It’s a great week to be a Richmonder. I tried to cover a little bit of everything here—something to calm the storm, something to shake it up more—and as always, if you’ve got something, let me know.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com.
The CameL
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025
Teen Mortgage, Babe Haven
DC’s Teen Mortgage has quickly become one of the most exciting acts for fans of modern American guitar music. With straightforward, blitzing drums and screaming guitars, they bring an energy that’s hard to ignore. I first got hooked on them with their 2022 single “Tuning In,” which found a regular spot in my recommended rockers. The band has all the catchy, poppy sensibilities of artists raised on The Strokes, but they are undeniably true successors in the Ramones’ royal line of succession. As a city, we’re getting them live just three days before their newest full-length album (and first full studio album) drops. Let’s go get a sneak peek.
There’s no local opener on this one, but supporting the band is Babe Haven, an undeniably captivating group from NC. Their sound hits you hard the second the song starts, forcing you into a mosh you can’t resist. Crunchy, violent, and full of the energy you hope for at a show where you just want to dance.
The Camel
Saturday, April 5th, 2025
Dhemo, Cassidy Snider and the Wranglers, Night Idea
The newest Dhemo album is almost here! With three successful singles this year, I think we all have a lot to look forward to. They self-describe as “music for healing and growing,” and their sound is like a musical massage—slowly undoing the knots in your upper back and bringing a warm relief to the tense tones of your spine. I’m excited to see what remedies the full album provides.
Cassidy Snider and the Wranglers are one of the most hypnotic acts in town. The first time I saw them, I felt as if I was transported to both the past and the future, to somewhere far off and somewhere right down the street. This blues act is truly special. All you Richmond filmmakers, get Night Idea to do your soundtrack ASAP. Their sound is incredibly cinematic, and the visual apparition of each of their songs feels like its own piece of cinema.
Gallery5
Friday, April 5th, 2025
RVA Mag & Gallery5 Anniversary featuring No BS! Brass Band, Sweet Potatoes, Gull
In celebration of 20 years of RVA Mag, No BS! Brass Band is throwing a party at good ol’ Gallery 5. These guys have a way of making any room feel both like a grand, ornate hall and a smoky, lively dance club all at once. They’re the epitome of a good time. Big brass bands have slowly become a defining feature of the Richmond scene, so it’s only fitting that we have one of the best headlining a night dedicated to celebrating the culture of our town.
Sweet Potatoes are a local dream. Several of the members are VCU alums, and the rest boast their own impressive musical resumes. Together, they form a powerful and intricate force of jazz, passion, and something you can’t quite put your finger on. These are seriously impressive musicians, and Pannell’s vocals are what every singer dreams of.
Gull is psycho—this is crazy, fucking mental. This is what experimental music is. From what I understand, Gull is a solo artist behind a drumkit, surrounded by guitars, pedals, loops, and amplifiers. The result is a strange, foreign, and entrancing sound. Try to find something like it somewhere else, I dare you.
Main photo courtesy of No BS! Brass
NEW TUNES
‘Unwind’ by Butcher Brown, feat. Melanie Charles
Richmond’s finest are back at it with “Unwind,” Butcher Brown’s newest single. The driving force of this track is a dancing flute, frolicking through Shockoe Bottom and Carytown in a sweet step with NYC-born singer Melanie Charles. The group does an amazing job of both burning and revealing aspects of the song, creating a very living, breathing picture. I’m absolutely in love with the jazzy, bouncy drums that know exactly when to give and when to hold back.
‘Take Me’ by Taylor Kelly, feat. Tennishu
When Tennishu is on the track, I’m going to listen. This track originally dropped without the Richmond icon in 2024, but the remix is here, and it sounds like Richmond. Tennishu’s sound is a beautiful addition, bringing a tremendous amount of life and depth to an already seriously soulful song.
Support Richmond Independent Media Like RVA Magazine
In a world where big corporations and wealthy individuals shape much of the media landscape, RVA Magazine remains fiercely independent, amplifying the voices of Richmond’s artists, musicians, and community. Since 2005, we’ve been dedicated to authentic, grassroots storytelling that highlights the people and culture shaping our city.
We can’t do this without you. A small donation, as little as $2, – one-time or recurring – helps us continue to produce honest, local coverage free from outside influence. Your support keeps us going and keeps RVA’s creative spirit alive. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you for standing with independent media. DONATE HERE
Also, you can show your support by purchasing a t-shirt HERE.
RICHMOND SHOW LIST!
