Sound Check | Box Factory, Drunk Mother, Riffs and Recovery Birthday Show & More!

by | Jul 11, 2025 | DOWNTOWN RVA, MUSIC, NIGHTLIFE

New energy, new life, more shows, more sounds. Don’t give up, give ‘em hell! That being said, got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com.

Box Factory, Crush, The Kyles, Ravvus, Trapcry, Chez!
Saturday July 12th, 2025
The Camel

In celebration of a beautifully renovated Camel, some of the city’s finest are showing up and showing out. It’s wild that they landed such a solid lineup, especially since it was just announced today—Nashville rockers Snooper had to drop off a previous bill, opening the door.

Genres on Saturday are going to be all over the place—psychedelic, emo, rock, doom, soul—but I think I’m most excited to see what comes from Chez. You might know the name as the singer of the great (and sadly defunct) Richmond band Lobby Boy, but they’ve cooked up something new, and I know we’re all eager to see what it is.

Drunk-Mother_RVA-Magazine-2025

Drunk Mother, Mead the Dear, Caroline Gunn
monday July 14th, 2025
The Camel

Drunk Mother has stumbled through some rift and returned with the wildness and danger of proper outlaw country western. They’ve got real working-man blues and raw lament, but also that sense of humor that comes with a handful of porch beers. I’ve only seen them once, but I’m eager to hear that twanging guitar again.

Mead the Dear has a solid batch of songs on their Bandcamp demo EP. Crooning, Hank Williams Sr.-esque vocals flow over Appalachian instrumentation—it feels like home, like the outdoors, warm and sunset-soaked. Sweet, sincere, and honest.

You may know Caroline Gunn as half of the vocal heart of local trio Deathcat. She recently released her second solo single, and it’s a dream. She knows a thing or two about songwriting, and this more unbridled form plays to her strengths. The lyrics are both universal and deeply personal—I think anyone could find a piece of themselves in these tracks.

Riffs and Recovery is a local sobriety support group geared toward musicians and music lovers, and they’re celebrating their first birthday in style. Headlining the event is Rikki Rakki, a name that should be familiar to anyone plugged into Richmond’s music scene. They’re earnestly Richmond—especially with their recent song The James, a beautiful Americana love letter to the city and its surroundings. Their sound bridges garage, indie, and more, offering something for everyone—much like this event itself.

Johnny Ciggs, a local rapper from Gritty City Records, brings a smooth ’90s flow and sharp lyricism. He’s collaborated with local favorites like King Kaiju, and his openness about his connection to Riffs and Recovery is genuinely inspiring. ed. note: Good luck in LA Johnny!

Rounding things out is Torturetwinn, whose sound leans into calming, post-punk pop. Think Disintegration-era Cure—vulnerable, atmospheric, and strangely comforting. I’ve heard nothing but praise, and I’m looking forward to letting it wash over me live.

New Tunes

Ghosting” by Hardcount
One thing about me: if you put something to a ‘50s surf rock progression, I’m in. This is the second release from local rockers Hardcount, and I’m even more taken with it than their debut. It’s got a strong SoCal shell with an RVA interior—damn, it’s just so easy to dance to something like this. There’s life, bounce, and breath—all things we need in our veins. I’m glad we can catch this right around the corner.

American Sounds” by Brookhouse
A fantastic debut. This is Brookehouse’s first single, fresh out of the incubator, and it already sounds like it knows where it wants to be. There are so many moving parts in this track, but it never feels crowded—it’s more like a lively underground French café. You want the voices, the energy, the light bouncing off the walls, the swirl of sound and scent. That’s where this song transported me.

“Elusive Enigmatic” by Redwood Joy
Redwood Joy really grabbed me with their first album earlier this year, and now they’re back with “Elusive Enigmatic,” a sprawling eight-minute single that feels like a full journey. Each section lands like a new chapter—bold, unexpected, and vivid. They took risks with heavy effects and unconventional structure, but it pays off, giving the track a rich, mystic atmosphere that lingers long after the last note.

Main photo of The Phlegms


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RICHMOND SHOW LIST!

THE BROADBERRY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP SHOWS

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Friday, 7/11 Be Kind & Rewind x 1996 90’s Night
  • Monday, 7/14 Teddy Swims: Everything But Therapy Tour
  • Tuesday, 7/15 Mates of State
  • Sunday, 7/20 Todd Rundgren: STILL ME (STILL WE)
  • Monday, 7/21 Rose City Band
  • Wednesday, 7/23 Iron & Wine and I’m With Her – Robin’s Egg Tour w/ Ken Pomeroy
  • Thursday, 7/24 Lawn Boys – Phish Tribute
  • Friday, 7/25 The Police Experience: 45th Anniversary of Zenyatta Mondatta
  • Saturday, 7/26 Age of Madness
  • Sunday, 7/27 Thank You Scientist w/ Spilly Cave
  • Thursday, 7/31 The Wildmans


