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...
Michael Eugene Archer, better known to the world as D’Angelo, has passed away. The Richmond-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist didn’t just help create neo-soul, he refined it. His music, “thick as molasses,” as Rolling Stone once wrote, carried a voice “instantly classic, almost out of time.” It was D’Angelo who inspired Motown...
Don’t let the name fool you, the Richmond Jazz & Music Festival, happening August 8–10, 2025, isn’t just about jazz. This year, hip hop isn’t just part of the mix, it’s taking center stage. It’s been moving in that direction for a while, but now the shift feels complete. As the festival continues to evolve, it’s embracing the full...
Singer-songwriter Teddy Swims performed to a near-capacity crowd at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! in Richmond on Monday night, delivering a high-energy set that showcased his wide vocal range and genre-blending style. The show is part of Swims’ current tour in support of his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy. Fans filled the outdoor...
Counting Crows brought their signature blend of alt-rock nostalgia and emotional resonance to Richmond’s new Allianz Amphitheater this past weekend, playing to a packed crowd under clear summer skies. The night kicked off with The Gaslight Anthem, opened the evening with a 45-minute set that included fan favorites like “The ’59 Sound” and...
Let’s be honest: most local summer music guides read like they were written by someone who’s never been to a show. A few safe headliners. Maybe a festival or two. So we made our own and put it all in one place for easy reference. This is RVA Magazine’s unofficial, unfiltered field guide to the music we actually care about this summer....
The first time I saw Shera Shi was after stepping back into Richmond’s music scene, following a few years away during the quarantine-era shutdown. One of the best things about catching live music in RVA is stumbling onto “new to you” bands while showing up for the ones you already know. That’s exactly what happened at a spring 2023 show at Get...
Richmond gets it. More than any other city in Virginia. So here’s Weekend Frequency, a weekly, reader-curated playlist built for the city, by the city. Weekend Frequency is part revival and part continuation of our RVA Mag Weekend Playlists which we curated before the world flipped upside down in 2020. Feel free to dig through our...
Richmond has a way of letting history slip through the cracks. Some stories get enshrined, others get forgotten, and too often, the ones that matter most fall into the latter category. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of those names that any one who loves music history should know, yet somehow, she’s often missing from the city’s narrative. That’s...
David Bowie said it best: “Let’s dance.” I tried to get something fun, something chill, and something maniacal—because sometimes a man has got to skank, and sometimes a man has got to get a concussion in the pit. 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...
