It’s that time of year again! The weather is warming up, the sun is setting after 7:00 PM, so that can only mean one thing: it’s Spring. My favorite time of year when the weather is perfect, the trees are blooming, and hope and revival float through the air along with the pleasant aromas of sprouting flowers.
Music lovers know what Spring means in this city, and that’s the arrival of the beloved concert series, Friday Cheers. Now entering its 39th season, Friday Cheers is a staple of Richmond music, always taking time to highlight the local scene while also bringing in fresh artists from all over the world to our fine and fair city.
This year, the theme appears to mainly be that of country and Americana, but there’s a little something for everybody in this year’s lineup of amazing artists. Don’t know who they are? Want to find something new? Well, I’ve got a rundown of every single artist gracing the stage at Friday Cheers 2024, so read on, rest assured that you will find something to pique your interest. I guarantee it.
Check out Friday Cheers’ website to learn more about logistics of getting downtown.
MAY 3RD, 2024
This rising country star has spunk, panache and a surprising origin. Her style of plucked strings and smooth vocals is reminiscent of mid century Americana country stars, but one would almost never guess that this singer sprung from the Canadian city of Calgary. With such an authentic, tried and true sound White’s music is a veritable slam dunk through and through. I highly recommend her 2020 record Just Like Leaving, possessing a slower and perhaps more honest disposition than her 2023 endeavor entitled Among Other Things. A chill and laid back first headliner for this beloved Spring series is indicative of a lot of the music that concert-goers can expect this year.
COLBY T. HELMS & THE VIRGINIA CREEPERS
Opening for White on this first of this season’s Friday Cheers is a Virginia boy living in a hole in the ground at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains by the name of Colby T. Helms. This bouncy mandolin/banjo/guitar player has personality coming out the wazoo, and a distinctive voice to boot. His freshman album release, Tales of Misfortune, is a self-described “semi-autobiographical concept album” and dropped just a few months ago in January of this year. Thoroughly drenched in the Appalachian tradition, this young artist has a bright future as a recognizable face and voice in the eastern country and bluegrass scene.
MAY 10TH, 2024
DANIEL DONATO’S COSMIC COUNTRY
Week two of Friday cheers embraces a more modern take on the Americana country sound Daniel Donato and his cosmic country sound headlining. With jangling acoustics and a clean fender telecaster tones counterpointed by arpeggiated pianos, all the pieces are there of a classic country sound, but the reverb and dense production lend this act an unmistakable modern sheen to the otherwise classic lineup. With multiple albums already Donato’s most recent release Reflector is a high energy album chock full of everything from bluegrass inspired guitar, soul harmonies and plain old school psychedelia to create something truly unique and one of a kind.
MACKENZIE ROARK & THE HOTPANTS
We love seeing one of our own up on the stage, and we’ll see quite a few of them this year, but the first Richmonder to make an appearance at Friday Cheers this year is the one and only Mackenzie Roark. Her personality driven brand of country music embraces the southern landscape of her chosen home, yet strives to move through the future with an update in subject matter for a modern audience. The perfect choice to accompany Donato on this evening of old school methods brought into the future by charismatic musicians, Roark is the pride of the city, and this is a day lovers of the sound will certainly not want to miss.
MAY 24TH, 2024
I caught The Legendary Ingramettes at the Richmond Folk Festival a few years back and was struck dumb by the power of their incredible gospel sound. Attendees were running up and down the aisles, I danced with one of the singers and the drummer was pouring sweat as they refused to end their set with what I remember to be a 15 minute encore. An interesting choice to headline this year’s RVA Music Night, but a welcome one to be sure. A tradition that simply must be preserved, the voices of these women echo across generations to bring together people of all faiths, creeds and backgrounds, united in enjoying a beautiful and classic sound. You do not have to be a christian yourself to enjoy the music of The Legendary Ingramettes, and if you don’t believe me, just check out their incredible 2020 album Take A Look In the Book and tell me you don’t want to head on down to Brown’s Island for this very special Friday.
The next Richmonder to take the stage at Friday Cheers, Woody Woodworth & The Piners embrace the traditional aspects of the country tradition with songs about blue collar workers and living in the south impoverished and struggling. Reaching back through time Woodworth writes songs of a timeless nature that feel as if they could have been written 50 years ago, yet still manage to speak to modern sensibilities.
If you wanted a curveball to open this night of Richmond music, then you’ve got it. While Woodworth and The Legendary Ingramettes are rooted in musical traditions associated with the American south, Knifing Around are simply not that. Come to think of it, there is little that is simple about them. Rooted in the new wave sound of the 70s, Knifing Around take an avant-garde off kilter approach to rock reminiscent of DEVO or Talking Heads that always leaves listeners with dumfounded yet always screaming for more. An utterly original act that stands as a unique group in our city, Knifing Around also put on one hell of a show when crowded on a stage in a dark club, you can only imagine what they are capable on a giant stage dominating Brown’s Island.
MAY 31ST, 2024
Coming down out of Vermont, this Enigmatic group of musicians fronted by vocalist/guitarist Dana Foote are gaining traction and can’t be stopped. Embracing an alt-rock sound, Sir Chloe possess the kind of self-actualization that most bands can only dream of. A classic sound combined with relatable lyrics make this a group for just anybody as long you love guitars which surely dominate Sir Chloe’s sound. They’ve already got two albums to their name, both quite similar to both excellent records with a curated ebb and flow that provides for a varied listening experience within reach of just about everyone.
