CULTURE




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ACA Rate Hike of 20.5% Could Price Out Richmond Creatives

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...

Life Wrote These Lines: Local Musicians Against AI

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...

Photos | the Flaming Lips & Modest Mouse on Brown’s island

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...

The Lost Cause Boys’ Club

“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...

Sound Check | Miramar, New Lions, Friday Junior & More!

The rain can’t keep us down. Even though it has been pouring for a week, the shows are still going on, life continues despite it all! 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=twshwb1oXbM MiramarSunday July 20th, 2025Get Tight Lounge Few concert...

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When the Music Ends, The Bukit Hedz Begin

I came across them one night, sitting in the grass at Kanawha Plaza. Two men, buckets stacked like makeshift toms, a lone snare resting in one lap, framed by the warm glow skyline of downtown Richmond. Beside them, a sign made the economics clear: VENMO DRUMKEEM. PAYPAL DRUMMERVA. CASHAPP DRUMKING7. They weren’t playing yet. Just waiting....

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The Bukit Hedz Richmond VA_photo by R Anthony Harris RVA Magazine 2025

Because None of This is Important, All of It Is.

Amid feedback loops, flickering lights, and fleeting connections at Get Tight Lounge, a local sound tech finds clarity in the chaos and meaning in the impermanence. by Eric Kalata I had to go across town first, to a different venue, to grab the microphones and monitors that I would need for the night. There were six speakers, and I was to take...

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Eric Kalata writing_photo by R Anthony Harris_RVA Magazine 2025

200 People, One Backyard, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Local Brandon Crowe has quietly built something special in Richmond’s underground scene, a Fourth of July tradition called Crowefest. No corporate sponsors, maybe a few local ones. No massive gates or fences, just the usual short backyard one. What you get is a stage, a lawn, and a handpicked lineup of local heavy-hitters and rising stars....

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Crowe Fest 2025_photo by Joey Wharton_RVA Magazine 2025

Uncorking Confusion: Making Sense of the Great Grape

The world of wine can be a bit intimidating at first. Tannins and mouthfeel. Direct press or maceration. Disgorgement. Yeast. Barrels. Sulfites and sugars. We are at another wine tasting today. All I see is smelling and swirling—and smelling again. Whispered murmurs of notes of cherry, or tobacco and leather. “Pepper,” one man says,...

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Uncorking-Confusion-Making-Sense-of-the-Great-Grape_RVA-Magazine-2025

It’s Still Our City | Ep. 11 Katrina

“This woman is important. This episode is exactly why I wanted to start the podcast. Real deal service industry fella. Mom of 3... she's been in Richmond for a minute and is traversing all the changes that surround us, whilst hustling super hard with a smile. This gal is a badass. Join us as we discuss with Katrina walking the delicate line...

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Its-Still-Our-City_Katrina_RVA Magazine 2025