Decemberween Archives

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: December 29 – January 4

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 29, 2021

Topics: Akasha, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, CottonKandy, Crenshaw, Decemberween, Diversity Richmond, DoppelGanger, Ebisu Sound, Elliott Ness, Esosonic, Experience Unlimited, Fight Cloud, Illexandra, Jaguardini, Joanna O, Kings Of The Wild Things, Kitana, live music in Richmond, Loud Night, Lowlife Tea Party, Mikemetic, Neuron Husky, Nexus, Night Teacher, No Moniker, Party Liberation Foundation, Party Liberation Front, PLF, Psynatra, Reinhold, Restraining Order, Rozez, shows you must see, Sigmund Fraud, Snarz, Solace Sovay, Spy, Ten Pound Snail, The Camel, The Mighty Good Times, Third Order, Trio Restaurant & Lounge, Twin Films, Vomit Rocket, Worn, Wrath

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, December 31, 8 PM
Party Liberation Foundation presents PLF Decemberween 2022, featuring:
Main Stage: Mikemetic, Ebisu Sound, Crenshaw, Reinhold, Elliott Ness, Joanna O; Eclectic Stage: Esosonic, Jaguardini, Rozez, Kitana, Psynatra, Wrath, Third Order; Pyro Stage: Snarz, CottonKandy, Nexus, Akasha, Neuron Husky, Illexandra, DoppelGanger @ Diversity Richmond – $77 (order tickets HERE)
It’s another weird end-of-year week here in the city’s live music scene, and I’d like to say it’ll be the last one before we get back to full steam ahead, but I would be crazy to think that’ll happen. The influx of positive COVID tests across the country as Omicron heats up is only going to get worse in the wake of everybody traveling to see family for the holidays, and even over the past few weeks, we were seeing big tours get cancelled before they managed to make it to RVA. So yeah… things are in flux. And they will continue to be. Consider this an apology in advance, and let it be the last we say about it. Except: Get vaxxed if you haven’t, and get boosted if you aren’t yet.

A lot of this stuff is rendered thankfully irrelevant by the undisputed titan of this week’s live events: the Party Liberation Foundation’s annual Decemberween celebration at Diversity Richmond. Since the PLF are all about some pyrotechnic acrobatics, a great deal of this event takes place outdoors even during non-pandemic times. Luckily, temperatures are supposed to be in the 60s for New Years Eve this year, so all the wild outdoor antics will have a relatively hospitable environment in which to exist. And listen — I know tickets for this extravaganza are pricey. But you need to understand that they are so very worth it. PLF sets it off like no other, and this is going to be a wild sensory delight of the sort you only rarely get in a standard dance party atmosphere.

Speaking of the dance party: there will be three different stages rocking during this party, with a variety of luminaries from both around the country and right here in RVA rocking the tables and getting the party started. Of course Mikemetic is a big name here in Richmond — his Afro Beta events are always essential. And other luminaries like Turnstyle alumna Joanna O, crime-fighting mixmaster Elliott Ness, and our very own Reinhold (who has no idea I’m writing about his show) will be joining Mikemetic on the main stage. But you’ll also be able to catch a wide variety of musical talent over at the Eclectic Stage, and an amazing soundtrack for some equally amazing fire-play over at the Pyro Stage. And this whole thing goes on til 4 in the morning! Whether you’re a fan of fire-spinning, a big believer in the “Every Day Is Halloween” aesthetic, or just someone who loves to get their freak on and wants to ring in the New Year in extremely memorable fashion, PLF’s Decemberween 2022 is the event for you. Make it happen, cap’n.

Wednesday, December 29, 8 PM
Night Teacher, Twin Films @ The Camel – $7 in advance, $10 day of show (Order tickets HERE)
It’s always an intriguing night for music when you’re out at The Camel, and tonight is no exception. In fact, it’s exceptionally appropriate, as you will be learning the musical secrets of the night from Night Teacher, a duo based in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, a couple hours up I-64 from here. The main members of this group are poet Lilly Bechtel and producer/multi-instrumentalist Matt Wyatt, and they come together to create moody, soulful blues-rock tunes with a distinctly experimental approach that gives the whole thing a delightful element of surprise.

