Party Liberation Front Archives

RVA NYE 2019: Our Guide to the River City’s Best New Years Parties

John Reinhold | December 27, 2018

Topics: Cary St. Cafe, Diversity Richmond, Kabana Rooftop, New Years Eve, Party Liberation Front, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Circuit, the Hof, The National, Three Sheets To The Wind, Uptown Alley, Vagabond

Richmond loves a good party, so it only makes sense that NYE draws some of the year’s best special events in town. In light of that fact, we have compiled a listing of some of our favorite events happening to close out the year. Here you can get an idea of the goings on, and what each event has in store for you. Make sure and get your tickets ASAP, as many of them will sell out.

Enjoy, and have a very Happy and Safe New Year!

PLF Presents Decemberween 13: New Years Eve Party

The Party Liberation Front’s Decemberween (Halloween in December on New Year’s Eve) is one of the biggest events in the city, and certainly the most artistic wild party around, with big art and big sound! Decemberween 13 will be loaded with all the music, dancing, creativity, costumes, camaraderie, and community fun that you’ve come to expect — plus some new surprises in store for veteran attendees.

Diversity Richmond will again be hosting this one of a kind NYE event. We once again will transform the 10,000 square foot indoor event space and outdoor areas into multiple immersive environments for fire performance and music. TOXIC MOXIE will be headlining a special NYE performance along with 18 DJs from all across the east coast.

The event will also feature interactive art installations, circus arts, stage performances, outdoor pyro-sculptures, amazing fire spinners and fire troupes, art car showcases, live painting, champagne toast, and two bars with Hardywood Beer & Belle Isle Moonshine drinks! There are way too many things going on here to list, so check the event page — and GET THOSE TICKETS NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!!

Three Sheets to the Wind: NYE Anchor Drop at The Broadberry

The best Yacht Rock band in the business, Three Sheets to the Wind, will help RVA ring in the New Year at The Broadberry. You know that they are going to pull out all the stops and drop the anchor in style for this special NYE Performance. The Rounding Cape Horns are coming too, with lots of our own local boys to provide the big brass sound. This is always a huge party, so get the tickets now. They have special VIP packages for those that want to score their own private penthouse on the boat before it sets sail. Get tickets here and click here for more info.

NYE 2019 Moonlight Masquerade

The Moonlight Masquerade New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Double Tree Hilton is another of the biggest events in Richmond, and well worth checking out. LX Group is bringing in multiple performers and an incredible lineup of DJ’s for a non-stop party into 2019. They are already at 500 people strong, so you want to get those tickets now before I go on any further. They have special couples tickets, along with appetizers and special drinks throughout the night, including a complimentary champagne toast. This is, of course, a masquerade ball — so get your fancy masks out for this one. Tickets can be purchased here, and for more info click here.

Rocking 80’s New Year’s Eve with Teaze & The Here and Now at Uptown Alley

If your looking for 80’s style hair metal, you got it right here with “The Here and Now” & “Teaze”. You will get all the glory of the 80’s sing alongs and wild party times. This one will include a balloon drop at midnight, with over $1000 in prizes. Having seen Teaze, I can promise you that they will crush it, and it will be a blast for all involved. So get your hair out (or Teaze your hair out, as the case may be), and stuff yourself into the spandex for this one. Click here for more info.

New Year’s Eve at The Circuit

Join The Circuit, the arcade video game bar, for a very special NYE. We are talking amazing brews all night along, with special video game-inspired music from F1NG3RS. They have complimentary snacks for you and all the games you can imagine to play. This is a great event for groups, featuring lots of things to get involved in. They also will have Gaucho food truck, with its delicious South American eats, to get your fill of delicious grub. This is a great NYE event if you just want to have fun, not worry about dressing up, just enjoy some drinks and games with friends. Grab tickets here, and click here for more info.

New Years Eve with The Southern Belles and Jackass Flats at The Camel

For those looking for some classic folk, country, bluegrass and Americana sounds on NYE, we have the Southern Belles and Jackass Flats ringing in the New Year at my favorite venue in the city: The Camel. Both of these bands are so talented and fun, and on NYE you know there will be some special performances in store. Let the champagne flow, the booties shake, and the good times roll! Grab your tickets here, and go here for more info.

Confetti Reign 2 #VagabondNYE

Vagabond will be quite a swanky party for you looking for the speakeasy bar in the basement with the sweet vibes. They have music by DJ King Cise, along with your host Juan Pierce. If you are not familiar with Vagabond, you should know that they know their drinks — we are taking classy drinks by talented bartenders. Ringing in NYE in the rabbit hole feels like that special invite to the bar at the end of the universe you just have to visit. Go here for tickets, and get more info here.

