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Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

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“A Peace of Cake” with Sunny & Gabe

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If there is one stream from the Virginia music ecosystem that needs listening to this week, it is Sunny & Gabe’s new drop, Peace of Cake. Back at it with their first album in five years, the talented duo from the 757 are as on form as they have ever been. Gabe Niles, one of the regions best known producers, and singer Sunny Moonshine have a storied Hampton Roads history, having worked with big name artists and appeared in commercials from Coke and Toyota.

RVA Mag reached out to the duo to talk about the album. “This album is for everyone,” they said before letting us know that there is no intended genre or target audience. “We really want to bring people together with our music, and inspire others to be themselves and not worry about what people are going to think.” They admitted that they are opposites, but that approach is embraced. “Anything goes with us. This is the more easygoing and lighthearted collection of work from the past few years.”

Listeners can take in the atmosphere for that easygoing feeling on songs like “Hadouken,” which is all at once spirited and poignant. The delicate remembrance brings you into a soundscape known only known to Sunny and the layered verses which link her universe together. On “Last December,” DRAM makes an appearance, bringing the track to a ten-minute soulful crescendo that is both ethereal and accessible. It’s a journey into the inner reaches of our musical id, a place where Sunny & Gabe are always willing to journey with you.

Known for his work with DRAM, RBLE, Erykah Badu, and even legendary producer Rick Rubin, Niles remains on the forefront of the scene that makes the 757 one of the country’s best known regions for music. And Peace of Cake puts the lexicon exactly where it should be – a coalescing of everything that is right in the world.

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Lone Pistolero: Weekend Playlist by Sunny & Gabe

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Every Friday night, RVA Mag drops one scorcher of a playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions. This week, Hampton Roads’ killer duo, Sunny & Gabe, brings you a playlist worthy of the hurricane that never was; a curated gallery of music, sounds, and experiments that is as worthy of your nocturnal exploits, as it is your daytime recovery.

Don’t hold back this weekend, Virginia.

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

‘Legalize Virginia’ to Elevate the Discussion Around Marijuana Reform

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Update: Legalize Virginia has been rescheduled to next week, starting Sept. 18.

Last week the Board of Pharmacy Ad Hoc Committee met to determine which companies will be the first to be able to open medical cannabis dispensaries in Virginia.

Yes, they met behind closed doors. And no, the current law is not enough. But that doesn’t change the fact that what is happening right now is a huge, huge step for marijuana in Virginia.

Within the next year, you will be able to bring a form signed by your doctor to a regulated business in the Commonwealth, and there, they will give you an oil derived from a marijuana plant grown on site. It’s just the beginning for those very lucky five business license holders, who you can expect to fiercely try to attract as many patient customers through their doors as possible.

When you picture the folks waiting in line at those dispensaries, I urge you to think of the hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia with genuine illnesses and conditions, who genuinely will find solace and healing from medical marijuana.

Think of my friend Creed Leffler, who has Cerebral Palsy. He calls marijuana the “miracle plant” for the way it helps his muscles relax. “There is no such thing as recreational marijuana,” Leffler said. “It’s all medicinal.”

Creed Leffler

The list of the ailments that can be treated with marijuana is longer than your arm. Check out this chart. Chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, ALS, cancer, diabetes — the list goes on and on. The stories are heartbreaking.

Melanie Seifert Davis’s daughter Maddie has been fighting metastatic brain cancer since she was five. “Because of the use of multiple cannabis products, Madison lives a life free of pain, seizures or any limiting deficits, and full of the joys of childhood all children deserve,” said Davis, an ER nurse. “My degree in Biology and my years in the trenches of modern medicine have enabled me to make treatment decisions for my family that rely on evidence-based best practices and emerging research findings, including the multitude of medical benefits that can be derived from marijuana.”

Melanie Seifert Davis’ with her daughter Maddie

I expect marijuana law reform in Virginia to move relatively quickly from here. Expect the businesses granted licenses to be a part of the army of voices banging the drum for even more cannabis law reform in the Commonwealth. The organization I am a part of, Virginia NORML, will be pushing for a decriminalization bill this upcoming General Assembly.

There is hope. There is a plan. And there’s also going to be a party.

Virginia NORML is working with Norfolk’s O’Connor Brewing Company to push the conversation forward with Legalize Virginia Festival, a week-long series of workshops, panels, events, and activities all diving into a different aspect of reform.