Night Teacher demonstrated their approach as a studio duo on last year’s self-titled debut, but this live event at The Camel will show a different side of the group. Joined by Charlottesville music luminaries including upright bassist Dhara Goradia, guitarist Eli Cook, violinist Cathy Monnes (who the more alert among you will recognize as C-ville musical tornado Sally Rose‘s mom), and vocalist/actress Adelind Horan, they’ll be performing in a sextet configuration that’s sure to allow more freedom in which the Night Teacher can recreate the mystical, multi-layered tunes they created for their debut. Energetic indie-psych Richmonders Twin Films will kick the evening off in proper fashion, so hey: get there.

Thursday, December 30, 8 PM
Ten Pound Snail, Fight Cloud, No Moniker, Sigmund Fraud @ The Camel – $7 in advance, $10 day of show (Order tickets HERE)
A few weeks ago, in one of my first show columns since getting back on the good foot, we saw the name Ten Pound Snail on a bill for the first time. Then last week, we discussed the fact that they somehow became a headlining local act during the year and a half I was away from the live music scene — an era during the vast majority of which, there were no shows at all! Now we see their name topping yet another bill that feels unmissable to me, a Camel showcase of some of the best talents in Richmond indie music circa 2021. So look, if you haven’t dug into the work this moody, intriguing trio are doing yet, you can’t say it’s because you haven’t had the opportunity. Avail yourself of it already.

But look, I can’t hide the fact that the band on this bill I’m most stoked about is Fight Cloud. Back in that mid-10s renaissance of melodic, mathy indie rock, these guys created some of my favorite tunes to come out of that era. I still remember how much “Pipe Dream,” from their 2016 LP We’ll Be Alright, blew my mind the first time I heard it. Their grasp of emotionally-centered musical mood, complex song structure, and pure pop majesty is pretty much unparalleled, and I was heartbroken when they broke up five years ago. I’d only had a little time to rejoice in their return to the music world with February 2020 release Thoughts Aligned before the pandemic put paid to any hope of seeing them live anytime soon. Thankfully, it didn’t stop them from writing new material, as they’ve released three new singles in the past year, all of which claim to be from a forthcoming new album. If you’re like me and can’t fucking wait for that to drop, go see them Thursday night at the Camel; chances are they’ll have some great new tuneage to lay on us all. And of course, I’ve now used up all my space babbling about Fight Cloud, but no one watching the Richmond indie world since it returned to action from the pandemic-induced worldwide hiatus can fail to have noticed how much great work No Moniker and Sigmund Fraud have been up to. Can they? I mean… I sure haven’t. So yeah, enlighten yourself and spend the last full night of 2021 with four of Richmond indie’s pre-eminent trailblazers at The Camel.

Friday, December 31, 7 PM
The Mighty Good Times, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers @ The Camel – $20 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, you’re a person who doesn’t want to spend eight-plus hours of your New Years Eve-into-New Years Day dancing to electronic music while people spin fire and do wild acrobatics. I can see it; that kind of thing isn’t necessarily for everyone — especially since not everyone can swing a $77 admission charge. And if it’s not for you, you might be thinking, “What’s another place I can go and spend my New Years Eve hearing good music?” Luckily for you, I have the answer, and it’ll only cost you a far more economical 20 bucks to take part: it’s the Camel’s New Years Eve throwdown, featuring a performance from The Mighty Good Times.

Now, The Mighty Good Times might not be all that familiar a name to you — two years ago, they played their very first show opening for Jackass Flats for New Years Eve 2020. And only a few months later, live music shut down for over a year. Thankfully, they had plenty of time while all that was going on to put together a rocking set of tunes that incorporate Allman Bros-style classic Southern rock, along with alternative country, folk, and blues. The result is sure to make for an entertaining way to rock in the New Year. Along for the ride will be local country-blues singer Cassidy Snider and her Wranglers, who released their first studio recording last month in the form of Losing Lovers, a swinging six-song EP that totally captures their live magic. You can get a raw dose of that magic — no records necessary — if you show up on time to this shindig, so make sure you go ahead and do that.

Saturday, January 1, 8 PM
Sugar Bear & EU @ Trio Restaurant & Lounge – $25
It’s a new year, and a new you, right? So what better way to kick off the year 2022 than with a New Years Day trip to the Southside to partake in the joys of hitting up a club that’s a little off the beaten path — at least for this show column and its readership. Trio Restaurant & Lounge, down near Southside Plaza on Hull Street Rd, has a track record of bringing legendary DC musicians to town, many of whom (including the Junk Yard Band and DJ Kool, of “Let Me Clear My Throat” fame) are associated with DC’s very own homegrown musical movement: go-go. I am sometimes dismayed at how little Richmonders only two hours south down 95 from its birthplace know about go-go, but here’s a crash course for any of you who remain unenlightened: It’s a style that grew out of funk in the 70s and heavily incorporated hip hop elements in the 80s and 90s. It’s driven by a heavy, percussive beat, and call and response between performers and crowd is essential to the music, especially when its played live.

