For those already hip to electronic dance music, and all it’s extreme sub-genres, we know that there aren’t that many venues around town hopping on to host your shows. With the addition of Ember Music Hall to the lineup of performance spots in town who have been hosting a few, prospects are looking better, but traditionally there have been few places for EDM artists to lay down their tracks. The audience is here, they are willing to come out, so where are the shows? We’ve been doing some research into this, and the answer is in warehouses and under bridges, we’ve got a story coming on that soon, but for now we’re here to lay out the good news that Richmond-based bass music group Rhythm City Collective along with Good Productions and Kouch Kollective have put together their own festival named Autumn Revival for lovers of EDM of all kinds. To learn more about this unique experience I had a conversation Ross Major, a founder of Rhythm City Collective, who laid out for me what Autumn Revival will bring to the table.
A two day celebration from November 3rd – 4th, Autumn Revival Festival will be a showcase of EDM from all ends of the spectrum to be sure, but it will also feature arts and performances of all kinds. With a main stage run by The Sound Live, a mixed media production company specializing in live sound and accompanied visuals, this festival will be a multi-sensory experience and EDM spectacular. The festival grounds at Camp Ramblewood will feature numerous other actives as well from pyro circus performers, shops from local and independent craft makers, a barn to dance around in to your heart’s content as well as 200 acres of wooded land to explore. When it comes time to start winding down, according to Major, the festival grounds are open season as far as tent camping it concerned. However, if you crave the comforts of modern living a bit more, tickets are available for car and RV camping as well. The real selling point on this festival though are the cabins on site for rent. If you’ve got a large group looking to attend, then these private units are your best most comfortable bet to use as a base camp. One last luxury of this unique experience is the big one: running water. All toilets on site will be flushable with showers available to attendees of the festival as well.
Now although Rhythm City Collective is based out of Richmond, and Kouch Kollective out of North Carolina, the Autumn Revival is going to take place in Maryland closer to the home of Good Productions. On the location Major said that it was the closest festival grounds that could accommodate their vision of a comfortable and safe experience. Along with that the cap for the festival is 500 concert-goers so as not to overwhelm the infrastructure. The goal is to make it an authentic experience for those passionate about the music, but also safe and family friendly, so much so that they encourage attendees to bring the little ones along! Anxious to get there? For just $20 additional dollars to the price of your ticket you can show up Thursday November 2nd for a night of indoor Djs, a bonfire and a movie night!
Now if you, like me, are new to the whole scene, fear not; just reference the list above for any number of tunes from laid back, easily listening jams to high energy dance numbers meant to be cranked in a crowded room. Major had a number of suggestions for those looking to understand just how nuanced and varied the scene can be, including the Richmond artists Subarashi, Jack the Giant and Actual Garbage (yes that is their name) who will be appearing in the lineup at Autumn Revival which will be listed below. If you’ve got even the vaguest interest, take a dive in and find yourself in a world more vast than you ever could have imagined, and make your way to Camp Ramblewood for a wholesome weekend full of electronic fun. Get your tickets here and I’ll see you there.
Tiedye Ky- (Chill)
Parkbreezy (hip hop influenced)
Keota (Heavier Experimental)
Main photo by @caelencaptures