Last Monday, the group held “Marijuana Saved My Life: Cannabis as Medicine in Virginia,” a forum on the new medical cannabis law, who it will help, and how to talk to your doctor about it, with Virginia NORML Executive Director Jenn Michelle Pedini leading the panel. Lisa Bohn, a Purple Heart veteran who uses cannabis to help her cope with PTSD, along with Davis and Leffler, will also speak on the panel. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the festival will hold the “Equity and Expungement: Talking Marijuana and Race in Virginia” panel, which will look at the disparity in arrest rates among white Virginians and Virginians of color, the expungement of records of those with marijuana offenses, and more. Norfolk NAACP President Joe Dillard, Bill Farrar, director of public policy and communications for ACLU of Virginia, and expungement and restoration of rights attorney Wanda Cooper will serve on the panel. Thursday’s discussion will dive into what cities in Virginia can do about cannabis law reform.

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All forums run from 7 to 8 pm at O’Connor Brewing Company and followed by more informal workshops. Tonight, there will be a workshop on growing hops and hemp, on Tuesday will be a workshop on entering the cannabis industry, and on Thursday there will be a workshop on how to be a kick-ass marijuana activist.

Friday, Sept. 21 is the festival atmosphere. O’Connor is releasing a special beer they’re brewing with hemp seeds, called “YES, NORFOLK CAN(yon),” a pale ale modeled after their Norfolk Canyon brew. There will be a ton of pop-ups as part of NOMARAMA’s Munchie Market, a killer list of independent vendors, DJs, a pop-up yoga class, and a retro arcade. The festival runs from 3 pm to midnight.

The fact that O’Connor Brewing Co., a major name in Virginia craft beer, is hosting this series of events is, in-and-of-itself, a testament to the new day for marijuana in Virginia.

This issue is out of the shadows. Soon, we’ll be walking into legal dispensaries in the light of day. And what a beautiful day that will be.

You can check out the entire schedule for Legalize Virginia here.

Bird is the Word: Richmond and Norfolk’s Mid-Major Mediocrity

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Dockless scooters: Oh, the outrage. Oh, the pearl-clutching. Oh, the incredulity. This story would be equal parts comedy and tragedy if not for the actual tragedy of two mid-major cities feigning outrage that these scooters are an affront to the decent folks of the Commonwealth. Fact check, they’re not. Welcome to the gig economy. Welcome to the sharing economy. Welcome to the 21st Century.

These scooters arrived on the streets of Richmond on Aug. 16 and Norfolk on Aug. 29. Both cities made moves to promptly round them up and ruin everyone’s good time. Classic Virginia.

Richmond is trying to be conciliatory, however, with Mayor Levar Stoney blasting out a tweet on Aug. 17, signaling a willingness to work together, saying, “Hey Bird Ride! I like these scooters. How about we get our teams around the table and make this work the right way?” He’s Virginia’s cool mayor so that makes sense (in fairness, he is pretty cool).

The actual dirty work was left to the Department of Public Works, who in a letter to Bird said, “The unregulated and disorderly deployment and use of powered scooters has the potential to create a public nuisance on the city’s streets and sidewalks and endanger public health and safety.” Apparently, there is a timetable for putting a scooter ordinance before city council, but no one has actually seen it; so that’s probably on the same timetable as completing the 17th Street Farmers Market.

Norfolk, on the other hand, was not so conciliatory. City Councilwoman,  in a tweet, said, “I’ve seen these Bird scooters littering the streets all over LA this summer. Whether or not @NorfolkVA allows them in the future, this in-the-middle-of-the-night approach is totally unacceptable and does not make me inclined to support this company.” In a Facebook post, she also said, “Hey there, Bird. Bad first move. I’m looking for LIME’s number now…” Lime is a competitor in the dockless scooter game. Scooters are apparently litter.

McClellan’s observations are as petty as they are patronizing. Wanting a company to pay homage to a council member’s perceived idea of ethics (we’re talking about scooters, not North Korea) in the sharing economy at the expense of entrepreneurship in the 21st Century reeks of all the reasons why Norfolk, like Richmond, will never grow past mid-major status. Not to mention the idea of a guerrilla roll-out like this is as clever as it is emblematic of what young people are expecting from growing cities; cities that should be flexible enough to tap into the dynamism of the next-generation economy.  

While McClellan selectively used San Francisco as an example to make her point, a more apt example would be Austin, Texas – a city that has a similar composition to Richmond and Norfolk – and currently boasts over 2,000 dockless scooters which zip along their city streets. Instead of threatening innovative companies like Bird, Austin worked out an interim ordinance that can be reviewed every six months, giving them the option of pulling licensing should their rules be broken.  