One of the few go-go singles that ever broke through to mainstream popularity was a song called “Da Butt,” which was featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s School Daze and hit the Top 40 back in 1988. That song was by EU, also known as Experience Unlimited, one of the titans of the Washington DC go-go scene of the 80s. EU is still around, still fronted by longtime singer/bassist Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, and they’re coming to Richmond on New Years Day to get 2022 started right over at Trio Restaurant & Lounge. If you’ve never experienced a live go-go event, you owe it to yourself to go check this one out. The flyers say “strictly for the grown folks 30+” and “dress to impress,” and while I doubt they’ll keep you out if you’re only 29, I think you probably better be at least 21 for this one. And they’re not selling advance tickets, either, so like the flyer says — get there early. You don’t want to be standing around outside while everybody else is inside “doin’ da butt all night long.” Do you? No, I thought not.

Monday, January 3, 7 PM
Kings Of The Wild Things, Lowlife Tea Party, Solace Sovay, Vomit Rocket @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
And now for something completely different, while still being from the DMV area. After you’ve taken Sunday the 2nd to sleep off the ragers of the NYE weekend, come on down to the Camel on a Monday night to enjoy the youthful, energetic sounds of Towson, MD’s own Kings Of The Wild Things, a pop-punk quartet who’ve got no problem keeping that whole post-Warped Tour thing alive into a new decade. If you’ve been known to dig bands like The Wonder Years and Knuckle Puck (I, for one, certainly have), you’re sure to find something to appreciate in this group’s EP, Golden State Of Mind, featuring a lead single with the chorus: “Smile, you son of a bitch.” Yup, this is going to be fun.

The openers will be too. Young Richmond trio Lowlife Tea Party aren’t quite as uptempo as Kings Of The Wild Things, but their 90s rock aesthetic, which harks back to bands like Eve 6 at times, and is closer to Hum or The Toadies at others, is sure to connect. Solace Sovay have been purveying their vaguely shoegaze-damaged version of alt-rock around Richmond for a long time now, and they’ve been really good at it the whole time, so if you still haven’t caught them yet, it’s time to fix that one. As for the evening’s opening act, well, I can’t figure out who they actually are. There was a band called Vomit Rocket running around the outskirts of Roanoke about a decade ago, but I don’t think it’s them. There was another band called Rocket Vomit that opened a show at the Camel a few months ago, and it might be them with a slightly revised name, but if so, I can’t find anything online to confirm that. So yeah, in addition to three bands that are sure-fire winners, this evening features one band that is a total mystery. If nothing else, you’ve gotta admit, it’s tantalizing.

Tuesday, January 4, 7 PM
Restraining Order, Spy, Worn, Loud Night @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Here you go, you maniacs — an evening of fast, unrestrained, old-school hardcore is hitting the Camel this Tuesday to make sure your 2022 is full of as much hectic craziness as possible, as quickly as possible. Restraining Order tops this bill, and this New England band is sure to make any of you who miss the days when Richmond was a hotbed of fast, wild, punky hardcore bands (like Government Warning, Parasytic, and Wasted Time, to name a few) very, very excited. They followed up their hard-hitting, blink-and-you-miss-it 2019 LP This World Is Too Much earlier this year with a ripping split EP with Warfare and a lathe-cut single-sided EP featuring their cover of “We Got The Beat” by the Go-Go’s. I know, right? Who saw that one coming?

Anyway, Restraining Order is going to get the whole place raging in what I sure hope turns out to be an old-school circle pit when they come to The Camel. And they’ll be joined by some equally powerful out-of-town ensembles, including Spy, who hail from Northern California and whose recent Habitual Offender EP shows off a devastating proclivity for harsh, gruff hardcore that hits like a ton of bricks. Then there’s Pennsylvania’s Worn, who have a more thrash-infused approach that will click with anyone who loves local dark hardcore psychos Enforced or the sadly departed Power Trip, and should also push buttons for the fans of Portland legends Tragedy or Richmond’s own Prisoner. Loud Night is the only local act on this bill, but they fit right in, bringing an uptempo energy and metallic drive to a fiery sound that splits the difference between The Accused and Motorhead. Come to this one ready to go off in the pit, because these excellent bands demand no less.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected]

