Lots of my favorites out here this week. Great way to enter fall with a nice mix of atmospheric drone balanced out by some twangy fun. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit us up at griffin@rvamag.com....
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The Future of Richmond Free Radio: Melissa Vaughn, Bridé Baker, and WRIR’s Next Chapter
It’s early afternoon at Kuba Kuba, and the place is buzzing. Coffee cups clatter, plates hit the counter, and over it all, Melissa Vaughn is already in motion. Before we’ve even ordered our food, she’s out of her chair, greeting someone at the table next to us like a long-lost friend, leaning in to compliment another patron on their work. ...
From Smash Tournaments to Punk Shows: Meet Madison Turner 🏳️🌈
Sat beneath a shifting sun and a canopy teeming with chittering cicadas, Madison Turner and I ran the gamut. I first heard of her while I was covering the local music scene for a VCU student publication, and her angsty, self-critical, maniacally upbeat tunes spoke to my brittle emo heart. I’ve gotten to know her a bit through sporadic...
Sound Check! Superchunk, Night Idea, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, White Beast & More!
Got a couple icons of the American alternative scene in town, which pairs well with some local killers in the same realm. Some chill, some not, some right in the middle. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba44JRAjpV4 Superchunk, Cor De...
Vicky Hester, Owner of Babe’s of Carytown and LGBTQ+ Advocate, Dies at 71 🏳️🌈
Richmond lost more than a business owner this week. On September 2, 2025, Vicky Hester, the longtime owner of Babe’s of Carytown, passed away at age 71. For many, her death marks the end of an era. For nearly five decades, Hester kept the doors of one of the nation’s oldest lesbian bars open and in doing so, she helped hold a community together....
Photos | Labor Day Rally Targets Corporate Greed and Inequality
Hundreds gathered in Monroe Park this afternoon for a Labor Day rally organized by 50501 Movement and 50501 Virginia, demanding “Workers Over Billionaires.” The event, which kicked off at 4:30 PM, brought together community members, activists, and labor advocates to highlight the fight for fair wages, healthcare, and protections for working...
Fears and Queers: Richmond’s Mistresses of Female Rage 🏳️🌈
At the intersection of pulpy horror and a coven-like sense of inclusive community is Good For Her: Richmond’s preeminent destination for femme monsters, wretched women, and nasty displays of the (not so) divine feminine. Good For Her is, among a myriad of other things, a monthly meeting of similarly minded villainesses for a film...
Griffin in Summer: How a Tribeca Winner Was Filmed in Richmond
The new coming-of-age feature Griffin in Summer is already drawing attention for its Tribeca wins and upcoming theatrical release, but for producer Bobby Hoppey, the film carries an extra layer of meaning: it was made in Richmond, a city he’s connected to thanks to his childhood best friend and local entrepreneur Fred Bryant, who also...
Southern Gothic: The Global Underground Hits Richmond
Richmond has always produced world-class talent and just as often, watched it leave. That cycle was exactly what Warren Jones, performer and co-founder of Prison Religion, and Christian Detres, filmmaker and longtime RVA Magazine contributor, set out to change. Their answer is Southern Gothic, a new festival by Black Ether, Halcyon Veil and See...
Sound Check | Men I Trust, Acute Inflections, Prayer Group & More!
Feeling warmer today, not the weather, just the shows. Got a lot of calming stuff on the doc, but even the harsher stuff can be calming if you’re into all that. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZRYzH0Q0pU Men I Trust, Strongboituesday,...
