We’re multi-platform here at RVA Mag in case you didn’t know, and we’ve been working on some wonderful video content for viewers including a video companion piece to this column! In the latest video we spoke to Kendall Street Company after their performance at the 8th Annual Turkey Jam at The Broadberry on November 26th, 2023. Filmed in the afterglow of Thanksgiving, the band talks their latest record, the upcoming Kendall Street Is For Lovers tour while offering a tantalizing glimpse into what the new year holds in store. And, as a bonus, they spill the beans on their favorite Thanksgiving turkey dish.
Once you’ve finished with that, we’ve got a whole slew of shows and releases that keep coming forth from the ever-present Richmond scene regardless of the greater publics pull into endless Christmas tunes. Honestly, it’s all local all week for us this time around. So many Richmonders are putting on great shows for great causes, with great live tunes and dropping their wonderful original music for the world to hear.
NEW Sound Check Video!
local & regional acts to see
GRITTY CITY FOR THE KIDS 9
Saturday, December 9th @ The Camel
Doors: 8:00 pm
Do you like hip hop? Do you like helping raise money so that children in need can have entertainment and joy in time of strife? Then have I got the show for you! This Saturday a huge collection of rappers, MCs, producers and everything hip hop related will descend on The Camel for a night of good fun with some of the biggest and greatest names in the Richmond scene. With everyone from Logos the Poetic who just put out a brilliant record earlier this year, to Chandler who has been taking the scene by storm with his charismatic persona and lighthearted character, it’s sure to be a wonderful night packed to the brim with great music. On top of fall of that, all the proceeds from the evening go to Punks For Presents, an organization dedicated to donating funds to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond. Head on down to Gritty City for the Kids this weekend at The Camel if you want to be a part of this fun and charitable evening.
THE HOT SEATS
Friday, December 8th @ Gallery 5
Doors: 7:00 pm
High energy bluegrass music is a wonderful thing any time of the year, couple that with one of Richmond’s music unique art galleries and you’ve got yourself one great night. The Hot Seats will be playing at Gallery 5 this Friday for a night of high octane fun, and with an opening by Rikki Rakki’s Erikah Blatnik performing an unplugged set it’s shaping up to be a great evening.
local & regional releases
JR BOOKER
Europe Changed Me (EP)
This local r&b star has dropped a three song EP. The repetitive lyrics and sounds shape up to a truly hypnotic record that flies by before listeners might even realize it, giving a feeling of ending just as it start getting going — perhaps espousing to the old adage of always leavening an audience wanting more. Normally I would post a section that features a sample of the song to entice listeners to go and find it, however this is a bandcamp exclusive, so you’ll have to check it out here, and check out his Instagram here.
what I’m listening to
BIG SOMETHING
Headspace (album)
This album released earlier this year by veterans Big Something is an epic piece of music running over an hour and possesses excellent songwriting and album sequencing that has to be heard to be believed. The towering sound created by this North Carolina ensemble is reminiscent of late 70s rock as the synths start to creep in defining the vibe while the guitar still holds dominant over much of the sound. Influences come and go from numerous funky numbers like “Chemistry” to psychedelic epics like “Bob and Weave” all the way to dynamic and drawn out jams like “Amanda Lynn.” This is definitely a record that requires a certain amount of activity listening, and perhaps multiple listens to fully grasp the scope of it, so it’s best that you get started right away.
Top photo courtesy of Gritty City Records