Top photo by Dave Parrish Photography

Gay(RVA)NYE: Ring In Your 2020 in Proper Fashion

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 26, 2019

Topics: Black Pride RVA, Decemberween, Diversity Richmond, events in richmond va, events richmond va, Fallout, Godfrey's, Kabana Rooftop, Lamplighter, New Years Eve, No BS! Brass Band, PLF, Quirk Hotel, richmond events, Richmond Triangle Players, richmond va, Robert B. Moss Theatre, RVA, Scott Wichmann, Studio Two Three, things to do richmond va

Get the most out of your new year and say goodbye to the 10’s in proper fashion with our GayRVA guide to the best New Year’s Eve parties this town has to offer!

As 2019 ends and a new decade is set to begin, we all want to have the best New Year’s Eve possible. For plenty of people, this means traveling to some bigger city: New York for the ball drop in Times Square, DC for the big parties, maybe Atlanta where it’s not so cold… but what if you just want to stay in Richmond this year?

Well, if you choose to do so, you’ll not only be missing out on a boatload of travel time and related expenses, you’ll find plenty of amazing things to do and enjoy right here in the good ol’ RVA. If you ask us, it’s really the best way to go.

Here are the best places in Richmond to have yourself a truly wonderful New Year’s Eve.

PLF’s Decemberween at Diversity Richmond

This one’s at the top of the list every year, and I can’t imagine that’ll change anytime soon. The Party Liberation Front’s Halloween-in-December shindig is always the place to be for the arrival of the new year, and it’s because the group never fails to pull out all the stops for this affair.

This year is no different! Dozens of DJs on three different stages will ensure that the music never stops. There’ll be fire performances outside to keep you from getting chilly, as well as mutant vehicles, food trucks, art installations, three different bars, and a whole lot more. It’s a totally immersive experience that will tantalize all five senses for eight full hours! Don’t miss this one. Tickets are $66, and worth every penny. Order here.

Black Pride RVA’s New Year’s Eve Bash 2020 at Studio Two Three

This New Year’s Eve, Black Pride RVA is doing it up right over at Studio Two Three. Their decade-ending event will be a Black & White Affair featuring food, champagne, party favors, and more. Everyone will be dressed to the nines for this one, and you’re sure to enjoy every moment. Tickets start at $25 — order here.

Scott Wichmann at Richmond Triangle Players’ Robert B. Moss Theatre

If you’re looking for a memorable musical affair that summons up the glittering showbiz days of yesteryear, Richmond Triangle Players has got you covered this year, with two performances by “Mister Showtime,” Scott Wichmann. Wichmann’s charismatic flair will lend a special vibrance to his performance of Rat Pack classics, and he’ll have some special guests and a trio led by Musical Director Ryan Corbitt to kick things up a notch and make it a show worthy of wrapping up the decade.

Wichmann will perform two different shows on New Year’s Eve, one at 7 PM and one at 10 PM, so whether you want to wrap the evening up early or stay out all night, there’s a showtime that’ll work for you! Tickets start at only $10, and can be purchased here. Grab yours now!

Godfrey’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

There are all kinds of places you can go for this occasion, but sometimes nothing feels as right as the place you visit regularly all year. That’s why the Godfrey’s New Year’s Eve throwdown just might be the best place to be in this whole town on December 31. They’ll be throwing a big drag show, along with some great year-end drink specials and a cash balloon drop at midnight, so there’ll be plenty to enjoy all evening. The economically-minded should make a note that the cover doubles at 11 PM — so show up by 10:59 and party all night!

Fallout’s New Year’s Eve Masque

Shockoe Bottom’s #1 fetish club is continuing their tradition with this Masquerade Ball featuring drinks, DJs, and plenty of awesome outfits. The line for drinks might be long once this one gets going, but there will be a secondary cash-only bar, so if you’ve got some legal tender in your pocket, you can avoid the rush!

Fallout strictly requires attendees to wear formal and/or fetish clothing, and a mask, so make sure you’re properly attired, or you might be turned away to hang with the normies. No one wants that! While Fallout is members-only, non-members can be guested in by friends who are members, or message their facebook to obtain a one night pass. It’ll be worth it.

