Moonwalker studios trip

by | Oct 20, 2021 | COMMUNITY

“The bus leaves at 6pm SHARP,” was what I was told about our trip to Virginia Moonwalker for Lady


“The bus leaves at 6pm SHARP,” was what I was told about our trip to Virginia Moonwalker for Lady

God’s release show. Little did I know, I was about to be swept up into a creative whirlwind of a night. My

date and I boarded the chartered bus parked out front of The Camel to an array of familiar, and not so

familiar, faces with the proper ammo for a crisp fall night – bundled up with bourbon in tow. It was a

small crowd on the bus, with Cardboard Poncho, a six-piece with a loungey, bluesy feel, unloading their

gear in the front seats of the bus. The bus driver, a friendly, older gentleman, made a comment to one

of the other guests about how he’d been driving a bus for years and had never experienced anything

quite like what he was experiencing…and that was just the beginning.

Once everyone was loaded onto the bus, Russell Lacey, local musician and the owner of Virginia

Moonwalker, shared a few words, Rand BURGESS? Tossed a couple of cases of PBR on the bus, and we

were off on our adventure. Cardboard Poncho crooned the whole way to Virginia Moonwalker – likely

no small feat for their stand-up bassist, I might add – serenading us with some familiar songs we all sang

along to, as well as some original works. Onca O’Leary, one of the vocalists, wandered up and down the

aisle, ensuring we were all earning our participation points. The cases of PBR were passed, as well as a

couple of bottles of heavier stuff, and before we knew it, Cardboard Poncho was ending their last song

as we stopped in the woods, with a dimly lighted path to guide us towards the wailing of The Milkstains

off in the distance on a stage built on an old bus, backlit by the full moon coming up over the trees. We

had arrived at Virginia Moonwalker.

In case you weren’t already aware, Virginia Moonwalker is a gorgeous recording studio located in

Mechanicsville. Their location and set up is perfectly isolated in the woods with some of the best heads

in music you could ask for, and is one of the few studios left in the city who offer analog recording. Lady

God, the main focus of the evening, was birthed in Virginia Moonwalker through creative brainstorming

between Chrissie Griffith (bass, vocals), Skye Handler (guitar, vocals), and Trip Hill (drums). This release

show was an intimate event, with no more than 30-40 people. An event the previous year, Jordan

Tarrant’s EP release, sparked this year’s release show of their 7”, Lady God Presents: The Pebbles,

produced by Russell Lacey. Pebbles is Lady God’s first release and you can catch their demo for “Nervous

Talk” on their Soundcloud (www.soundcloud.com/meetladygod). This year’s event was crafted a bit

different, though, with fire stunts from Cody Beastman, Mr. Mud, Bitsy Buttons, and Natty G., as well as

the incorporation of multiple acts. The night was a perfect amalgamation of Richmond creativity and

circumstance, with the crisp weather driving great conversation and whiskey sharing around the bonfire.

Lady God took the stage with a crowd of euphoric fans, bringing us catchy hooks reminiscent of The

Doors, ending the night perfectly. Then it was off to another bus ride full of excited (and loaded) folks

back to The Camel, where we were dropped off in time to catch The Southern Belles’ set.

This show was ultimately one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in Richmond. Every single

person in attendance was genuinely excited about what was going on – from Virginia Moonwalker itself,

to the music, to all of the various artists in attendance – and each band was a perfect complement to

one another. If you were there that evening, you were in the finest of company. Hopefully we’ll see this

become an annual event, now in its second year, and it’s one you definitely don’t want to miss next

time.

You can catch Lady God on November 24th at Sound of Music Studios with Warren Hixson and Beat

Awfuls (KY) (8pm, $8). The Milkstains play December 7th at Strange Matter with Crushed Out. Cardboard

Poncho can be found at www.cardboardponcho.com and are often found providing musical

entertainment during various burlesque events around town. James River Punch also did a live,

impromptu interview with Russell Lacey and Chrissie Griffith at the show, which you can listen to (here:

https://soundcloud.com/jamesriverpunch/virginia-moonwalker-at).

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner




more in community

This is What The Diamond District Ballpark Could Look Like

Finally, we have our first look at what the new Diamond District stadium will look like.  Recently acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request by Richmond BizSense, the preliminary designs, which are subject to change, offer a glimpse into the envisioned...

Matt Strickland and the Image of Strength He Must Demonstrate

Strickland Appeared before the Virginia Board of Elections “Buy the ticket, take the ride” is that old proverbial saying coined by Hunter S Thompson. I prefer the saying “take the ride, pay for the ticket. Now is almost the time for Matt Strickland to pay for the...

Richmond’s Next Mayor? Get to Know Garrett Sawyer

Today, I’m getting a drink with a politician. Coffeeshop, lunch spot, in-studio - those are perfectly fine places to get to know someone, but there’s nothing like a good whiskey to loosen up a conversation. Garrett Sawyer is meeting me at The Camel for happy hour on a...

Richmond Loves Its Baseball

Been Playing Since 1866. Cobb, Ruth, Williams, Mays Played Here. We Even Had a Major League Team — For 46 Games Everybody knows that our beloved capital city has a rich history. Settled by Native Americans, explored by English colonists, burned to the ground by the...

You Can Call Me Bill: An Interview William Shatner

Over the course of his decades-long career, he’s been known by many names: Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Sergeant TJ Hooker, Commander Buck Murdock, and even Stan Fields if you can be so bold as to tell us why April 25th is, in fact, the perfect date (Answer: it’s not...

Topics:

Pin It on Pinterest