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Soaking Up The Funky Buzz

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Atlanta artist Taylor Wright Rushing is finishing up his three-month residence at Graduate Richmond this week with an exhibition of his hippie-hillbilly aesthetic. In conversation with Annie Parnell, he spoke of his time soaking up Richmond’s inspiring vibes and pouring them into his work.

“I really tried to imagine what it must have been like at the Chelsea Hotel,” laughs Taylor Wright Rushing of his artistic residence at Richmond’s Graduate Hotel, which is set to culminate on Wednesday with a happy hour showcase from 6-8 PM. 

Rushing is a member of the inaugural class of the boutique hotel chain’s Sweet Dreams Society, a residency program that places emerging creators in live-in residency programs at Graduate locations across the country. He’s also one of the program’s few expats — while many of his classmates took up residence at Graduate locations in cities where they were based, the Atlanta-based muralist and painter has spent the last three months living and creating in Richmond. 

“It’s been a total dream,” says Rushing, who remarks that living in the middle of the “funky buzz” of the hotel has been a far cry from his solitary in-home studio in Atlanta. “It’s kind of fascinating to be in a workshop and see people go by on business trips.” 

This new hustle and bustle has added an interesting texture to his artistic style, which he describes as “the confluence between hippies and hillbillies.” A passionate collector of self-taught art, he cites the 1970s poster artists of Austin, Texas as a major influence, as well as “anything that’s groovy and weird,” including the counterculture magazine Whole Earth Catalog and 1973 LGBTQ+ country album Lavender Country. 

Rushing’s work at his company, Not Bad Illustration, has led him to find a niche creating promotional materials for modern-day musicians, including Willie Nelson’s Luck Journal and the Athens, Georgia cosmic-country rock band The Pink Stones. The showcase on the 15th will feature a DJ set of musical clients he’s worked with, as well as a special country-and-western cocktail at the bar inspired by his work. 

Rushing is quick to point out, however, that the “outsider art” he loves is a foundational tenet of a variety of music traditions. 

“I went to school in Olympia, Washington,” he notes, adding that the DIY ethos of punk and grunge carries a throughline of the folk art spirit of “making something out of nothing.” 

His time in Richmond has also left a distinct impact on his work, from an industrial color palette inspired by Belle Isle to a marathon creative session at Garnett’s that produced a poster for Canadian singer-songwriter Colter Wall. He recalls spending hours taking photographs of architecture and posters around the city, as well as seeing Orville Peck perform at The National, enjoying autumn in “the ultimate Halloween town,” and appreciating the intersection of “Carhartt overalls and Dale Earnhardt t-shirts” at Cobra Cabana. 

In one particularly impactful visit to Hollywood Cemetery, he also visited the grave of Dave Brockie/Oderus Urungus of GWAR. “Talk about a band on the fringe,” he notes of the famous sci-fi heavy metal act that formed at the Richmond Dairy art space in 1984 — the unique product, he believes, of a city in which “it’s totally safe to be as weird and funky as you want to be.”

All in all, says Rushing, his biggest takeaway from his Richmond residency is the culture of creative expression that has nourished him throughout his stay in town. “It’s really valuable to spend time in a city…[with] an obvious love of art,” he concludes — and in Richmond, he’s found a community that “really values the sort of things that America seems to be lacking.”

Taylor Wright Rushing’s End-of-Residency Celebration is taking place in the art studio at Graduate Richmond, located at 301 W. Broad St, from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, December 15. Admission is free.

Images courtesy Taylor Wright Rushing

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 22 – January 28

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FEATURED SHOW
Prsmcat Birthday Bash Minifest
Friday, January 24, 8 PM
Spooky Cool (Photo by Joey Wharton), Deau Eyes, Kate Bollinger, SHE
Saturday, January 25, 8 PM
Sleepwalkers, Majjin Boo, Castle OG, Hollywood Cemetery
@Poor Boys – $12 in advance/$15 at door/$20 two-day pass (order tickets HERE)
It’s my birthday today; I am 44 years old, which means I’d only be considered “young” if I was running for President. But Prsmcat Presents is definitely younger — the up-and-coming RVA show booking concern is less than a year old at this point. Therefore, the Prsmcat Birthday Bash Minifest happening this weekend at Poor Boys is not actually a celebration for the booking group’s birthday but that of Prsmcat leader and Majjin Boo guitarist Zavi Yueske, who is… (checks notes) 16 years younger than me. Wow.

Let me stop worrying about how old I’m getting and move on by saying: Happy birthday, Zavi! His birthday gift is for the entire city’s music scene, as he’ll celebrate with this two-night, eight-band extravaganza of talented musicians from around Richmond and the central Virginia region. On Friday night, we get the double-dose of Richmond indie melodicism that is Spooky Cool and Deau Eyes. Both of these groups have exercised a “less-is-more” philosophy where recordings are concerned, which means you’ll surely hear some unrecorded tunes during both sets, and that’s a lovely thing from two world-class talents like these. Friday night will also feature Charlottesville singer-songwriter Kate Bollinger, whose laid-back, tuneful approach should pair well with the others on the bill.