According to CNN, each of the 2,000 scooters in Austin is now ridden over 20 times a day. Austin’s assistant director for their smart mobility program was also quoted as saying that their introduction has reduced cars on the road, congestion, pollution and are “bringing to the table discussions about developing a roadmap to deploy transportation that from the get-go has equity and access for all built into it.”

Alternatively, while Richmond is basking in the unrequited glory of managing to implement a bus that drives in a straight line, Bird has just agreed to give discounts to low-income communities in Baltimore; ensuring that part of their fleet can meet the transportation needs of mixed-income communities. The Baltimore Sun was quoted as saying this about dockless scooters, “City Hall saw an opportunity and seized it. In a town whose transit deficits are as widespread as they are neglected, companies developing leapfrog technologies like electric scooters are a beacon of hope. Baltimore is in desperate need of a few overnight, starter solutions.”

Bird Scooters in Richmond. Photo by David Streever

San Diego, on the other hand, is apparently just rolling with the times. Their mayor released a statement in June saying, “The mayor welcomes more transportation choices and options for people to get out of their cars. As this is still a relatively new business model in San Diego, we continue to monitor its effectiveness and believe that the market will dictate how the businesses continue to operate within the city.”

The arguments for and against this technology and innovation are not stacked evenly. To think so is to fall into a self-made ambush whereby a city council or mayor, bound by their lack of understanding about the sharing economy claims “public health and safety” or in the case of Norfolk just wants to be insulting about something they clearly do not understand.

While the public safety argument is a fair one, Virginia DMV already has baseline regulations in place to regulate motorized scooters under the rules for mopeds. And on any given day in Richmond, you can find any number of mobility devices from mopeds, motorized longboards, electric scooters, and electric bikes cruising around the River City without incident.

If a city thinks their residents are not capable enough to manage the risk in renting and riding a scooter, then they are engaged in the kind of nanny state tactics and over-regulation that kills innovation and stymies new forms of 21st Century economy. For a city to be against them on principle is to interfere with the free-market, determining and ultimately limiting which transportation options are best for their citizens. Either outcome should deeply concern and worry an informed citizenry who should be trusted to make their own decisions on transportation.

Richmond and Norfolk desperately need to court the next generation economy. Both cities need to offer more than wall murals, a handful of restaurants and breweries, and Confederate monuments. Offering smart amenities that excite young people, provide flexible mobility options for residents of all financial stripes, and taps into the sharing economy is only smart business. To think otherwise is to prove just how provincial cities like Richmond and Norfolk actually are.

Either way, Bird is the word.

Norfolk’s Night Treez Drops New Track, “Daily Bread”

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Norfolk artist NightTreez made his debut on the music scene in 2016 with his track, “Drug$.” Since then, the musician has released a number of killer tracks that speak to a newer generation of hip-hop and R&B fans. His latest track, “Daily Bread,” brings a fresh sound based on how he connects to the world around him.

“His latest release, “Daily Bread,” is a testament to the growth he’s now experiencing, both in and out of the booth, and a fresh beginning to the new heights he is looking to portray with his upcoming music. “Daily Bread” is somewhat of a Thanksgiving to the place NightTreez began, and the optimism that lives in his future,” said NightTreez’ publicist in a statement to RVA Mag.

Check out the stream below:

 

Playing Chess with PVC Pipes: A Saturday with Bare Knuckle Boxer Reggie Barnett

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There’s a certain sound that rings out when PVC slams into human flesh.

Listening back to the audio, it’s painful to hear the moment when my swings with the pipe intensified, his once sharp exhales regressing to animalistic grunts. From the sound of it, I fell into a violent groove, belting the vinyl pipe turned instrument of destruction across his abdomen over and over again, as per the boxer’s instruction.

For the average individual, this could be traumatizing. But for Reggie Barnett, Jr., this is a Saturday workout, and a particularly light one for the 2018 champion pro bare knuckle boxer, who I’ve joined in his Chesapeake boxing gym.

But according to Barnett, even champions falter on this exercise–some of my shots with the unwavering pipe nearly bring him to his knees–only to see him spring right back up for more. The fighter had not done this particular exercise in weeks, making him particularly vulnerable to the pain and all the more appreciative of its lesson. “I want to be able to deal with that pain,” he said. “A lot of people shy away from uncomfortable parts, but it’s human nature.” For Barnett, the mind takes most of the reps, 90 percent to be exact.  