THE BROADBERRY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP SHOWS
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Wednesday, 4/2 Tyler Hilton & Kate Voegele
Friday, 4/4 Shrek Rave (18+)
Saturday, 4/5 Manic Focus: Magic Tour (18+)
Friday, 4/11 The WASTE Spring Kickback: 25th Anniversary Party DAY 1 w/ Annihilation Time, The Spits, BAT, and Public Acid
Saturday, 4/12 Clay Street Unit and Shadowgrass
Tuesday, 4/15 Spafford
Thursday, 4/17 The Dip: Love Direction Tour Part II Presented by WNRN
Friday, 4/25 Panic Stricken
Saturday, 4/26 Giovannie and the Hired Guns
Wednesday, 4/30 George Clanton
THE CAMEL
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Friday, 4/4: Erin & The Wildfire’s First Fridays
Friday, 4/11: The Crystal Casino Band w/ The Barons
Sunday, 4/13: Kool Keith & MC Homeless w/ Destructo Disk, Marc Live, J Stylez, and DJ HALO
Wednesday, 4/16: The Ivy, Lyncs, Sweet Touch
Wednesday, 4/23: Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers
Wednesday, 4/30: Bria Salmena
THE NATIONAL
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Thursday, 4/3: Boney James
Friday, 4/4: Toast
Sunday, 4/6: The Tallest Man on Earth with The Still Tide
Thursday, 4/10: Live Dead and Brothers
Saturday, 4/12: Municipal Waste with Toxic Holocaust, Midnight, Excel, and Enforced
Sunday, 4/13: AWOLNATION with Bryce Fox
Wednesday, 4/16: Damien Escobar
Thursday, 4/17: Valerie June
Friday, 4/18: Chiodos with Hawthorne Heights, Emmure, and The Callous Daoboys
Monday, 4/21: Magdalena Bay with Sam Austins
Thursday, 4/24: Paul Reiser
Saturday, 4/26: Wild Rivers
ALLIANZ AMPHITHEATER
Tuesday, 7/16 & Wednesday 7/17: Dave Matthews Band BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Saturday, 7/19: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Wednesday, 8/6: Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder – The Brotherhood of Rock Tour BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Saturday, 8/23: Bailey Zimmerman: New To Country Summer Tour BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Friday, 8/29: Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Monday, 9/22: “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Tuesday, 10/21: Tedeschi Trucks Band with Very Special Guest Little Feat: Live in 25 BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
FUNNY BONE RICHMOND
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Friday, April 4 – Saturday, April 5: Dan Soder
Sunday, April 6: Justin Whitehead
Friday, April 11 – Saturday, April 12: Chris Porter
Wednesday, April 16: Gareth Reynolds
Wednesday, April 23: Christopher Titus
Friday, April 25 – Sunday, April 27: DL Hughley
THe CanAL CLUB
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Friday, 4/4: Chelsea Grin with Shadow of Intent, Signs of the Swarm, and Disembodied Tyrant
Monday, 4/7: Fame on Fire: The Death Card Tour with Halocene and Archetypes Collide
Friday, 4/11: United Blood Festival featuring Cold World, Trapped Under Ice, E Town Concrete, Terror, No Warning, Angel Du$t, Backlash, Bad Beat, Blind Justice, Bracewar, Collateral, Combust, Dead & Dreaming, Division of Mind, Dynamite, Echo Chamber, End It, Giant’s Despair, Grand Scheme, Gridiron, Hard Stripes, Haywire, Killing Pace, Mindforce, Naysayer, Never Ending Game, New World Man, No Idols, RZL DZL, Scarab, The Mongoloids, The Wrongside, Think I Care, War Hungry, and Wasted Space
Wednesday, 4/16: Traitors with Crown Magnetar and Yosemite in Black
Wednesday, 4/23: Capstan with Colorblind, True North, and Not Enough Space
Tuesday, 4/29: Magnolia Park with Hot Milk, Savage Hands, and South Arcade
EMBER MUSIC HALL
Thursday, 4/3: Marauda
Saturday, 4/5: Elephante: Cope Tour
Saturday, 4/12: Grateful for Biggie
Saturday, 4/19: Maddy O’Neal: Spring 2025 Tour
Thursday, 4/17: BoomBox
Wednesday, 4/30: The Bloody Beetroots 20th Anniversary Tour
LOSO NIGHTCLUB
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
REVELER IN CARYTOWN
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
DOMINION ENERGY CENTER
Friday, 4/19, Saturday, 4/20 & Sunday, 4/21 CHURCHILL starring David Payne
ALTRIA THEATRE
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Saturday, 4/5: Legends of Laughter 2025 Featuring Lavell Crawford, Gary Owen, Don DC Curry, Guy Torry, Finesse Mitchell, and Special K at 7:00 PM
Thursday, 4/10: Virginia Humanities 50th Celebration – The Commonwealth Lecture in the Humanities featuring David Brooks at 8:00 PM
Tuesday, 4/15 – Sunday, 4/20: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE (2024-25 Broadway in Richmond Series)
Tuesday, 4/22: Bonnie Raitt: Live 2025 at 7:30 PM
Friday, 4/25: Nikki Glaser Alive and Unwell Tour at 7:00 PM