Then Saturday night, Zavi gets to strut his stuff with Majjin Boo — who, in case I haven’t made it clear in this column before now, released the Richmond records I loved the most last year, the “Tension Rod”/”One Wing” single and Egghunt Records full-length Go Between. These guys are essential listening and will surely remain so going forward in 2020. They share Saturday night’s bill with fellow Richmond mainstays Sleepwalkers, who you should all know and love by now, as well as smooth-sounding indie mainstays Castle OG and difficult-to-google newcomers Hollywood Cemetery. Celebrate the wonderfulness Zavi Yueske brings into the world while enjoying that very wonderfulness all weekend at Poor Boys!

Wednesday, January 22, 7 PM
The Adicts, No-Heads, Talk Me Off @ The Broadberry – $25 (order tickets HERE)
If you’ve paid attention to UK punk anytime in the last four decades, you’re sure to have heard of the Adicts. This catchy melodic punk band styled themselves after the droogs of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, and have been cutting a memorable figure in the world of punk since they broke out with 1981 debut LP Songs Of Praise. Their singalong choruses are infectious enough that they’ve had chart hits in the UK with tunes like “Viva La Revolution” and “Bad Boy” — songs you’re sure to remember if you’ve heard them even once.

The Adicts’ heyday was in the 80s, but they’ve never really stopped recording and touring; they’ll be coming through RVA in support of their 11th album, And It Was So!, released by Nuclear Blast in 2017. The group’s core members have stayed the same throughout the past four decades, and their entertaining costumed live performances are still a fun, active spectacle. If you’ve never caught the Adicts live before, this is the perfect time to do it, and wear your best Malcolm McDowell eye makeup while you’re at it.

Thursday, January 23, 8 PM
Kai Orion, Kill The Druid @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Every musician is creative, but it’s rare to find a musician out there who dismantles every assumption about musical orthodoxy with each new song they create. However, that is exactly how Kai Orion creates. The DC-based songwriter plays over a dozen instruments on his latest album, Start To End, some of which can only be described as “instruments” (vacuum cleaner, lawnmower, wine glasses, etc). He often works by himself, creating thickly layered compositions through use of a microphone, a loop creator, and a menagerie of voices, instruments, and random objects he has at hand.

The result is a collection of catchy and enjoyable tunes on his records, and a fascinating spectacle to behold in a live environment. At Garden Grove Brewing this Thursday night, you’re sure to see Orion create songs out of all sorts of random sounds, and you’re sure to be impressed how beautiful the end result is — especially with his Peter Gabriel-ish vocal chords unleashed overtop. Richmond post-rockers Kill The Druid will open this one up with an instrument-switching set that’s sure to both set the stage for Orion and remain much closer to a conventional rock show. The whole evening is sure to be a blast.

Friday, January 24, 9 PM
Fat Spirit, You’re Jovian, Alison Blue @ Fuzzy Cactus – $5
Fat Spirit have settled into a solid role as utility players in the Richmond alt-rock scene. They haven’t released any new material since 2017’s Nihilist Blues, but they continue bringing their raucous, exuberant performances to local venues on a regular basis, keeping the spirit of the slacker-rock 90s alive and evoking the spirits of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. with their loud, guitar-driven tunes. You know what you’re getting with Fat Spirit these days, but that’s certainly not a strike against a band who always delivers a rockin’ good time.

They’re joined on this occasion by Hampton Roads residents You’re Jovian, who have a solid dose of the 90s embedded in their sound as well. On 2019’s Singles, this group shows themselves as occupying a similar territory to that of Fat Spirit, though Elliott Malvas’s more ethereal vocals definitely push the needle away from grunge and toward shoegaze — in the original Ride/Swervedriver/JAMC sense, rather than the MBV-plus-postrock context its taken on in the past decade. Putting these two groups together on a single bill makes for a great evening, especially if you’re the sort of guitar lover who can’t get enough of that sweet, sweet fuzz. Youthful VA Beach shoegazing fuzz-lovers Alison Blue will kick the whole thing off with a further dose of what you’ve been looking for, so don’t miss a minute of this one.

Saturday, January 25, 9 PM
DJ Williams’ Shots Fired @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday night, and it’s right back to Fuzzy Cactus, this time for a homecoming show by one of Richmond’s favorite sons, DJ Williams. Around town, he’s known for his time fronting the DJ Williams Projekt, but this talented, blues-inclined guitarist has achieved more widespread fame beyond these shores in recent years with his work in Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. He’s also put together an all-star cast of sidemen for a new group called DJ Williams’ Shots Fired, who released a mostly-live LP called Live From Over Where back in 2018.

The funky, bluesy, Southern-tinged rock n’ roll that group shows off on their debut LP is exactly what they’ll bring to Brookland Park Boulevard when they show up at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night. I can’t tell you for sure who will be firing the shots behind Williams during this performance, but the group has included Williams’ fellow Tiny Universe members, as well as musicians from Dave Matthews Band, Slightly Stoopid, and Lenny Kravitz and Dr. John’s respective backing bands. Rest assured, no matter who DJ Williams brings with him on this jaunt, they’ll be talents equal to the kind of firepower he lays down. And as anyone who’s been paying attention around here for a while knows, that’s some serious six-string pyrotechnics.