It’s Prabir y’all. If you don’t know this staple of the Richmond music scene, then allow me to learn you. After coming over to the United States from India in his youth, Prabir has built a career of promoting the arts, playing guitar, kicking butt and taking names. His devil may care vocal style make him instantly recognizable, while his music bristles with Hindu themes and and references, and he can hardly resist the urge to whip out his electric sitar to hammer it home that he is different from the competition. A one of a kind artist who you should acquaint yourself with, and for jump into the deep end I highly recommend his 2021 record Haanji for an immersive course on all things Prabir.
I like a band that’s a little rough around the edges. With a distinct aesthetic that screams garage while making few references to their home city of Miami, Deux Visages are intriguing to be sure. The group only began releasing music in 2023 yet have garnered quite the following playing shows and festivals up and down the Florida Peninsula. While their image may be one of rough cut hoodlums, their music is disciplined and tight while embracing a classic sound yet imbuing it with a certain of technical prowess that renders it interesting and just shy of pretentious; a hard to achieve sweet spot.
JUNE 7TH, 2024
I don’t know how to pronounce, but I know that I love it. This quartet out of Nigeria is electric, unhinged and yet somehow consistent within their own self-defined sound in the through-line of a record, mostly through the use of their distinct guitar tones. This group has been around the block a few times having been releasing music for over a decade, and to hear the transformation of their sound is a treat that is rarely seen so openly. Their early music varies between an acoustic driven sound and the electric tones you might associate with them, and they sound as if they were recorded on a tape recorder in a crowded. So interesting and unique and I for one can not wait to catch them live.
Not a man, but in fact, Leon III are a duo out of Texas spinning psychedelic yarns. Relative unknowns, Leon III appear as traditionalists, having not released one single, instead opting for compiling their tracks on to larger albums. In this modern algorithmic environment it is an odd choice, but perhaps one that in the long run will pay off. While surely psychedelic, one can hear the country and western influences of Leon III in their newer music with the wailing steel guitars, a product of their Texas environment no doubt. But in listening to their earlier tunes, they don’t simply whisper the influence, the scream it. A perfectly curated choice to open this evening of bizarre and exciting music.
JUNE 14TH, 2024
Coming out of the Pacific Northwest are Richy Mitch & The Coalminers bringing in their laid back tunes to Richmond, Virginia. For a region know for the harsh realities of grunge, Ricky Mitch & The Coalminers are a bit of a surprise as rarely does the group get past a mild jog musically, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time. They express a distinct northwestern sensibility through the imagery in their lyrics, and their easy going music calms the mind and soul in a way that I can only imagine strolling through the redwoods would do.
You know her, you love her, and if you don’t, that’s only because you haven’t heard of her yet — but you will soon. Richmond’s own Deau Eyes will be returning to the Friday Cheers stage for a third time, having played a distanced session in 2021, and before that opening for Grammy winner Lucy Dacus in 2019. The alter ego of Ali Thibodeau, the music of Deau Eyes is characterized by energetic, catchy tunes that blur the lines between pop and rock. Though she released an album in 2022, that is great to be sure, what always pulls me back in is “Paper Stickers” off her debut 2020 record Let It Leave. Don’t miss out on this star in the making as she takes the stage.
JUNE 21ST, 2024
The first headlining hip hop act for this the 2024 Friday Cheers, Digable Planets are certified legends. Active on and off for almost 40 years, the coordinated counterpoint of Ishmael Butler, Mary Ann Vieira and Craig Irving is a rarity in modern hip. Their jazzy and mellow beats are corny perhaps, but also harken back to a specific place at a specific time and invokes a sort of nostalgia for the chill and fun-loving sounds of groups like A Tribe Called Quest. Digable Planets spit out the kind of hip hop that will have you laying on the grass and watching the clouds go by while enjoying the community that built this important genre up to become one of the defining musical sounds of the last century.
The Neo-soul artist Tre Charles is the perfect complement to Digable Planets as he is nothing but good vibes and smooth vocal lines. His vocal gymnastics offer a nice melismatic contrast against the legato nature of his accompanying music. There is plenty of variety though as many he will often delve into the world of electronic beats, however in these instances he often collapses in guttural humming. An expressive artist and an up and comer, Tre Charles opening for Digable Planets is a must see this Friday Cheers season.
JUNE 28TH, 2024
Bringing it around full circle, Sam Barber is killing it in the country music scene. Despite only releasing music since 2021, Sam Barber has amassed over 4,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and it seems like he won’t stop anytime soon. A soulful voice that alternates between rasp and violent vibrato, Barber is classic through and through, but without an album to speak of yet. Listeners can only hope that soon he will summon the energy to produce a larger work, and until that day stay vigilant and follow this star in the making.
One might not imagine by listening to him that Jake Kohn is just 16 years old, but by god is it true. A deep and raspy voice flows through the music of Kohn that is another great torch carrier in the country tradition, and at such a young age you can only wonder where his voice will go from here. A Winchester native Kohn is fresh on the scene with having only just started releasing music last year, you better get out and catch him at the start of his career before tickets become to expensive and far away to get a good look.
Opening up this last evening of music in the iconic Spring music series that is Friday Cheers is Richmond’s own VILLAGES. Self-described “sensitive soft rockers,” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Rounding out the country centric focus of this year’s Friday Cheers, VILLAGES bring the laid back crooned sounds of a piano player turned guitarist/songwriter that would feel right as anything from the soundtrack to road or chilling on the beach. Easy listening and unobtrusive you simply must check out this day of music full of Virginias and the like playing their personal tunes.
