Sound City RVA had its ups and downs.
Sound City RVA had its ups and downs. It truly was an amazing festival – between the beer, the bands, the venue, and the sun shine (yes, there was some sunshine) it might be one of the best festivals this city has seen.
There’s also a fare share of less-than-enthusiastic comments on Sound City’s Facebook page around the event.
My own adventure into RVA’s newest music festival started with two of my favorite things: eating a taco and crushing a beer. After that, I headed up the stairs to the main venue area. After grabbing myself another craft beer (mmm hefeweizen) I headed over to the stage.
I’d like to take a minute here to say how amazing the beers were. ‘Variety of brews’ is an understatement – they had everything you could have asked for. Between the two massive semi-trucks with 25+ taps on each, there was more than enough local beer to go around. From sweet chocolatey darks to hoppy ales – and honestly, the best part was picking drinks at random. By the end of the night I was yelling numbers and hoping for the best – and was not often disappointed.
The James Badfellows
Around 4, the festival kicked off with The James Badfellows. The crowd was fairly small still, but that didn’t deter The James Badfellows from playing their hearts out. Their comedic songs and witty banter between songs left the dedicated fans chuckling and dancing. Even in the sweltering heat, they went all out, playing their cold soul music and putting on a solid show.
Up next was Benjamin Shepherd, a local guitarist. Like the James Badfellows, Benjamin Shepherd put on a tremendous performance. The craft beers were quickly being consumed as his melodious sound wafted over the audience. By the end of his performance, more people had arrived, and many of them seemed to be there for the beer first and the music second. Luckily, there was tons of amazing VA beers to sample.
The Leagues came on stage next and gave an equally enthusiastic performance. Their bluesy rock gave a spark to the crowd and brought an audience that had been missing. Either that, or people were through their allotted three beers and starting to feel the music and finding their groove.
El Vez
Day 1 of Sound City hit it’s stride when El Vez made his grand entrance. El Vez and the Elvettes were truly a sight to behold, and the crowd appreciated it. They rushed the stage, dancing and yelling and interacting with each other and the performers. Throughout the show, El Vez and his two lady back up singers changed outfits at least six times. The number of outrageous outfits would have been higher had they had more time. Vez and his Elvettes had an amazing energy that could be felt in the crowd, and was a great act to open for the Breeders. After the show, I went and spoke with El Ves, and he was just as high energy off stage as he was on. (El Vez Interview to follow)
The Breeders
Once The Breeders came on stage, there was a pretty hefty crowd. The majority of the people in attendance were up front by the stage and were dancing and singing along with the band. Beer had been flowing for hours, and it showed. It was a hot day, people were drunk and dehydrated, but still had enough energy to cheer the final band on.
Sound City was an amazing event, and I hope events like this will succeed more in the future here in Richmond. The bands were energetic and enjoyable, the beer was phenomenal, and the food was tasty. If this event happens again, be sure to go and have fun, if for no other reason than to say you were part of some of the greatest shows in Richmond.
