Editor's Note: For more on the life and legacy of Sojourner Truth, read Christian Detres' companion essay HERE. This has been an inspirational season for Richmond’s homegrown theatre. We are following up the sold-out run of Witchduck with the mid-project musical...
Richmond’s creative economy has always been powered by risk-takers like musicians, painters, actors, writers, photographers, makers, and the small business owners who keep the city’s galleries, venues, and shops alive. Many piece together a living from passion projects, gig work, and side hustles, often without the safety net of employer-provided...
I was recently reflecting on a line I am particularly proud of. The tail half is: “I’ll go to the funeral if I get off of work.” As I am prone to do, it got me thinking about my abrasive hatred towards AI, especially in art. But I have to justify myself, if a computer wrote that line, would it still be a good line? The reason I think it is good...
Last Friday, The Head and the Heart returned to Virginia, playing to a packed Allianz Amphitheater on a night that felt almost scripted for atmosphere. A light drizzle drifted down throughout the evening, cloaking the crowd in a gentle mist and giving the whole show an unplanned, cinematic touch. For lead singer Jon Russell and drummer...
Editor’s Note: With a new mayor in Richmond and Virginia’s governor’s race on the horizon, alongside ongoing federal redistricting battles and policy shifts, the question of how we build and hold power is more urgent than ever. In this guest commentary, a reader argues that too much of today’s activism has slipped into performance at the expense...
Tons of great ones at tons of great places. Some great out-of-towners, but a plethora of local favs. 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=zfB8EvN2W0c IONNA, Girlspit, Flora and the Faunathursday August 7th, 2025Banditos Insanely tough bill at...
Sunday night’s show on Brown’s Island felt like a ritual, maybe even a communion, as a field full of strangers came together under clear skies and perfect weather. Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, and opener Friko gave the crowd exactly what we came for. Modest Mouse took the stage as the sun slipped behind the James River. Isaac Brock, still...
“The rebel yell, reinforced by a glorification of the lost cause was everywhere manifest,” reported John Mitchell Jr., editor of the Richmond Planet, an African American weekly newspaper, at the time of the Robert E. Lee monument’s unveiling. It was the spring of 1890. Boxes adorned with Confederate flags held the 12-ton bust, as a faithful...
And no, it’s not made from oranges.. The first time I encountered orange wine (or skin contact white wine), I was wowed by the color and it’s presentation. It’s gorgeous. This beautiful, amber-hued liquid danced around the edges of my swirling wine glass. I gave it a sniff and it was so earthy, not what I was expecting. Then I gave it a sip....
A former Richmond smoke shop owner breaks his silence on selective enforcement, shady distributors, and the regulatory loopholes driving Virginia’s booming gray market. In neighborhoods across Richmond, it’s hard to miss them: brightly lit vape shops glowing with LED signage, open late, their shelves lined with flavored vapes, glass pipes, and...