Sunday, January 26, 6 PM
RVA Rap Elite Season 3 Premiere, feat. BASIC, Easalio, Tr3demark, Bravo vs. Chance Fischer, Team 804 Cypher (Vintage A, Henny LO, Habeeb, Tone Redd, Yung Sums) vs. Team 757 Cypher (BASIC, Will Jung, Amir Driver, Illien Rosewell, Eastcoast Mikey), Music by Hip Hop Henry & Melodic, plus Open Cypher @ The Dark Room – $10
Hip hop shows take research, y’all. For one thing, there are always a ton of people on the show (indeed, the Open Cypher on this bill will feature another 20-plus rappers I decided not to even attempt to list). For another, there are never any website links listed for any of them. And sometimes, you have to do some digging just to even get a list of who’s on the show. But I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining; the fact is, it’s all worth it when you encounter a show like this, full of a murderer’s row of talented MCs battling it out for lyrical supremacy.

There’s been a renaissance of battle rap on the Richmond scene over the past year or two, and RVA Rap Elite has been right at the heart of it, so it’s no surprise to see what a stacked lineup they’re bringing for the premiere edition of their third season. Personally, I’m most excited for the throwdown between world-class lyricists Chance Fischer and Bravo, but the Team 804 vs. Team 757 cypher battle promises some serious fireworks as well. And really, the overall atmosphere is the best part of all this; when RVA Rap Elite is happening, everyone wants to bring their A game, and the results are sure to delight any true hip hop head. So end your weekend at the place The Cheats Movement says is “making its claim to be the [hip hop] venue of choice” — The Dark Room at the Hofheimer.

Monday, January 27, 9 PM
Dark Thoughts, Sensual World, Ugly Muscle @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
Dark Thoughts is the sort of band name that might lead you to expect a sound resembling that of Christian Death, or TSOL — punk, but a decidedly gothic take on punk. However, as the band’s fans well know, Philadelphia’s Dark Thoughts are made of much catchier stuff than those classic LA death-rockers. Their new LP, Must Be Nice, came out last month on Stupid Bag Records and is loaded with tracks that split the difference between snotty Dead Boys-style rockers and the Ramones at their most clumsily lovelorn.

Dark Thoughts play classic punk for classic punks, and since it’s the middle of a freezing January here in Richmond, you officially have no excuse for not breaking out your leather jacket for this shindig. You’ll get a bonus as well, in the form of two great local punk bands filling out this bill with their own excellent sounds. Sensual World brings a sort of forlorn jangle to their downbeat rumble, almost Gun Club-ish in execution; Ugly Muscle strip down their sound into a pounding, minimalist attack fueled by atonal synths and screaming. The whole thing is sure to delight any among you who appreciate the articulate aggression that punk rock is all about.

Tuesday, January 28, 6 PM
Shadow Of Intent, Signs Of The Swarm, Inferi, Brand of Sacrifice, Seraph @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s been 50 years since Black Sabbath’s debut album acted as the starting gun for the metal genre. Bands have progressed in all sorts of far-flung directions from that initial ground zero in the intervening half-century, and it’s difficult to find any band still playing a pure form of metal that would have been recognizable to Ozzy Osbourne in 1970. Nonetheless, there are a lot of outstanding musicians at work in the genre, producing milestones that may very well appear equally seminal once they’re 50 years in the rearview.

Shadow Of Intent’s 2019 LP Melancholy may or may not be one of those (though MetalSucks certainly likes it), but no matter how you slice it, the New England quartet definitely gave us a memorable slab of truly redoubtable heaviness when they released their third album last year. It’s both the deepest, darkest death metal and a particularly impressive display of musical omnivorousness, integrating orchestral melodies and gothic lyrical themes into their always-brutal sound in a manner that allows room to breathe while still pummelling listeners with a wonderfully aggressive efficiency. Seeing all of this brought to life on the Canal Club stage is sure to inspire a veritable forest of banging heads. Join the raging sea this Tuesday night, and celebrate the ongoing bounty that is the music of metal.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, January 23, 6:30 PM
Blackalicious, Black Liquid, Waasi, Grayling Skyy, DJ Almighty @ The Southern Cafe (Charlottesville) – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Hip hop has always been a genre that focuses on skills, but there are some hip hop artists that stand out even in a crowded sea of fantastic MCs and DJs. Blackalicious, the duo consisting of rapper Gift Of Gab and producer Chief Xcel, is one of those, and has been for the past two decades. They haven’t exactly been prolific in that time; they’ve only released three LPs since 1999 debut Nia. However, regardless of how long they take to bring out new material, it’s impossible to deny that Blackalicious continues to make some of the most challenging, intricate, and talent-loaded music in the hip hop world.