Roaring 20s NYE at Kabana Rooftop

Over in the straight world, the arrival of 2020 seems to be a big occasion for “Roaring 20s” themed events, and Kabana Rooftop, atop the Hampton Inn downtown, certainly looks like the most promising of these. They’ll feature music all evening, headlined by a performance from virtuoso violinist and turntable-spinner DJ Manifesto. Plus there’ll be champagne toasts, party favors, and a live feed of the ball drop — so you don’t have to watch it at home. Tickets start at $35, and if you don’t want to find your way home afterward, Hampton Inn offers special rates for suites directly attached to Kabana, so you really can make an entire night of it.

Belle Epoque at Quirk Hotel

But hey, maybe the roaring 20s aren’t even retro enough for you — maybe you want to take things all the way back to the late 19th century. If so, Quirk Hotel has you covered with their Belle Epoque-style evening, featuring music by DJ Ant Boogie, a custom gin & tonic bar, champagne toast at midnight, party favors, and everything else you love about NYE parties. For $25, you can drop in to Quirk around 10 PM (tickets here), or if you really want to do it up right and proper, you can kick the evening off with a 5-course New Year’s Eve dinner at Maple & Pine, Quirk Hotel’s in-house restaurant. The prix-fixe meal is $99 per person (tickets here), and includes entrance to the Quirk event, so that’s your whole evening covered!

Noon Year’s Eve at Lamplighter featuring No BS! Brass Band

Are you the sort of person who’d really rather avoid leaving the house on New Year’s Eve at all? That’s understandable — the roads are hardly the safest on that evening, and lord knows a lot of people do not know how to stay within their limits. Fortunately, even if you’re completely uninterested in being out of the house after dark, there is some fun still to be had over at Lamplighter’s Addison Street location. Specifically, No BS! Brass Band will be showing up late in the morning on December 31 to play tunes and get the party rockin’ for a ball drop on the Lamplighter roof at noon! So there you go — you can take part in a joyous year-ending event with the sun still high in the sky, and head home secure in the knowledge that you’ve done your carousing for the year.

Top Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

Ring in 2018 in Style With RVA Mag’s NYE Guide

Amy David | December 28, 2017

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Belle & James, Decemberween, Great Gatsby, Havana '59, isley brewing, Jackass Flats, Kabana Rooftop, Mike Ledesma, New Years Eve, New Years Eve Parties, NYE 2018, NYE parties rva, parties, Party Liberation Front, Party Libertation Foundation, richmond parties, Roaring 20s, Southern Belles, Strangeways Brewing, The Camel, The Hippodrome, the Hof, The National, The Roost, The Veil Brewing Co.

Christmas has come and gone and we’re nearing the end of 2017. It was a whirlwind of a year with highs and lows, and I think its safe to say many more lows this year than anything else politically, but we can only hope 2018 will be better. Now this post wasn’t meant to get you down, get you dwelling on the past year, or worrying about your New Years Resolutions, but rather send you into 2018 with a bang with a slew of kick-ass parties in Richmond this Sunday.

RVA Mag has put together a guide of some of the best parties around town from burlesque and comedy at breweries, to live music, to DJs and fire-spinning, to glammed up costume parties with champagne toasts, ball drops, and arcade fun. There’s sure to be something that will get you up off your couch and ringing in the New Year with your friends, significant other, or crazy uncle who can drink anyone under the table and always has a good story. And without further ado, here is our NYE Guide for Richmond. Be safe, have fun, get a little weird and we will see you in 2018. Happy New Year!

Decemberween 12

The wild and crazy group known for throwing some of the best shindigs in town, Party Liberation Foundation is back again with their annual NYE celebration Decemberween. Now in its 12th year, the party will be bigger and better than ever with two stages of music featuring headliner Soohan, a Maryland based producer, local dance-punk favorites Toxic Moxie, Mr. Jennings, Bunk Buddha and more, art installations inside and out including fire sculptures, Ziggy Sawdust will be carving wooden portraits of partygoers with a chainsaw, live, Man Camp! crew will be constructing a roving Trojan Mop Bucket, and Davina the Dragon will return for her first PLF event in years. PLF’s legendary pyro circus will also be returning and the group is adding a third bar in their speakeasy/cabaret lounge. All proceeds benefit PLF. Make sure to wear your best costume! Decemberween 12 will be held at Diversity Richmond, Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased here. 8pm-4am.