Saved By The 90s: A NYE Party with the Bayside Tigers at The National

It may be NYE 2019, but a lot of us would rather it be 1999. Looking to get your 90’s Fix on NYE? The Bayside Tigers deliver the 90’s hits to get you moving in all your neon glory. Saved by the 90’s is the premier 90’s party Holiday show that travels all over the US to bring the party to you. The party continues into the night with DJ GHOZT. It’s gonna be the raddest thing since Stacey’s Mom! Go here for tickets, and here for more info.

Flashing Lights NYE at Kabana Rooftop

Alert – Rooftop party on NYE overlooking the city! Kabana has invited Carlos Melange to ring the in the New Year from 20 stories up, and you should be there. Carlos is a NYC DJ and producer who is quite in demand these days, so you’re getting a certified crowd-pleaser here. Kabana of course will have a number of specials going on with hotel room specials, VIP sections, and party favors. This is a themed Red Carpet event, Hollywood-style, so get fancy, walk the carpet, and be treated like a star. Pick up your tickets here, and find more info here.

New Year’s Eve Celebration at Cary Street Cafe: The King is Dead

And now for something completely different. The King is Dead will bring you all the Grateful Dead and Elvis music you need in your life at Cary St. Cafe this NYE. This is a night of amazing music and collaborations, along with the Hot Piece of Brass Horns as special guests. This is a night of funky music, champagne toast and countdown, and good old dead Elvis. This is a no pre-sale event ($12 at door), so just show up and be ready to get down. For more info, you know where to go.

NYE Live at the Hofheimer with P- Funk Allstars!!

The Hof has something very special in store for NYE, with special guest Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey from Parliament Funkadelic. This event is sure to be the funkiest party in town with this special performance, put together just for this event. They also have open bar from 8-10pm, with four fully stocked bars on multiple floors of this giant venue. You also get a balloon drop, party favors (hats, masks, etc), and multiple musicians and DJs in multiple rooms. They have upgrades and a special deal with Graduate Richmond to get you to and from the event to your swanky hotel room. Grab them tickets – Its gonna sell out, if it hasn’t by the time I wrote this (that was fast!). Tickets here, more info here.

Top photo by Elizabeth Swider

Richmond’s 13th Annual Halloween Parade

RVA Staff | November 1, 2018

Topics: All Saints Theater Company, feminine, Oregon Hill, Party Liberation Front, Richmond Halloween Parade, womens rights

For 13 years, on Halloween, Richmond’s All The Saints Theater Company has brought the River City one of the most unique and intrepid city events: the annual Halloween parade. An occasion marked by pageantry, creativity, and a dedication to the divine feminine, the parade took to the streets of Richmond last night for what could be the final time. With backing beats from the Party Liberation Front and street musicians, the parade snaked through Oregon Hill in an august procession that was as celebratory as it was solemn, a testament to the enduring intersection that makes Richmond…so very Richmond.

Some of the best photos of the parade can be found below:

Photos by Landon Shroder and Branden Wilson

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

PLF Presents the Pyro Circus Street Show at Carnival of 5 Fires

RVA Staff | October 4, 2017

Topics: Gallery5, Party Liberation Front, PLF, RVA

Party Liberation Front (PLF) is proud to continue keeping the tradition alive at G5 and on RVA First Fridays, October 6th 2017 at the Carnival of 5 Fires 2017 we will once again light the streets up with fire performance, dancing, with tunes provided by some of the finest DJs in the land… crunky, funky, bassy circus style! Come join us for our free, community street party event outside of Gallery5!

Main photo by janpim wolf photography

DJ Lineup:
DJ Danny Baltimore – (Bmore) Camp Beemore
https://soundcloud.com/danny-baltimore-1

Dj Phil Dice – (RVA) EQ Productions
https://soundcloud.com/phil-dice

Tag team set by Mr. Jennings and Dope Solo
Mr Jennings (RVA) PLF
http://soundcloud.com/mrjennings

Dope Solo – (RVA) PLF
https://soundcloud.com/dopesoloofficial

Pyro sculptures by
Gon

Projections by
Doc Jim
Grey Hash

This event is sponsored and supported by the Party Liberation Foundation 501(c)3 non-profit

Then join us for…
PLF Freakeasy Speakeasy (Carnival of 5 Fires Afterparty)
Vagabond (700 E Broad St. Next to the National)
10pm-2am.
$5 suggested donation

Your PLF DJs for the evening:
Alicia Rox
https://soundcloud.com/alicia-rox

Reinhold
https://soundcloud.com/jreinhold

Beat Kitty
https://soundcloud.com/thebeatkitty

Catering to the sounds of basement jazz bass, where you can dance all your cares away. You’ll be beating your feet, and shaking yo’ booties to the roaring, thumping soundwaves, as we take you hip cats back to the prohibition era of drinkin’ in the dark.