I stopped after several swings, figuring Barnett wouldn’t keep count. He noticed almost immediately. “We’re not done, I’ve got five more, I will not quit,” he said. “You try to break me, it’s okay, but you won’t.” This was one of our initial encounters with Reggie Barnett Jr., who earlier this month defeated Travis Thompson in the 2018 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Although a champion under the stagelight, Reggie’s daily life is a far cry from the lens of fame. Aged 31, this champion, with a forensic history scarred across his knuckles, has a day job, going toe to toe with nature’s worst as a termite technician. And since notoriety doesn’t translate to cockroaches, Barnett still toils in the sand and muck, earning his living as any other under the beating sun.

Instead of studying him from the comfort of press seats, we decided to drive out to Barnett’s gym and do a workout with the bare knuckle champ. When we first walked into his gym last weekend, Barnett, who had just gotten back from his bout, was sprawled out on the mat, exhausted. Though as soon as we approached, he bounced up with excitement.

Beginning with calisthenics, we did a series of exercises consisting of five sets, each set lasting two minutes- a parallel to the length and time of each of his fights- a routine Barnett adopted in 2016 when he first began training for bare knuckle competition. “The hardest thing I’ve found about bare knuckle is the pain is different from boxing,” Barnett said.

You get hit with a glove, it’s that blunt pain,” he said. “With bare knuckle it’s that sting pain on top of that blunt force.

The championship fight, which premiered on June 2nd from the Ice and Events Center in Wyoming, featured Barnett as part of 12 bout card following a hybrid of London Prize Ring and Marquess of Queensbury – but with no gloves, and hand wraps cut-off, exposing the knuckles. While some fighters had some mid-match confusion on the rules, Reggie excelled in this space, shelling Travis Thompson with volley after volley of strikes to the face and stomach, winning the match by decision after five rounds.

I asked how Barnett felt in the match. “It felt too short,” he said. While many rely on a second wind to steal a round, Reggie said he didn’t feel a need for that. “I was trying to finish him in the fifth, I cruised in the fourth.” And reviewing the footage it was obvious Barnett was in a category of his own and clearly superior to Thompson.

When time came for the sparring sticks, something Barnett professed as a key exercise for bare knuckle, I tried to use some of my athletic background and height advantage to catch him by surprise, but to no avail. Five minutes into the workout and him barely breaking a sweat, I struggled to keep my feet under me. By the first bell, I sprawled onto the mat, exhausted but thankful it was over. Looking up, I saw everyone staring at me, wondering what I was doing. “That was 30 seconds man, we’re not done yet.” Reggie said, picking me up.

Reggie Barnett teaches writer John Donegan how to fight in the ring

And even with my reach and the extension of the sticks coming down in a flurry of attacks, Reggie slipped my every advance with ease, carrying a wide grin while sizing me up, pinpointing jokes on my form and leaving rounds laughing in good spirit. “Now imagine fighting and you’re trying to hit them and they’re fighting back, while you’re missing,” Barnett said. “That’s probably how Travis felt.”

Barnett fights southpaw but has had to vary his style mid-match due to injury or circumstances. “I can only use my left hand when I’m using my right. I know it sounds crazy but its how I train myself. If one goes, the other one’s coming right behind it.” With crafty footwork and a smooth transition between blocks, Reggie dons a lifelong expertise in combat embodied in every step with a playful equanimity.

While the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship marketed the sport as a trip into pugilist nostalgia and an understudied alternative to boxing, Reggie said it was more complex than that. “It depends on how you fight though. Bare Knuckle is how Bobby Gunn said it: Boxing is checkers, bare knuckle is chess,” he said.

Boxing is checkers, bare knuckle is chess.

Reggie fosters this analytical understanding from an eclectic base, having experience in Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and an understanding of energy manipulation rooted in Wing Chun Kung Fu. “It’s all based off manipulation of energy,” Reggie said, adding, “I don’t just study boxing, I study martial arts. If you punched at me, I manipulate your energy. A good wing chun practitioner would manipulate your energy without getting tired.”

By the end of the workout, before the final buzz sounded and my best advances had left me sprawled on the floor, I looked up to see Reggie; poised, resplendent, king of his space, if just for a moment, floating across that ring.

Some other photos of Reggie Barnett, Jr. can be found below:

Reggie Barnett will continue to train for his upcoming bare knuckle fights in September at BKFC 2, held again in Cheyenne. Look for future articles in RVA Magazine as we continue to cover his journey to becoming the 135Ib bare knuckle champion of the world.

Photos by Branden Wilson