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Night Idea Has Been Here the Whole Time.

Richmond has no shortage of bands that arrive and then disappear. Night Idea has taken the opposite approach. They’ve been around for 16 years, and keep getting better. I sat down with Joey Anderson, Reggie Pace and Reyna Pannell ahead of Night Idea’s appearance at...

You Can Kiss Off! 45 Years of Violent Femmes

You can always kiss off into the air. Behind my back, I can see them stare. They hurt me bad, and I don’t mind. They hurt me bad, they do it all the time! Yeah, yeah. You just sang that in your head, didn’t you? I believe it is impossible not to. There’s an alchemy, a...

Read the Virginia Pride 2026 Pride Guide 🏳️‍🌈

For more than a decade, RVA Magazine has worked with Virginia Pride to produce the Official VA PrideFest Guide, bringing together stories from Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community and everything you need to know for PrideFest this Saturday, September 12,...

Virginia Film Chief Andy Edmunds Made a Movie

For context, when I’m not writing for this magazine, I’m a director and producer in the film industry. There’s one person rallying troops in the trenches for me and my colleagues all over the state. Andy Edmunds is on the front line of the conversations that bring...

Meet The Richmond Filmmakers Behind Cosmic Echo

Get tickets to Cosmic Echo Live on September 13 here. Richmond has always been an incubator for greatness. In the past, it’s been primarily a springboard for our best and brightest to thrive elsewhere. In recent years, that tide has shiftted. Our reputation as a...

A Quick Guide For This Labor Day Weekend in Richmond

Labor Day weekend is here, and if your plan was to sit around doing absolutely nothing for four days, Richmond has other ideas. Here are ten things worth getting out of the house for this Labor Day weekend. Commonwealth Sound ExchangeThursday, Sept. 3 through...

From Band Life to Big Dreams: Wes Parker’s Solo Journey

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...

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Wes Parker Interview by Andrew Bonieskie_RVA Magazine 2024

Virginia Icon Pharrell Williams is Coming To Town

A musical based on Pharrell Williams' childhood is set to be filmed in Richmond. It's a coming-of-age story set in 1977 Virginia Beach, drawing from Williams' upbringing in the Atlantis Apartments. Williams will produce, and Michel Gondry, known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, will direct. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07-QBnEkgXU...

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Pharrell Williams comes to Richmond to shoot musical_RVA Magazine 2024

Valient Himself Sings Again

Soooo Herbie Abernethy. Valient Himself, Valient Thorr. There are many things one could expect of you. HEMI engine-roaring rock and roll, spitting hot oil and sweat? Sure. Loud guitars fucking louder drums, on festival stages with the gods of American angst? Definitely. A solo album filled with cover songs ranging from Neil Diamond’s “Forever in...

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Herbie Abernathy aka Valiant Himself, Valiant Thorr interview by Christian Detres, photo by PJ Sykes 2024

Falling in Love with Big Fancy

According to Big Fancy’s Instagram bio, they’re “kind of like a milkshake with all of your favorite things.” Sounds a bit too good to be true, but if your favorite things include smooth, sweet R&B, soul and pop sounds, you might be pleasantly surprised. Their Jan. 5 show at Gallery 5 sold me, and likely many other audience members, judging by...

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Big Fancy article by Haley Bartel, photos by Lila Jones 2024

You Voted And Here We Go! the Richmond Music of Right Now in 2024

Thank you to everyone who participated in our voting this year. It's our first time compiling such a catalog, and it's truly been great to see the enthusiastic response with so many votes and shares. Also, we can't help but admire the incredible talent in our community. Musicians and artists are not only showcasing their own work but are also...

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The Richmond Music of Right Now 2024, photo by Duncan Shaffer

Palehound, GWAR & Drook: Sound Check

It's getting a little spooky around these parts. With Halloweekend, and the holiday itself, almost upon us, we're here to lay down for you the tunes to keep your partying fresh and well soundtracked. An indie group out of Boston called Palehound will be making their way down to The Broadberry for a Monday night of chilled out introspective jams,...

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GWAR at The National

Wild Love, John Prine Memorial & Desert Beagles: Sound Check

No matter the tastes of music lovers in this city, there is something for everyone this week. An overwhelming amount of pop music will be passing through (and additionally is on my mind as I will talk about later), so I'll be bringing you the information on my favorite pop acts and music that are in town this this week culminating in Nashville...

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