The current Blackalicious tour is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nia‘s release, so you can certainly expect a set list that leans heavily on that initial statement of purpose. Nia dropped right in the midst of the bling area and showed an entirely different worldview in the way Chief Xcel’s beats created mellow, soulful landscapes for Gift Of Gab’s witty lyrics about life and love. Blackalicious has remained on their own wavelength ever since, and if you’ve kept up with their less-than-prolific release schedule, you know that anything they want to bring us is more than worth the wait. That said, who knows when they might be back to VA after this? Get to their gig at The Southern this weekend while the getting’s good.

Saturday, January 25, 7 PM
Black Mass//Un-Baptism, feat. Xeukatre, Serpentshrine, Athame @ Pourhouse of Norfolk – Free!
Black metal is a notoriously intense genre, and while keeping it real did go wrong for a while in the mid-90s when the scene’s leading lights were killing each other and destroying thousand-year-old architecture, you have to admire the people who make this music’s commitment to the evocation of evil. That’s why I can’t help but be impressed to see three black metal bands from the MD/VA area teaming up with Satanic Norfolk this Saturday night for an honest-to-Lucifer black mass at Pourhouse of Norfolk.

Norfolk’s Serpentshrine, who occupy the middle slot on this bill, are musical advocates for Satan themselves, and the trio cranks out some old-style gritty riffage on latest EP Occultum Exordium. You Bathory fans out there will get a big kick out of these guys. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s Xeukatre kick out some guttural lo-fi roars and classic tremolo-picked riffs on their split with Hagerstown’s Athame, who round out both that split and this triple bill with the fastest and filthiest take on black metal of these three bands, Transilvanian Hunger-style. But of course the big event is the black mass; how intense is that gonna be? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to show up. Bring your own blood.

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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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 2 – January 7

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, January 4, 9 PM
Djanuary, feat. Stu Kindle, Sweet Potatoes Music, The Pop-Up Duo, Lil Jimmy & The Robinsons @ The Dark Room – $5
Well folks, it’s 2020. We made it through another holiday season — and another decade — alive, and it’s time to get our bearings and ease into yet another year here in Trump’s America. And what better way to get a non-stressful start on the 20’s (finally, a decade with an abbreviation that makes sense!) than with a week heavy with the wonderful sounds of jazz?

That’s what we’ve got for you this week, and at the top of the list is Djanuary, a year-beginning celebration of legendary Romani jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt masterminded by local ukulele strummer Stu Kindle. Reinhardt was one of the first guitarists and first Europeans to exert a strong influence on jazz, a feat made that much more remarkable by the fact that he only had the use of three fingers on his left hand due to an injury he sustained in a fire at the beginning of his career. Reinhardt’s integration of Romani folk music, and focus on stringed instruments rather horns and woodwinds, helped kickstart an entire genre known as “gypsy jazz.”

You can hear a strong influence from Reinhardt’s approach on Stu Kindle’s own agile, speedy ukulele technique, which makes it eminently appropriate that he’s the Richmond musician spearheading this entire evening. He’ll be joined in this evening-long tribute to Django Reinhardt by a variety of local talents including jazz combo Sweet Potatoes Music, the acoustic jazz-folk of Pop-Up Duo, and swinging acoustic string band Lil Jimmy and the Robinsons (which also features Kindle on ukulele). It won’t be loud, it won’t be heavy, but rest assured, Djanuary at The Dark Room definitely will be hot.

Thursday, January 2, 7 PM
Plastic Nancy, Hollywood Cemetery, Big Fundamental, Cleophus James @ Poor Boys – $5
I can’t imagine anyone isn’t glad to see Poor Boys and PRSMCAT carrying on the banner of Locals Only in this post-Strange Matter era — and it’s even better when it results in a rock-solid bill like this one. Plastic Nancy top the bill with some pretty outstanding psych-pop alt-rock that hit a new high on recent single “Think Of Now.” I for one can’t wait to see what their next batch of tunes sounds like — and chances are we’ll get at least a little bit of a preview tonight!

Hollywood Cemetery are a newer group from right here in the river city, but they’ve certainly got their sound locked down tight if recent EP Sweet Dreams is any indication; I never would have thought the mixture of catchy emo pop and Interpol-style postpunk drama would be anywhere near this much fun, but I’m happy to stand corrected. Alt-rockers Big Fundamental and soulful postpunks Cleophus James (old-person points for you if you know the reference) round out a killer bill of talented Richmond groups you should be paying attention to in the new decade.

Friday, January 3, 7 PM
Opin (Photo by Joey Wharton), ADAR, Velocity 128, Bri Bevan @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Gallery 5 turns 15 this year (as does RVA Mag — watch this space), and they’re showing no signs of slowing down as they roll into 2020 with an awesome art show featuring custom-made toys. That alone should make turning up at their free First Friday event a no-brainer, but the musicians they’ll have on hand only make it that much more essential. Opin, the post-White Laces group featuring members of Magnus Lush, Night Idea, and Navi, among others, is currently gearing up to release the long-awaited follow-up to their 2017 self-titled debut.

New single “No. 3” finds Opin in powerful form, with driving rock rhythms, multi-layered synths, and an incredible vocal melody overtop of it all. Can’t wait for more where that came from. This show will also feature DC retro synthwave duo Velocity 128, turning the whole place into the dancefloor from an 80s crime movie, as well as a performance by Charlottesville jazz-soul-rock hybrid ADAR. Local singer-songwriter Bri Bevan rounds out an excellent bill you’re sure to enjoy — get there.

