CULTURE




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Sound Check | LA LOM! Aimee Mann! Gnawing! & More!

This week we have artists that were born here, artists clawing their way up in the scene, and artists making their last stands. No matter what stage you’re at—give ‘em hell. No relent. Push, drive, make yourself better, and keep Richmond the haven it is. Got a show...

Why Norfolk’s NEON District Works—and What Richmond Can Learn

In 2013, a two-day event transformed a neglected stretch of Norfolk, Virginia, into a pop-up arts district. It wasn’t a city plan—it was a vision. Volunteers opened temporary galleries in boarded-up storefronts. Food trucks rolled in. Sidewalks were painted with...

The Vinyl Crypt of Scott’s Addition: Wax Moon’s Strange Magic

Off of Broad Street, deep in Scott’s Addition between warehouses and alleyways, is a black hole in the wall filled with music, vintage VHS, and (perhaps most importantly) Richmond’s preeminent collection of horror-themed pinball machines. I came to Wax Moon on a cool...

It’s Still Our City | Ep. 10 Lady E

“I met this phenom many, many moons ago at DLB, and I was instantly smitten. She’s always marched to the beat of her own fuckin’ drum—and still does. So much respect. And then I heard her sing... oh mylanta. Her voice absolutely floored me. She moved to Richmond at 18...

Sound Check! Sportsbar! Doll Baby! Fan Club! & More!

Lotta punk on the menu, but I tossed in a jazz album so it’s all okay. We’ve got some really cool touring bands coming into town right now. I’m especially excited to see Tokyo’s finest at Cobra—let’s give ’em a good taste of RVA so they’ll tell their friends. If we keep that up, we’ll have an endless stream of amazing acts from all over the...

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Municipal Waste | 25 Years of No Mercy

When you think of Richmond’s heavy music scene, four names immediately come to mind: Lamb of God, GWAR, Avail, and Municipal Waste. These are the bands that have bled into the city’s veins and shaped the sound of this place over the last several decades. And this past weekend, Municipal Waste took a well-deserved victory lap to celebrate 25 years...

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Disturbin’ the Peace | Hardcore Chaos in Baltimore

This was the fourth year for the Disturbin’ the Peace Festival, making its return to Baltimore on February 1st. An all-day music festival organized by Flatspot Records, the lineup consisted of 13 bands that got the chance to be embraced by the Baltimore hardcore music scene. The sold-out event began around 2:30 p.m. and went off with almost no...

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A Richmond Beginning, a Typographic Legacy: Teddy Blanks In Focus

In the Richmond of 2005, Teddy Blanks was everywhere—playing packed shows with Ross Harman as the pop duo The Gaskets, writing sharp film reviews and interviews for the early issues of RVA Magazine, and even acting in a short film that, for me, still holds personal weight. He brought with him the energy of a dance party, a quick mind, great...

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Guerrilla Filmmaking as Art and Ethos

After a night spent on the coziest sofa in all of Appalachia, we headed up early to the top of a university parking deck, parked beneath a sign that read “No Parking / No Loitering,” and lined up the shot—my director and me, just the two of us that morning to grab a simple scene of my character looking off into the mountains, being sure to...

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Guerilla Filmmaking by Eric Kalata_RVA Magazine 2025