NYE 2018 Gatsby Soiree at Kabana Rooftop

If you feel like getting fancy, time traveling back to the ’20s and channeling your best Jay and Daisy impersonations, then Kabana Rooftop’s Gatsby Soiree. Dress as a flapper, a dapper gent, or silent film star or in your finest garb and head out to Kabana Rooftop for a night on the town you won’t forget. Well, depending on how much you have to drink. Music by local DJ favorite MASS FX and Bobby LaBeat. Tickets are $45 for General admission, $75 for couples, $60 for entry and 20s-themed buffet created by the wonderful head chef Mike Ledesma or $115 for couples and it goes up from there if you want to book a room or reserve a VIP table. All tickets include a champagne toast at midnight, party favors, a live feed of the ball drop. Grab yours here. Kabana Rooftop: 700 E. Main St. 7pm-2am.

NYE at Vagabond

Hosted by Kelli Lemon with tunes courtesy of DJ Lonnie B, Vagabond is ringing in 2018 with an appetizer Buffet and Champagne Toast. Limited reserved tables available. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.

New Years Eve at The Hof

The HofGarden, a three-story event venue and German beer hall inside Scott’s Addition’s The Hof Building on West Broad Street is bringing back one of Richmond’s most beloved NYE traditions with The Ball Rise. Originally started above the Byrd Theater in 2006, partygoers packed the streets to countdown the new year while watching the big ball go up. The 40-foot ball rise became too expensive so it ended in 2012 with a brief appearance at Hardywood in 2013, but hasn’t been an event in RVA since. The Hof will host the Ball Rise on their rooftop bar this year for their annual NYE party, whose theme is based on Rio de Janeiro’s Rio Carnival. Musical performances by DC’s gypsy/jazz/funk group Black Masala will perform, along with Andrew Alli & the Mainline, as well as DJ Duffy and carnival dancers. 2818 W. Broad St. 7pm-2 am.

Editor’s Note: At this time, the only package available for this event is the Couples Graduate Hotel Package for $307.88. Includes two GA tickets to The Hof party, a room at The Graduate hotel, transportation to and from the graduate and the hof, and brunch at the hotel on new years day. Tickets here.

New Years Eve Fiesta at Havana ’59

Havana ’59 returns for NYE with its annual celebration of dinner, Djs, and Salsa music. Dinner includes a three-course meal, drink, and additional champagne toast. Time slots for dinner reservations: 5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm. Dancing takes place upstairs, and Salsa begins at 10pm. A DJ will be providing the Salsa music for the evening. Dancing: $30, Dinner: $60, Dance/Dinner: $70. Champagne toast included. Call to reserve your tickets now! (804)780-CUBA. 16 N. 17th St. 5pm-2am.

Cirque Du NYE Hippodrome (RVA Escape into the 2018)

Step into the multi-act sideshow and entertainment extravaganza at The Hippodrome for NYE. The Jackson Ward venue is channeling Cirque de Soleii for their celebration with aerial dancers, stilt walkers, hula dancers, jugglers, shadow dancers, human blockheads, along with a DJ, buffet from 9 to 11 pm, red carpet style photo, prop photo booth, *Semi-formal attire required. Tickets $25-$40. 528 N. 2nd St.

Skyball NYE 2018- Belle & James

Kabana Rooftop may be celebrating Great Gatsby style, but Belle & James, the restaurant below the rooftop bar, is throwing its annual Skyball NYE bash Party. The event features a live DJ, with midnight toast, live video feed for the ball drop, complimentary party favors, signature Bond cocktails and more. Tickets $25-$45. 700 E. Main St. 10pm-2am.

New Years Eve Party at The Roost

Lunch/Supper’s event venue/ brunch market in Scott’s Addition, The Roost is ringing in 2018 with a celebration all their own. Tickets are $110 and will each include: passed hors d’oeuvres and appetizers, full dinner buffet with all your Supper! favorites, four drink tickets with choice of specialty beer/cocktails featuring Belle Isle Moonshine, champagne toast and celebration at midnight, and dancing all night with music from DJ Mike Murphy. A cash bar will be open all night for additional drinks and full VIP table reservations are available by request. Please email [email protected] for VIP requests. $10 of each ticket will be benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of RVA Tickets here. 1213 Summit Avenue. 8pm-1:30am.

Two Nights! NYE with The Southern Belles and Jackass Flats

Psychedelic-rockers and Richmond favorite The Southern Belles are ringing in NYE with a two-night event at The Camel with fellow RVA bluegrass band Jackass Flats, Shows Dec. 30 and NYE both $10. Tickets for Saturday’s show are $10 and can be purchased here and Sunday’s are $25 ADV and $40 DOS which you snag here. Doors at 8pm, Show at 9 pm.