Saturday, January 4, 10 PM
The Gilberts, Black Plastic, Lounge Lizzard @ City Dogs – Free!
It’s rare for too many bands to be touring around the holiday times, so this early into a new year, you’ve got to expect a lot of locally-focused shows. Fortunately for us, Richmond has a wonderful music scene that in no way, shape, or form has any need of out-of-town bands to make for excellent live musical experiences. For example, this Saturday, we’ve got this outstanding three-band local bill happening at City Dogs, the Main Street hotspot that was, in the early days of the 21st century, home to one of the best live venues in the city — the glorious chaos that was Nara Sushi.

City Dogs may or may not get as wild on this Saturday night as Nara used to back in its prime, but the music is certainly worthy of excitement regardless of how crazy y’all get out there in the crowd. Local quintet The Gilberts dish out indie-pop tunes with a shambling punk spirit. Black Plastic raves up with some driving alternative rock tuneage. And then there’s Lounge Lizzard, whose vocalist, Sera Stavroula, will be celebrating a birthday this evening — they’ll rise to the occasion with a big dose of their raging metallic punk sound. It all adds up to an evening you’re sure to enjoy, especially in light of the lack of cover charge. Use your cash to grab some chili dogs instead! Just be sure you don’t take them into the pit — that’s always a sloppy proposition.

Sunday, January 5, 8 PM
Brydge/Williams/Kartari @ Cary Street Cafe – Free!
Get ready for the first full work week of the new year — and the first non-holiday week since back in the first half of December — with this evening of fine jazz sounds over at Cary Street Cafe. Bassist Chris Brydge has worked with a lot of local jazz talents around town, including JC Kuhl, Fred Hibbard, and quite a few others. He usually does so in the company of drummer Emre Kartari, his rhythm-section partner in crime. And this evening finds the two of them together once again, this time working with saxophonist Eddie Williams.

This same lineup has performed gigs under the name The Eddie Williams Trio as well, so will the equal billing for the three indicate a different instrumental priority in this performance? The improvisational nature of jazz as a musical style all but guarantees we won’t know until the three musicians take the stage, but regardless of how it all plays out, we can certainly expect some outstanding bebop sounds from this trio of instrumental talents. Just what we all need so we can face the boss on Monday, right?

Monday, January 6, 8 PM
Zack Mexico, Landon Elliott, The Flavor Project, Manzara @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
North Carolina group Zack Mexico have an intriguing approach to the art of creating psychedelic indie music, and you can tell the second they start setting up their gear. Beginning as a quartet, the group has expanded significantly in their decade together, most prominently with the addition of a second drummer. Seeing two full kits up there onstage is always powerful, and this band’s laid-back, tuneful approach does indeed carry a lot of power, even as it is often wielded with a subtle grace.

This is part of why Richmond singer-songwriter Landon Elliott is such a good match for Zack Mexico, musically. Elliott’s recently-released LP, Domino, shows off strong songcraft, making judicious use of 80s-style production and instrumentation at times while always first and foremost serving the gorgeous, introspective pop songs Elliott creates with a natural ease. It will be a treat to see this multi-layered sound come to life on the Camel’s stage this Monday night. The Flavor Project and Manzara will round out this eclectic bill with injections of funky Latin hip hop and dark, heavy postpunk. It’s sure to be a good time.

Tuesday, January 7, 8 PM
Dexter Moses & Marcus Tenney @ The Dark Room – $5
This Tuesday brings more jazz to the Dark Room, in the form of a meeting between two talented local saxophonists. Dexter Moses is the younger of the two, a blazing jazz talent who is still too young to order a beer at the HofGarden bar (at least for a few more weeks), but has been making a name for himself around town since his high school days. His skills at sax are worthy of a player twice his age.

Marcus Tenney isn’t quite there yet — his 2019 LP Triple Trey was a celebration of his having reached 33 years of age — but anyone who pays the slightest bit of attention to the local jazz, funk, and hip hop scenes is sure to know that he’s got a ton of talent in his own right, whether he’s showing it off in Butcher Brown, No BS! Brass Band, hip hop duo Tennison, or as the leader of his own jazz quartet. What sort of fireworks will ensue when the veteran comes together with the young gun in a fiery sax duo on the stage of the Dark Room? Something you’ll definitely want to see.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, January 4, 5 PM
True Body, You’re Jovian, Gone, Carnival Bird @ Smartmouth Brewing (Norfolk) – Free!
Down Norfolk way, Smartmouth Brewing’s warehouse seems to be about the closest thing they’ve got to Richmond’s wonderful Hardywood — a place predominantly concerned with creating craft beer (which I know the kids all love), which also brings the area some excellent free musical performances on a somewhat regular basis (now this is what I’M here for). They’re kicking off the year with exactly that sort of thing this Saturday as they bring us all a live performance by Norfolk gothic-postpunk ensemble True Body.

