richmond events Archives

Not In My Backyard: Weekend Playlist by 3:33

RVA Staff | January 24, 2020

Topics: 3:33, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, music, must see shows, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, RVA, rva magazine weekend playlist, shows this week richmond, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Weekend Playlist

Every Friday night, RVA Mag brings you a playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions.

This week’s comes to us from Richmond metallic punk band 3:33, who are releasing their new EP, Jaws Of A Wolf, this weekend with a killer release party on Saturday night at Wonderland. The EP is their first new material in almost two years, and the first release to feature “Swamp Thing” on vocals (these guys use some pretty amazing pseudonyms). You can see them rock it out in fine fashion tomorrow night, accompanied by Philadelphia blackened thrashers Traitor and Richmond’s own Voarm and MSD.

But before you do that, you should really give 3:33’s weekend playlist a listen. Not only does it contain a two-song preview of the brand new EP (check out the whole thing on Bandcamp here), it also contains a mega dose of heavyosity from all sorts of metal, hardcore, and punk bands, many of whom hail from Richmond and the nearby region. There are also detours into hip hop, post-rock, soul, and more. It all adds up to a great soundtrack for a cold winter’s weekend — one you can easily liven up by spending your Saturday night with 3:33 at Wonderland.

Rage hard, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Roscoe Burnems’ Traumedy Brings Uplifting Humor To Difficult Subjects

Alicen Hackney | January 23, 2020

Topics: events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, families, James Harris, poetry, richmond events, richmond va, Roscoe Burnems, RVA, spoken word, The HEALing Hub, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Traumedy

Prepare to laugh, cry, and laugh again — spoken-word artist Roscoe Burnems will premiere his first stand-up special, Traumedy, at The HEALing Hub this Sunday.

“Laugh till you cry, cry till you laugh.” As award-winning spoken word artist and RVA local Roscoe Burnems brings together comedy and spoken word for his first film special, Traumedy — premiering at The HEALing Hub on Sunday, January 26 — be prepared to do more than just sit back and enjoy. This healing presentation will start conversations on hard topics even as it brings some light-hearted humor to each.

“If you can’t laugh at the pain, what can you do with it?” said Burnems. “You can’t let it make you bitter, but you can let it make you better.”

Living up to its amalgamated title, Traumedy blends comedy with the traumatic realities of life, which for Burnems particularly focuses on the experiences of men in the black community. By discussing fatherhood, addiction, relationships, and mental health care acceptance, Burnems opens the dialogue for men to grow and open up from their past traumas in personable ways.

“‘Children without fathers’ should have been the name of my mixtape. I know it’s a pretty common thing, having to deal with neglect and absence, how traumatic that can be, and how that can affect our mental health. I’m at a point in life where I can joke about it,” said Burnems. “[In the show] I attack what my relationship with my father is like after I got a chance to meet him, and talk briefly about what issues he may have been facing as a youth that maybe contributed to the neglect he gave his kids, or not wanting to be in the lives of his children.”

By opening up about personal struggles and heartaches, Burnems not only continues to work through them himself, but allows other men a space to begin healing and eventually learn to laugh at the pain as well.

“Comedy was one of my first loves. My mom let me watch a VHS of Def Comedy Jam, which was probably not the most responsible thing,” Burnems said. “But it sparked this passion for telling a story, sharing this difficult content and making it funny. This is me marrying the two to create an experience where people can literally laugh till they cry and cry till they laugh.”

Originally a live show that Burnems performed in October 2019, Traumedy was filmed and edited to prepare for an online release through Amazon Prime. In the filming process, Burnems received glowing audience feedback and created a trailer that encompassed the heart of the experience. Within the longer trailer, Burnems tells knock-knock jokes based on absent fathers and focuses commentary on how he has hoped to grow beyond that absence within his own family and become a strong father figure for his children.

“The father is a really important part of my identity as someone who grew up without their father present. And now I am a proud father of two, a 13-year-old and a three-year-old, which makes the house really interesting,” said Burnems. “My kids are with me every day, and I take a lot of pride in that, because I really didn’t see that growing up, and I knew how important having that figure in the household could be.”

The strength of this presentation did not go unnoticed. Beyond audience members who have appreciated Burnems’ work, he has also gained a strong reach within the mental health community in Richmond. After the live show last year, James Harris, a Richmond based mental health professional and owner of The HEALing Hub, approached Burnems to discuss showing the special to more men who need the vocabulary and permission to express themselves and the struggles they have gone through and never been encouraged to talk about. The film’s premiere at The HEALing Hub this Sunday is the fruit of the growing relationship between these men working towards a common goal.