New Year, New You at Gallery5!

The folks over at Gallery5 are celebrating big for New Year’s Eve. The space has a stacked lineup for the night with performances by Dazeases, Sammi Lanzetta, Citrus City shoegaze guys Fat Spirit (go see them if you haven’t already!), Pete Curry’s new project FM Skyline, along with DJ Skrt Skrt (christian something / Christian Nöthing), DJ Baby Maria (Maria Applegate) Free champagne toast & photo booth. Doors 8pm / Bands 9pm // $10. Keep an eye on the event page for details.

All That Glitters is Gold NYE 2018-Cha Cha’s Cantina and Society Social Club

Dance into the night and jump back and forth between two nightclubs in Shockoe Slip for Cha Cha’s and Society’s All that Glitters is Gold NYE Celebration. Buy a Gold ticket for access to both bars for the entire night along with drink tickets, buffet, and toast. DJ Bryan One and DJ Joe Fu will be spinning tunes, there will be a live feed of the Times Square ball drop, along with a free champagne toast. General Admission- $20 and Gold tickets are $60. Snag yours here. For VIP Inquiries Contact: 804.648.5100 | [email protected]
Doors at 730PM. 1419 & 1421 E. Cary St.

Richmond Brewery NYE Parties:

Several breweries in town are hosting their own celebrations if you aren’t the dancing type and prefer craft beer over fancy cocktails. Check out the rundown here.

Saved by The 90s: A NYE Party with the Bayside Tigers-The National

New York City’s 90s tribute band Bayside Tigers hits The National NYE for a party that’s sure to be all that and a bag of chips. (Sorry, in advance for the puns in this post.) Performing everything from Beastie Boys, to No Doubt, to Spice Girls, and Third Eye Blind they’re sure to bring back all sorts of nostalgia feels for you 90s kids. So grab your flannel, chockers, denim, and crop tops and party like its 1999. Tickets $25-$40.

Brew Years Eve Party at The Circuit Arcade Bar

If you’re a gamer, craft beer lover, or both, and rather spend your new year kickin’ it old school, hit up the new Circuit Arcade Bar in Scott’s Addition. Filled with over 60 throwback arcade games, pinball machines, and other vintage classics like skeeball and air hockey, along with a self-serve bar wall with 50 taps flowing with craft beer, cider, and wine send you into the new year the right away. For their celebration, The Circuit will host a Brew Years Eve party, working with a number of local and Virginia breweries that will bring an exclusive selection of seasonal, limited edition and newly released beer for just Sunday night. Wax Moon Records will be playing the tunes, and the barcade will also have a raffle with prizes, brewery giveaways, lip sync battles and even more. Access to our exclusive New Years Eve beer selection available only for one night. Tickets are $35 ADV/ Door: $40 and get you free food, free token cup with 20 tokens, one free raffle ticket, door prizes, and everything from Jurassic Park pinball, to Ms. PacMan, Dig Dug and more to play. 3121 W. Leigh St. 8 pm. (For an inside look into the arcade and bar, check out our interview with them in our latest issue here.)

Our sister publication, GayRVA.com also has a pretty sweet NYE rundown, you can check that out here.

Decemberween 12: PLF Rings in NYE with More Art, Music, & a Fire-Breathing Dragon

John Reinhold | December 14, 2017

Topics: art, Decemberween, Diversity Richmond, EDM, festival, New Years Eve, Party Liberation Foundation, Party Liberation Front, RVA live music, Toxic Moxie

It’s time for another Decemberween and for their twelfth year, Party Liberation Foundation is bringing all the crazy antics, fire, and pyro effects, dancing, music, art and more that you love to send off 2017 with a bang. RVA Mag President John Reinhold recently sat down with the co-founder of PLF Conway Jennings, who will also be playing a set at the event, to get the rundown on this year’s festivities.

Reinhold: What makes this NYE event different than others around Richmond?

Jennings: Well, I think the main difference is that we create a pretty immersive environment. There’s a lot more going on than just some bands or DJs and a bar. There are multiple rooms inside, plus a large outside area, with many art installations placed all over the event. Musically we will feature a variety of DJs and a few bands, offering cutting edge underground dance music as well as some great live music. Oh yeah, we also go late!

