. Punk is that outlet. To many of our readership, punk is THE truth. Punk is what originally put Richmond culture on the music map for the first time. Most of popular...
In a cataclysmic convergence of rock-and-roll thunder and rain-soaked spectacle, a legion of space-faring monstrosities donned their battle-torn bodies with electric guitars, primed to ignite chaos on the sacred turf of the NPR headquarters. As the celestial vault above shed tears, it seemed as if the legendary Oderus Urungus himself, presiding...
If Pee Wee Herman was roommates with Sherlock Holmes and an LSD-powered robot, Révéler / Orbital Music Park would be their dream home. You may not know the place but you’ve def seen it. It’s the black and gold spot in Carytown with giant skeletons outside. I took three guesses as to what I was looking at from my drivers-side window in typical...
There wasn't much red, white, and blue at Daddy's Grotto on the 4th of July, but there were plenty of cool queer people in bathing suits. The elusive backyard space offered the following to partygoers: a small but mighty above-ground pool, stir-fry meals, quality company, free alcohol on tap, and music from a range of different artists. The party...
As the sun-soaked days unfurl and music festivals grip our collective consciousness, we can't help but cast an introspective glance at the plethora of exceptional talent teeming right in our own backyard, within the vibrant locale of Richmond. This city, a pulsating melting pot of practically every musical genre conceivable, serves up a weekly...