True Body haven’t given us a new helping of their dark, dramatic, synth-driven sound since the 2017 “Over It”/”Tourists” single, and that was three years ago now, so catching them live has become a must. Plus, they’re joined on this bill by fellow Norfolkers You’re Jovian, whose shoegazey indie-rock sound is always a hazy delight. There’s also a band called Gone on this bill, and all I can tell you for sure is that they’re not the same Gone featuring ex-members of Black Flag. But we do have a bit more information about Virginia Beach’s Carnival Bird, an indie-electro-pop duo featuring members of Radflux and Berries who will return to the stage at this event for the first time in over a year. So yeah, all of this is definitely worth being present for — especially since it won’t cost you anything to get in.

Sunday, January 5, 6 PM
Watersdeep, Route 29, Old Old, Good Grief @ Flipside Lounge (Fredericksburg) – $5
I freely admit that I don’t know as much about Fredericksburg’s music scene as I’d like to, but I’m always trying to learn, so I’m glad to have discovered a new F-burg venue to keep an eye on — Flipside Lounge, which is starting the new year off right by presenting this bill of catchy emo-punk groups from throughout the Old Dominion (should I be capitalizing those letters? Shrug). Watersdeep, at the top of the bill, are technically from DC, but close enough, right?

The Watersdeep boys refer to their sound as “sadboi pop-punk,” and if you enjoy bands like Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday, and Knuckle Puck as much as I do, you’re sure to get a charge out of this band’s energetic, intense sound. Route 29, who coincidentally enough hail from my own hometown of Warrenton, have more of an indie feel, but still draw on emotional undercurrents that give their music a welcome resonance. Blacksburg’s Old Old are tough to google for, but reward the tenacious internet searcher with both a tough side and a sweet sensitivity. The entire evening kicks off with some fine power pop from Good Grief. Taken as a whole, it’s more than worth the hour’s drive up 95.

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Top Photo: Django Reinhardt in 1946, by William P. Gottlieb, Public Domain, via Wikimedia/Library of Congress

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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

GWAR Announces Unveiling of Dave Brockie Memorial Monument in Hollywood Cemetery

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Word has reached the RVA Mag offices that the almighty aliens of GWAR are unveiling a monument to their fallen founder and leader, Dave Brockie, in Hollywood Cemetery, perhaps Richmond’s most historic final resting place.

The unveiling will take place on Friday, August 30 at 2 PM, and all are invited to join and pay tribute. There will also be a free party the next day, Saturday August 31, at the band’s very own GWARbar.

“The erection of this monument has been a long time coming,” stated GWAR in a press release — we see what you did there, guys. “We are grateful and happy we can finally do this for Dave. We thank the many people who donated time and money to make this a reality.”

“We hope the marker will provide a long-needed place for Brockie’s friends, family, and fans to pay their respects to this wonderful and talented human being, and of course, to Dave’s famous creation, Oderus Urungus, who will always be remembered as one of the greatest frontmen in rock history.”

GWARbar is located at 217 W. Clay St in Jackson Ward. Keep an eye on their social media and that of GWAR themselves for further details on this event.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Hollywood Cemetery: A look inside one of Richmond’s most cherished landmarks

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An old piece of stone often holds more meaning than one might suspect, particularly in a city like Richmond. Although stone carved into monuments or statues may generate friction, a great deal more of it can remind us to ruminate on not only our history, but ourselves.

On a recent afternoon, a tour guide from The Valentine took RVA Mag on a little stroll to discover some history behind one of Richmond’s most cherished and popular landmarks, Hollywood Cemetery.

John Notman designed Hollywood Cemetery in 1847 and named it for its immense number of holly-wood trees. At the time, Richmond was experiencing the effects of the industrial revolution and much of the city was falling victim to industrialization–the pollution, smog, overpopulation and factory life was the reality for Richmonders.

The existing burial grounds were overcrowded and unhealthy. Cemetery parks or garden cemeteries known as Rural Cemeteries such as Hollywood, provided safe, sanitary burial and the pleasures and restorative benefits of the natural environment.  Rural cemeteries were the forerunner of the public parks in America.

Notman wanted to create a space that could allow people to escape from the harsh city environment–a place they could picnic, meditate, stroll through the pathways overlooking the James River, and spend time with their passed loved ones on a stunning, sloping lawn.

Notman added cypress, cedars, maples, magnolias, azaleas, and crepe myrtles making and laid interior walkways  for further exploration of the grounds and monuments.

He designed curvilinear carriage paths to overlook the valleys of the cemetery. These paths doubled as walking paths and people could stroll through the cemetery and meditate on the graves as if it were simply a quiet park. At the time, it was the only place people had a place to picnic for free.

Hollywood Cemetery, located at 412 S. Cherry St., is the resting place for over 18,000 Confederate soldiers and many Confederate officers, and the large pyramid, made of James River granite, was erected in 1869 as a memorial to all the young men who lost their lives.

The pyramid was not a random choice nor an homage to the Egyptians, but an ancient symbol for the end of life. It is thought that the idea for a pyramid was inspired by the Zodiacal Light, or a dim, elongated cone of light that extends sometimes from the horizon in the night sky.