Reinhold: The event is hosted by Diversity Richmond, what do you like about this venue?

Jennings: Well, for starters, we feel great about their mission. It’s super important for us to create a safe space for people from all walks of life (including race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) to be themselves at our events. It’s great to work with Diversity knowing that we share this goal. The venue itself is also perfect for us. Because it’s largely a blank canvas, we are able to bring in art, decorations, projectors, lights, etc. to transform the space differently each time. Fire spinning and fire art are both very important for our community, and use of the parking lot allows us to safely include this element. Ivan Trittipoe and the crew at Diversity are also just super friendly and great to work with.

Reinhold: What’s new for this year?

Jennings: Well, this is the 12th Decemberween, but the third year at Diversity Richmond, and also the third year above ground. It’s been more of a smaller private party in the past. This year we are completely flipping the layout inside, which is exciting. We’re also adding a third bar in our new speakeasy /cabaret lounge, which will help cut down on waiting in line. We’ve also increased funding for art grants, so there will be even more awesome art both inside and out.

Reinhold: Tell me about your headliners and music plans for guests this year?

Jennings: We’re really excited to have Soohan as our headliner. He’s been making waves at all the West Coast festivals for the past couple summers, so we’re stoked to have his unique blend of global bass and hip hop at Decemberween. We’re also super stoked to have Richmond dance punk favorites Toxic Moxie in the lineup. Bunk Buddha will be joining us from Baltimore, as well as DJ Shakey from New York City. We have a lot of PLF favorites rounding out the rest of the lineup. The music is really gonna be amazing this year.

Reinhold: Sounds like you have more live music this year. Things like the jazz speakeasy lounge, what’s the plan for that room?

Jennings: Yup! We are turning the smaller room inside into a speakeasy/cabaret lounge this year. We will have a jazz band playing throughout the night, with a variety of dance and burlesque performances in between. As I mentioned before, there will be a bar in there, as well as tables and couches, so you can take a load off and enjoy the show with a nice cocktail. And while we generally lean pretty heavily on electronic music, we’re stoked to have Toxic Moxie’s blend of live dance music to spice things up a bit.

Reinhold: What kind of large-scale art and immersive environments are planned?

Jennings: We’re super excited to have Davina the Dragon for her first PLF event in years. Outside we will have a whole bunch of fire sculptures and flame effects, but there will also be all kinds of other fun stuff. Ziggy Sawdust will be carving wooden portraits of partygoers with a chainsaw, live (yes, really!). Man Camp! crew will be constructing a roving Trojan Mop Bucket because …well, why not? Inside, we will have Illumious Plumes, a giant peacock with an amazing paint job, by Emily Wimbis, Alexa Eliana, and Molly Chopin. Ian Hess and crew will construct a wondrous 8-foot tall glowing pyramid, complete with mysterious glowing obelisks. And this is just less than half of the art grants! There will be all kinds of awesome stuff this year.

Reinhold: Tell me more about the fire-breathing dragon?

Jennings: Davina is a 30-foot long, 10- foot tall fire-breathing dragon art car. She was built in 2010 by Charlottesville artist Christian Breeden, who also built Josephine the Colossal SkeletalMarionette, an integral part of our past two Decemberweens. Davina has been prowling the playa at Burning Man for the past several years, offering rides to wayward burners and dazzling everyone with her flames. But she has made a triumphant return home to Virginia! This will be her first PLF event in many years, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her back. While there won’t be room for her to move around too much at Decemberween, she will definitely be shooting plenty of fire.

Reinhold: So we know you all love fire, are there going to be fire performers or special performances?

Jennings: In addition to Davina, we will have a wide variety of flame effects and sculptures, as well as live fire performance throughout the night. Expect a lot of fire at midnight, from humans and dragons alike.

Reinhold: The entire event s a benefit for Party Liberation Foundation correct?

Jennings: Sure is! The Party Liberation Front collective has been around since 2006, but we decided to start a non-profit last year. Our goal is to nurture the arts and the creative community in the Richmond region. Over the past year, we have awarded several thousand dollars of art grants both for our events and for local art openings. We have also launched a series of free workshops on performance art, dance, and more. We’re very new to this, but we are excited to see what the future holds.

Reinhold: How can people purchase tickets?

Jennings: Diversity has allowed us to increase our ticket cap to 700 this year (up from 650), but we do expect it to sell out, as it has the past two years. Grab your tickets here.

Top Photo Credit: Janpim Wolf Photography