a
M

Close

Virginia-Man-band_photo-by-Jake-Vanaman_RVA-Magazine-2025

Sound Check! Virginia Man, Dhemo, Lazer Dim 700, Alex Jonestown Massacre

by | Jan 17, 2025 | AMERICANA & BLUES, DOWNTOWN RVA, ELECTRONIC & EXPERIMENTAL, METAL, PUNK, THRASH & HARDCORE, MUSIC, NIGHTLIFE, REGGAE & JAM, ROCK & INDIE

Water is restored, life flows through the aching streets of Richmond. With it, bringing a super diverse lineup of shows, there’s something for just about everyone. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com. 

Richmond Music Hall
Thursday, January 16th 2025
Virginia Man, Jonathan Paige Brown Jr., Cori Blanch

Virginia Man has cemented themselves as an absolutely pivotal stone in the contemporary musical foundation of the state. Their approach to folk and indie is sincere and sweet, but more than anything, it is defining. This is what Virginia sounds like: the soft country breeze that blows through the tall trees lining the edge of your yard, and the clean guitars that so many indie fans have come to know and love in college basements across every corner of the state of lovers.

I first got lucky enough to see Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. play a mesmerizing number at Plan 9 during an event hosted by The Auricular. I was instantly transported somewhere else—maybe it was my childhood, or maybe it was the porch where I will grow old. Jonathan’s vocals deliver so much raw and pure emotion, paired with the simplicity of a solo acoustic guitar accompaniment, that it feels as if they could add years to your life.

As soon as I heard Cori Blanch’s voice, it evoked the feeling of being young at church and experiencing that pivotal first connection to music. He has one tune under the name Soulgacy, a track entitled “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing” from the film Written by Mike. It is a powerful and reflective piece that I imagine would hit like an emotional truck if performed live.

Been crushing Gallery 5 shows lately. It’s steadily climbing in my venue rankings, and on the 17th, you’ll find Dhemo taking the stage. Dhemo is celebrating their newest single, “That Doubt.” The indie artist’s Spotify bio reads, “music for healing and growing,” which feels like a fitting description. Their sound is intimate yet mature, with interesting instrumentation that mixes it up with some seriously groovy moments. I’m particularly taken by the high, flowing vocals that gently lead you into new sonic clearings.

Ionna creates a synthy, magical world that can only be described as dreamy. The vocals are angelic and inviting, even on the more upbeat, pop-driven tracks.

Painted World is the latest project from Knifing Around guitarist David Long. I don’t have too many details about this one yet, but I’m excited to see what it entails.

The Camel
Friday, January 17th 2025
Lazer Dim 700

You may recognize Lazer Dim 700 from his feature on the Denzel Curry track “Still in the Paint.” Apart from that banger, he is a prominent figure in the Atlanta trap scene. His style is incredibly straightforward, with an off-the-cuff, fire-from-the-hip delivery. His beats are anthemic and alluring, making this the perfect pregame music to get yourself hyped for a night out.

Alex Jonestown Massacre_photo by Doug Glass_RVA magazine 2025
Photo by Doug Glass

The Camel
Monday, January 20th 2025
Alex Jonestown Massacre, Gap Tooth, The Clergymen

Alex Jonestown Massacre never fails to get me dancing. I wrote an extensive piece about their latest full-length album HERE, but I always admire the drive behind this band. Each member cares deeply about the message and delivery of every number, and if you haven’t had the chance to experience that message live, do yourself a favor and go.

Gap Tooth is a force of pure energy with their September release, Self Destruct. You can tell these guys grew up on prime Blink-182 and Green Day, and I, for one, absolutely appreciate it.

The Clergymen are a newer group that’s already been hitting it hard with gigs. From what I’ve seen on Instagram, they have a really cool power-pop vibe, almost a little Matthew Sweet-esque. From what I can gather, they know how to throw together a catchy tune.

New Videos FROM RICHMOND

‘Beauty & The Beast’ by milesisbae

Richmond-based artist milesisbae has released the video for Beauty & The Beast, a track that’s already racked up over 14,000 streams on SoundCloud. Produced by WegoneBeOk, known for collaborations with Nettspend and Glokk40spazz, recorded in a home studio on Clay Street.

The video, out now on YouTube and Instagram, mirrors the song’s unpolished intensity, capturing the restless, underground energy that defines Miles’s new updated sound. Catch the stream of Beauty & The Beast on SoundCloud and be on the look out for the new album later this year.   — Anthony

‘NUMBER THREE’ by Fan Ran

Richmond producer and foundation cast member of Gritty City Records, Fan Ran has been quietly dropping dimes for a while now, and this week he hit us with another. Laced with his signature touch, this introspective throwback track dives into a relationship hitting the wall—hard, like NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. It’s raw, reflective, and exactly the kind of storytelling Fan Ran does best.   — Anthony

Tracks We’re Spinning

‘Lonely Astronaut’ by Acoustic Underground

This song (paired with a great video) is a heartwarming tale on finding your place and home. It is almost ballad style, with sort of jangly, friendly guitars. The lyrics and story are my standout, with never endingly relatable lyrics about the drifting one often experiences in life. 