It is actually a reflection of sunlight from dust particles outside of earth’s atmosphere. It is best seen at twilight, just as the sun is setting over the Earth. In a similar way, our physical version of a pyramid is meant to symbolize the setting sun of death, as if their lives have reached their own Zodiacal Light and may now have an eternal night. Similarly for the  Egyptians, the pyramid was  a symbol of the setting sun and death.

Another widely known piece in Hollywood Cemetery is the cast-iron Newfoundland retriever, which was placed there to save it from being confiscated by the government during the Civil War.

During the war, much of the ironwork in the city was melted down to use as artillery. Belonging to Charles R. Rees, the dog was place by a cradlestone, a symbol of one who lost their life as a child. Cradlestones were also used for adults and were a metaphor for sleep. The grave belongs to Rees’ daughter, who rests under a marker constructed to look like a cradle.

The duo have attracted much local attention and people like to leave trinkets behind for the child, who died all too young.

As per the Jewish tradition, leaving stones is an homage to the ancient burial method of placing large stones over shallow graves in order to keep the body safe from harm. Leaving stones is still an acceptable token of remembrance.

Scallop shells are the second appropriate token, as they are a symbol of baptism and pilgrimage. According to Christianity, a scallop shell was used to baptize Jesus by his cousin John.

Lastly, visiting patrons to the cemetery may leave coins, a reminiscent symbol within Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks believed that to reach the Underworld, one had to cross the River Styx, which acted as the gateway between Earth and Hades’ domain. According to the legend, the dead needed to pay the boatsman with coins to cross the river.

Hollywood was built in a time when churches turned to narratives of resurrection and deliverance. With this change, grave markers took on a more hopeful, pleasant and comforting appearance.

Treestones, a grave marker carved as a tree stump and product of the Victorian Rusticity movement of the late 19th century.

These tree stumps are meant to look chopped and dead, yet life still emerges from the tree’s decay. Mushrooms, a symbol of fertility, are carved into the base of the tree stump and ivy vines appear to grow around the trunk. Ivy is a symbol of immortality, and conveys that although the tree has died, it may now support new life–a cycle of rebirth that is continued by the death of the individual buried beneath this symbolic marker.

Ivy is a common theme throughout Hollywood, as many graves are covered by a bed of ivy–one of which happens to be Jefferson Davis’ grave. The plant is also a sign of fidelity, eternity, and perennial life. Similarly, the laurel plant, which often appears on the cast iron gates of Hollywood, symbolizes honor, distinction and achievement.

Some grave stones appear to have a curtain draped over its head. A sign of sorrow and mourning, the drapes often have a tassel, as if the curtain has been pulled over the person’s life, signaling the end of a play.

As one strolls through the flowering trees and paved carriage paths of Hollywood Cemetery, one can get a glimpse into an individual’s lie simply by what design embellishes it.

One such example are the emblems of fraternal organizations that existed before those that litter universities today. During the 19th and 20th centuries, these organizations were not only social groups, but offered connections, benefits and pensions for yourself and loved ones once you were gone.

Each of these fraternal organizations have symbols that would often adorn the grave of passed members, such as the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World, or the Sons of Temperance.

Throughout Hollywood, you will see Obelisks adorn many of the graves, which can indicate their deceased were Protestants. They neither wanted to be associated with the Great Awakening nor Catholicism, who used crosses for their grave markers, and used the Obelisk instead.

A pillar structure that was inspired from yet another solar system phenomenon, an Obelisk also denotes a productive life.

However, sometimes families mark graves with more specific designations for what the deceased accomplished in their life. One of these individuals was Captain Richard Wamack, who died in 1870. He was the captain of three Vanderbilt steam ships–the Daniel Webster, Prometheus and North Star–and spent his life traveling the oceans delivering goods to be traded between New York, Panama, Europe and South America.

A friend from Spain once wrote to Captain Wamack, “If you left off going to sea, you never would live happy.” He wrote back complaining of ill-health while on his last voyage to Europe, and he died three years later in Richmond.

His family buried him in Hollywood, and erected an obelisk covered with a stone drape as his grave marker. On the right side of the marker, a panel was carved out of the stone to depict a ship at sea, forever sailing the waves.

Other graves are less adorned with carvings and intricate shapes, but their tenants are no less interesting.

Ellen Glasgow was a sickly child. Her health kept her from going to school like other children, so she instead stayed home and poured over books about philosophy, social and political theory, and literature. Her brother-in-law schooled her in the philosophers when she was an adult and later, Glasgow attended private school.

Born after the Civil War had ended, Glasgow was a member of the suffragette movement and would go on to write 21 books, even winning a Pulitzer Prize. Her writings were highly critical of Southerners, whom she believed were stuck in the past and needed to accept the new, developing technology some Southerners seemed to reject.

Her books were well reviewed, however, in the North and in England, and Glasgow grew to be a prominent figure. She was an early supporter of the Richmond SPCA, later becoming president of the organization and remained so until her death in 1945.

Glasgow is buried next to her parents and sister and her stone has no special carvings or adornments, but simply reads, “Tomorrow to fresh woods and pastures new.” It is the last line from John Milton’s poem, “Lycidas.”