THE CAMEL

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Friday, 7/11 Erin & The Wildfire’s First Fridays
  • Sunday, 7/13 Brunch w/ Craigslist Jerry
  • Sunday, 7/13 Wim Tapley & The Cannons
  • Friday, 7/18 Beers & Banjos: Garden Variety String Band
  • Wednesday, 7/23 Cold Gawd


THE NATIONAL

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Friday, 7/18 – Rick Wakeman
  • Saturday, 7/19 – A Flock of Seagulls with Bow Wow Wow and Animotion
  • Tuesday, 7/22 – JoJo Siwa


ALLIANZ AMPHITHEATER

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Saturday, 7/12Counting Crows – The Complete Sweets! Tour with The Gaslight Anthem
  • Tuesday, 7/15Dave Matthews Band
  • Wednesday, 7/16Dave Matthews Band
  • Thursday, 7/17Brad Paisley – Truck Still Works World Tour
  • Saturday, 7/19Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • Thursday, 7/24Lamb of God
  • Saturday, 7/26Whiskey Myers – “What We Were Born To Do” Tour 2025

  • Friday, 8/1The Head And The Heart – Aperture Tour
  • Wednesday, 8/6Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder – The Brotherhood of Rock Tour
  • Sunday, 8/10Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts – Love Earth
  • Saturday, 8/23Bailey Zimmerman – New To Country Summer Tour
  • Sunday, 8/24The Red Clay Strays – Get Right Tour 2025
  • Tuesday, 8/26Simple Plan – Bigger Than You Think! Tour
  • Thursday, 8/28Gavin Adcock – Need to Tour
  • Friday, 8/29Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas

  • Monday, 9/1James Taylor and His All-Star Band
  • Saturday, 9/6The Crooner & The Cowboy: Leon Bridges with Charley Crockett
  • Saturday, 9/20Steve Martin & Martin Short – The Dukes Of Funnytown!
  • Monday, 9/22“Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour

  • Tuesday, 10/21Tedeschi Trucks Band with Very Special Guest Little Feat: Live in 25


FUNNY BONE RICHMOND

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Thursday, 7/10 – Zach Rushing
  • Friday, 7/11 – Michael Blackson
  • Saturday, 7/12 – Michael Blackson
  • Sunday, 7/13 – Nick Deez
  • Tuesday, 7/15 – UPDATING
  • Thursday, 7/17 – Ben Brainard
  • Friday, 7/18 – Andrew Dismukes
  • Saturday, 7/19 – Andrew Dismukes
  • Sunday, 7/20 – Maurice Benard
  • Thursday, 7/24 – Dustin Nickerson
  • Friday, 7/25 – Dustin Nickerson
  • Saturday, 7/26 – Rob Schneider
  • Sunday, 7/27 – Correy Bell
  • Tuesday, 7/29 – Patrick Warburton
  • Friday, 8/1 – Gabriel Rutledge
  • Saturday, 8/2 – Gabriel Rutledge
  • Thursday, 8/7 – Tanael Joachim
  • Friday, 8/8 – Don “DC” Curry
  • Friday, 9/13 – Tyler Fischer
  • Thursday, 9/25 – Gary Owen
  • Friday, 9/26 – Gary Owen
  • Saturday, 9/27 – Gary Owen
  • Thursday, 10/2 – Trae Crowder
  • Friday, 10/3 – Adam Ray
  • Saturday, 10/4 – Adam Ray
  • Sunday, 10/12 – Lucas Zelnick
  • Friday, 10/17 – Jared Freid
  • Saturday, 10/18 – Jared Freid
  • Thursday, 10/23 – Jeff Allen
  • Saturday, 10/25 – DC Young Fly
  • Sunday, 10/26 – DC Young Fly
  • Thursday, 10/30 – The Magic of Eric Eaton

THe CanAL CLUB

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Friday, 7/11 – Eyes of the Nile
  • Saturday, 7/12 – Archers
  • Monday, 7/14 – Daisyhead
  • Wednesday, 7/30 – Anthony Green
  • Friday, 8/22 – Boundaries
  • Tuesday, 9/9 – Autohert

EMBER MUSIC HALL

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

  • Friday, 7/11 – Breathe Carolina
  • Saturday, 7/12 – Hot In Herre: 2000s Dance Party
  • Friday, 7/18 – ATLiens
  • Sunday, 7/20 – From London With Love: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse & Adele
  • Thursday, 7/24 – Huntley
  • Saturday, 7/26 – Grateful for Biggie
  • Sunday, 7/27 – Blue Hundreds Tour: King Lil G, Young Drummer Boy, Hexxx
  • Thursday, 7/31 – Riot Ten
  • Friday, 8/1 – Barrington Levy
  • Tuesday, 9/9 – Kamiyada+ & Lit Lords | From The Shadows Tour
  • Friday, 9/19 – Sander Van Doorn


LOSO NIGHTCLUB

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  • Saturday, 7/5 – Evan Baggs
Griffin Smalley

Griffin Smalley

My name is Griffin Strummer Smalley and naturally with that name I am a massive music fan. Primarily you can find me fronting local punk band Artschool! 22 years old and mainly focusing on snuffing out nihilism. Keep on livin'




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