‘Big Winter’ by Blackwood Station

Seeing an artist who references Small Faces in their description caught me like a hand sticking out of a train. “Big Winter” is a funky tough track off of In The Gamma Garden, the newest LP by Blackwood Station. This has all the glory of those iconic and inspiring moments of the late ‘60’, when the kids believed they would win. The instrumentation is pulled straight from that time period with more modernized vocals with some interesting wavey effects. The song is overall a whole lotta fun.

RICHMOND SHOW LIST!

JANUARY 2025

——————————–

ALLIANZ AMPHITHEATER

Saturday, 6/21 Dwight Yoakam BUY TICKETS
Saturday, 7/19 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit BUY TICKETS
Wednesday, 8/6 Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder BUY TICKETS
Friday, 8/29 Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas BUY TICKETS
Monday, 9/22 “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour BUY TICKETS

——————————–

RICHMOND FUNNY BONE COMEDY CLUB

Friday, 2/14 – Saturday, 2/15 Anthony Rodia BUY TICKETS
Friday, 2/21 – Saturday, 2/22 Steven Ho BUY TICKETS
Sunday, 2/23 Geoffrey Asmus BUY TICKETS
Tuesday, 2/25 Steve Hofstetter BUY TICKETS
Thursday, 2/27 Brad Upton BUY TICKETS
Friday, 2/28 – Saturday, 3/1 Funny Marco BUY TICKETS
Wednesday, 3/5 Calimar White aka Agent Ratliff BUY TICKETS
Thursday, 3/6 Jermaine “Funnymane” Johnson BUY TICKETS
Friday, 3/7 – Saturday, 3/8 Nick Swardson BUY TICKETS
Friday, 3/14 – Sunday, 3/16 Godfrey BUY TICKETS
Wednesday, 3/26 Peter Antoniou BUY TICKETS
Friday, 3/28 – Saturday, 3/29 Dave Attell BUY TICKETS

——————————–

EMBER MUSIC HALL

——————————–

THE BROADBERRY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP SHOWS

All shows are at The Broadberry unless otherwise noted.

——————————–

DOMINION ENERGY CENTER

——————————–

ALTRIA THEATRE

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'

SUBSCRIBE TO THE RVAMAG NEWSLETTER




more in music

Thundercat Has Entered the Chat

Next Saturday, October 17th, the weird, funky spaceship that carts Thundercat around will land in Richmond for his show at The National. As a massive fan, I will absolutely be there. His is the kind of unique sound that makes a concert a “happening.” A funk so deep...

My First Phish Show in 1994 to Photographing Them in Richmond

In 1994, while in NOVA for high school, a friend who had grown up in Vermont introduced me to a band named Phish around the release of their fifth album, Hoist, and I became obsessed. As a classical-metal-progressive rock music fan, I loved it. My first show was...

Old Grace Street is Richmond History. Let’s Recognize It.

Editor's note: We were sent this petition after publishing: VCU Demolition Blitz: More Richmond Erased HERE. As reported by The Richmonder last week, “The Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan, which sailed through City Council with a unanimous vote Sept. 28, is intended...

Richmond Has The Talent. Tilt Studio Puts It in the Same Room.

“Richmond has always had this DIY, collaborative spirit, and I think projects like this are a great expression of that. There's a lot of talent here, and when those different creative communities start crossing paths, I think the city gets more interesting.”  —...

It’s Still Our City Ep. 25 | Yavé Rust

RVA Mag and NODDERLY presents It’s Still Our City, a podcast hosted by Harrison Christy and with Clair Morgan as co-host and producer through NODDERLY. "Yavé Rust is a Richmond, VA-based music producer and audio engineer specializing in metal and punk. Originating...

GWAR Co-Founder Chuck Varga, aka Sexecutioner, Dies at 68

Chuck Varga, a founding member of GWAR and the artist and performer behind the band’s Sexecutioner passed away over the weekend following a battle with cancer. He was 68. Varga was part of GWAR from its earliest days, co-founding Slave Pit Studios in Richmond and...

This is Endling

The creative soul of Richmond has been flourishing for years. Within the past two, it’s made itself known through Endling, a creative collective of underground hip-hop artists who have one goal: to prevent the underground from dying. From originating in house shows to...

Topics: arctic survival playlist, Gallery 5 shows, local Richmond artists, new Richmond singles, Richmond live music, Richmond music venues, RVA music reviews, The Camel concerts, upcoming Richmond events, Virginia indie bands, Virginia music scene

TO THE RVA MAG YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR THE LATEST VIDEOS