Lewis Ginter is one of the more famous residents of Hollywood Cemetery, as he was not only a prominent businessman and one of the largest investors of the tobacco industry, but he was a passionate philanthropist. His work contributed greatly to Richmond’s economy and he was adamant that Richmond have its own luxury hotel, and thus The Jefferson was born.

However, lying in the cemetery next to Ginter’s large, ornate mausoleum is Grace Arents, whose grave marker is a small, simple sun dial, bordered by boxwoods. Grace was the daughter of Ginter’s sister and he cared for her until his death. However, she continued her uncle’s legacy until her own death in 1926.

Although her grave is small, her contributions were anything but, as she gave Richmond many playgrounds, three churches, subsidized housing and a tuition-free school. However, her largest project was the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Although she led a private life and remained virtually unknown, it is because of her continued generosity that the people of Richmond were the true heirs to the Ginter fortune.

These brief stories and few historically rich symbols and monuments only scratch the surface of the beautiful grounds of Hollywood Cemetery. Eager to see for yourself? Check out one of several tours Hollywood Cemetery offers.

*Photos by Madelyne Ashworth

State will help fund clean up of historic African American cemeteries

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Hollywood Cemetery flaunts pristine iron gates, beautiful mausoleums and monuments, and majestic views of the James River. This gorgeous scenery is sorely lacking at two other historic cemeteries less than 15 minutes down the road.

When created in the 1800s, Evergreen and East End cemeteries were envisioned as high-end resting places for important African-American figures, just as James Monroe, Jefferson Davis, and other prominent Caucasians were buried at Hollywood Cemetery.

But today, the African-American graveyards are far from high end. They are marred by cracked headstones, broken fences and overgrown vegetation stretching to the tops of the trees. At Evergreen and East End, rest in peace is more like rest in distress.

The condition of these gravesites could change when House Bill 1547 takes effect July 1. Introduced by Del. Delores McQuinn of Richmond, the new law will distribute funds to organizations to assist with the cleanup of “historical African-American cemeteries and graves.”

McQuinn has long had an interest in the cemeteries; she has relatives buried there. She said she appreciates the efforts of volunteers who have worked to spruce up the gravesites.

“I am grateful for the many volunteers and interest that people have taken into helping to maintain to the point that it’s presentable,” McQuinn said.

HB 1547 will benefit cemeteries that were established before 1900 for the interment of African-Americans and are owned by a governmental entity or nonprofit group. Under the law, the state will help cover the cost of maintaining such sites. Eligible cemeteries will receive at least $5 for each grave, monument or marker for an individual “who lived at any time between January 1, 1800, and January 1, 1900.”

East End Cemetery in Henrico County has 4,875 graves that qualify for assistance; Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond has 2,100.

John Shuck is the site coordinator for the East End Cemetery Cleanup and Restoration Project and the assistant coordinator for a similar effort at Evergreen Cemetery. Shuck had come across the cemeteries while exploring his interest in genealogy more than nine years ago.

Shuck said beautifying the cemeteries is a long-term commitment.

“The first thing you do when you go in there is clear it, but then you have to maintain what you clear. That’s what we’re hoping some of these funds will do,” Shuck said.

The two cemeteries hold the remains of African-Americans who had a significant impact on Richmond, Virginia and the nation. They include pioneering business leaders Maggie Walker and Hezekiah F. Johnathan and crusading newspaper editor John Mitchell.

Given the stature of such figures, how did the cemeteries fall into a state of neglect?

Shuck attributed the lack of attention to the migration of black families up north for jobs during the Depression, leaving no one to care for the graves.

But many people believe race also was a factor.

“I don’t think that the interest nor the commitment was made to that cemetery like Hollywood Cemetery received,” McQuinn said.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe made that point when he signed HB 1547 on May 17. He said the new law will remedy a long-standing injustice. “Unlike Confederate cemeteries, black gravesites have gone centuries without state funds allocated for their maintenance and preservation,” he said.

McAuliffe said the state has made annual payments to maintain Confederate gravesites. In addition, in 1914, the General Assembly appropriated $8,000 – the equivalent of $190,000 in today’s dollars – to improve Hollywood Cemetery. And in 1997, the state provided $30,000 to restore Confederate graves at Oakwood Cemetery, less than two miles from the dilapidated African-American cemeteries.

Under the new law, Evergreen and East End cemeteries finally will receive financial help, too. McQuinn has hopes of creating a “garden of reflection” where people can come to learn and connect with their history. That will take money, but McQuinn is optimistic it will materialize.
“I don’t have any doubt that we will get there,” she said.

Want to help? Here’s how

Evergreen and East End cemeteries need volunteers to help with cleanup and maintenance. If you want to volunteer or would like more information, contact Marvin Harris at [email protected] or John Shuck at jshuck @rocketmail.com.

Harris said he is thankful that several volunteers come out on a weekly basis to help with the maintenance. They include James Giles, Ron Hicks, Barney Lomax, George Nixon, Al Simmons, Al Smith and Ronald Wilson.

Words and photos By Chelsea Jackson via VCU Capital News Service