ROCK & INDIE




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Richmond Loves Dolly Parton

I was gonna kill my husband in a cab in Peru, but “Islands in the Stream” came on the radio, and we stopped arguing and started singing. She could do that to you. You could totally be feeling some type of way, but if you put some Dolly Parton on, well, then you got a...

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...

Photos | Maynard James Keenan and the Sessanta Tour in Virginia

A few weeks ago, we talked to Maynard James Keenan about the Sessanta tour — this strange, layered fever dream of a show stitched together with parts of A Perfect Circle, Tool, and Primus. When asked what it all meant, he didn’t blink. “You just do,” he said. No big philosophy. No TED Talk. The Sessanta tour isn’t your typical lap around the...

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Sessanta_Primus_Tool_photos-by-Vinny-Candela_RVA-Magazine-2025

False Nectar Is What Happens When Everything Somehow Goes Right

As any modern miracle story starts, the pandemic had hit and a project was birthed in a Richmond apartment. Bassist and vocalist Harrison was held up crafting something he did not yet know, False Nectar. As the world turned, and the songs became tangible, he reached out to a drummer he had shared a number of previous bills with, his friend...

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False-Nectar-interview-by-Griffin-Smalley_RVA-Magazine-2025

How a Long Hiatus Made Hot Lava Even Hotter

After more than a decade away from the spotlight, Richmond’s beloved indie pop band Hot Lava is flowing back to the Richmond Music scene with a refreshed lineup and a new album titled Queen of Fools on the way. Front woman Allison Apperson leads the charge with the emotionally layered single “What Not to Wear,” a track that marks both a...

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Hot-Lava-interview-by-Todd-Raviotta_RVA-Magazine-2025

Sound Check! Bully! Human Worm! Boston Manor! & More!

I believe a bunch of bands from Richmond have it in ‘em to drive off into the future, and I see a few of that lot on these shows right here. I can’t wait to say, “I saw so-and-so at Bandito’s, and now they’re headlining Coachella!” Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. FRIDAY...

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Bully-photo by Bobbi-Rich_RVA Magazine 2025

Why Shera Shi’s Debut Refuses to Fit One Genre

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...

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Shera-Shi-interview-photo by Kai_by-Todd-Raviotta_RVA-Magazine-2025

Sound Check! Remi Wolf! The Ar-Kaics! Oh Devil! & More!

All eyes are on Saturday. The streets are buzzing with crowds rushing into clubs across the city—come join the raucous and be part of the energy. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. Remi Wolf, Dana and AldenSaturday, April 26th, 2025Brown’s Island...

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Remi Wolf_photo by Ragan Henderson_RVA Magazine 2025