*donations will be split to support the music makers of the evening*
————————–————————–
SPECIAL NOTES FOR PYRO CIRCUS
***If you are a fire performer interested and/or planning to join us in the street with fire props, there are a few things you should know:

*crowd experienced performers only. we take this very seriously. this isn’t for performers new to fire play or for people that just “dabble” in this art.

* In order to perform with fire you must attend one of the two scheduled safety meetings and sign a waiver.

* The safety meetings are scheduled to be held at 6:45 and 8:15 PM.

* Waivers will be available at the safety meetings and must be signed to participate.

* With the exception of fire breathing, we will only be using white gas (naptha, camp fuel). As for fire breathers, please note the below bullet point.

* As is pointed out below, fire breathing performances will be held until last, as lamp oil tends to make the performance area slick for other spinners.

* In the name of fairness and reciprocity, it is encouraged that all fire performers volunteer for a fire safety shift. It’s just like watching fire performance, but you get to wear a brightly colored vest and who doesn’t like brightly colored vests?!

Gallery5 turns 12 in style with fire spinning, live music and visual and performance art

Charlotte Woods | April 6, 2017

Topics: community, Deanna Danger, gallery 5, Party Liberation Front

Gallery5 has a birthday coming up this weekend and if you’ve ever been to one of their parties, you know they bring the weird, wacky and wonderful. The old firehouse-turned-art space is turning 12 and will celebrate the only way they know how – with fire spinning, a group art show, burlesque, live music and dance tunes in the streets this Friday, April 7.

The gallery, located in Jackson Ward, has operated as a 501(c)3 non-profit since its inception in April 2005 to provide a space for diverse local and touring exhibitions, music, comedy, dance and art of all forms. Gallery5 is also no stranger to utilizing its space for various fundraisers.

“It lends itself to housing so many diverse forms of artwork and collaboration, which is one of the big missions of the gallery,” said Parker Galore, Operations Manager at Gallery5 as well as co-founder and former Editor-In-Chief of RVA Magazine.

As the story goes, while the first RVAMag print issue was being assembled, a woman named Amanda Robinson, whose parents owned the firehouse, reached out to him.

Robinson had been in Georgia at Savannah College of Art and Design, but was returning to Richmond in order to transform the derelict firehouse into a space for art.

Around that time, Galore also decided to have Robinson’s story be one of featured articles in the mag as well as have Gallery5 host the launch party of the very first issue in its grand opening.

Ever since, the two Richmond creative entities have often found themselves intertwined.

After the success of their combined efforts, Robinson asked Galore and other local artists and creatives to continue helping out. Over the years countless volunteers and employees have contributed to Gallery5 continued success.

The space itself has always sought to add a unique and diverse voice to Richmond and it is with that diversity in mind that this week’s birthday celebration will include various types of art and entertainment.

Live music on their inside stage includes the haunting tones of Lobo Marino, long-time Gallery 5 board member and legendary RVA musician Prabir Mehta, singer/songwriter Georgie Isaacs and local indie-pop heavy hitters The Trillions.

Beyond live music there will be burlesque featuring Arroh Meuse, Caza Blanca, Jo’Rie Tigerlily, Lottie Ellington, Lula Houp-Garou, and Melody Magpie all guided by the sensual hand of Deanna Danger.

Danger has been a longtime collaborator with Gallery5 and, as of last March, her burlesque studio, Boom Boom Basics, moved into the building. Gallery5 has hosted Danger’s burlesque shows as well as touring burlesque artists for years.

“Gallery5 is a big piece of the burlesque history in Richmond,” Danger said.

“She got in touch with me through MySpace back when MySpace was still a thing,” Galore said of Danger’s earliest involvement, only reinforcing the long and impactful timeline from both orgs.

Meanwhile, outside the venue, The Party Liberation Front will showcase a pyro circus street show with fire-based performance art. PLF is also a 501c3 non-profit that works to fundraise for the art community and is a frequent collaborator with Gallery5.

Party Liberation Front at Gallery 5 from Sean Ruecroft on Vimeo.

PLF will also have a presence inside the gallery with a multi-media presentation called “Visuals 2” on the venue’s second floor. The show was funded by grants from PLF and includes work by Annie Peace and Reginald Conyers called “Reflections.”

Another PLF grant funded piece on dispaly, put together by the All Saints Theatre Company, involves “a haunting singing ceremony with tributes to the 12 foot tall Grandma Moon Puppet with celestial moon/sun masks, choreographed performances and glow in the dark hand painted humans by the lovely Ali Warters.”

There will also be plenty of art on sale from groups like Fallon Corrine Photography, The Art of Nicole Pisaniello, The Clockworks Collective and more.

This week’s upcoming festivities begin at 6pm and will run through until midnight. The event is free, though donations are encouraged. Find out more about the event here.