“I think the environment [Harris has] created with The HEALing Hub, and the energy around that, is very in-tune with what Traumedy stands for,” said Burnems. “It’s entertainment, designed to get a laugh. Some of it gets kinda dark, and the content gets kinda heavy, but you walk away having learned something about yourself — and that’s what therapy is designed to do. It all runs together.”

Beyond Traumedy and beyond taking his children to school and sports practices, Burnems focuses his time working with Richmond’s middle and high school students, bringing them access to spoken word and other similar art forms to teach them how to express themselves through their own struggles.

“It’s been so fulfilling, especially as a teaching artist, to gift a love of mine to a generation who didn’t really have access to this art form before. I stumbled across poetry when I was really young because I was fortunate enough to have teachers who also really loved poetry,” said Burnems. “I grew up a regular black kid in a regular black school, where if you liked to write or liked poetry in some way, shape, or form that meant you liked to rap. Everybody I knew was rapping. The stigma was that boys weren’t allowed to be soft, or be storytellers in this way.”

Between Burnems’ platforms of influence, he primarily focuses his energy on gifting and lifting other’s voices. Whether he is working with students or encouraging adults through a shared laugh and tears, there is no leaving his presence without a more open heart.

“The students get a chance to vocalize it and feel empowered by their ability to use their voice in this way,” Burnems said of the goals for the film. “At the end of the day, we’ve all experienced some level of trauma and neglect, these very hard-hitting emotions. Those things aren’t specific to any one type or group of people, so it’s stripping away some of the statistics to focus on how you personally identify with it and stepping away for a moment of self care.”

For some soul healing and belly laughter, make sure you attend the premiere of Traumedy on Sunday, January 26th at The HEALing Hub, located at 916 N Arthur Ashe Blvd. You can find tickets on Eventbrite for $10, or purchase at the door. And never fear, if you can’t make it, later this month the film will be made available on Amazon Prime.

“I really want people to take this journey with me,” said Burnems, “and find themselves along the way.”

RVA On Tap: Pine Brews & Apple Brandy Hot Toddy Collabs

Caley Sturgill | January 22, 2020

Topics: bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, final gravity brewing, Fine Creek Brewing Company, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer

What’s happening, craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s RVA On Tap, RVA Magazine’s weekly column for all your craft beer-related events, releases, festivals, and all the booze news your hearts desire.

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs.

This week, The Veil Brewing Co. drops a seven-beer multi-release with several collabs from brewers around the country. Pine is in the air with new recipes at Hardywood and Fine Creek Brewing Company, and another multi-release starts the year off right at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Don’t miss Double IPAs and Milk Stouts at Final Gravity Brewing Co., Intermission Beer Company, and Triple Crossing Beer, plus an Apple Brandy Hot Toddy brew at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House.

The Veil Brewing Co. multiple release

The Veil Brewing Co. is back with another big release this week, and it brought us seven new varieties both on tap and returning in bottles. Cognac Circle of Wolves (pictured above) kicks it off for us, and the English-style Barleywine came out in bottles after aging in French Cognac barrels for two years. It has a high 14% ABV, so this one’s not for the lighthearted — but with raisins soaked in cognac, fine amaro, hard caramel candy, and chocolate-covered fig flavors, it’ll be very worth it to all those who can take its higher alcohol percentage.

Buggie Nuggie came out for the first time, as a brand-new West Coast DIPA. This one came together with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Enigma hops in its brewing process, with Monkish Brewing as a collab beer. You’ll find tropical juicy hops, subtle bitterness, and a pine-flavored finish in this 8% ABV brew.

Never Never Goaway Goaway also made its debut. This Gose pours thick with its double açaí, double blackberry, and double passionfruit additions, and the 5% ABV recipe “tastes like you’re on a tropical oasis” eating a frozen smoothie bowl, according to its brewers.

Petalz Raspberry came out as a collab with Jester King Brewery, and it’s another Mixed Fermie™ variation from The Veil. It was first brewed two years ago this month, and the 5% ABV recipe brings Texas raw wheat, Virginia corn grits, spelt, and aged whole leaf hops into the mix. The Petalz series has a few different variations now, and the brewers report that this one is full of the same drinkability and balance of its other versions, but with a bit more tartness.

Open Up and Love Again: Peach + Plum came out in bottles after its original release in August of 2018, so if you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to have this one again, it’s here! Peach and plum are delicious flavors together, and this Mixed Fermie™ is no exception. It was a collab between The Veil and American Solera, Cloudwater Brewing, Monkish Brewing, and TRVE Brewing. It’s another lighter, easy-drinking recipe at 5% ABV.

Strange Strange & Eternal Eternal released in cans, and it’s extra-sweet with flavors like fruit snacks, gushers, and pineapple in the “unique, cool, soft crusher.” The double dry-hopped IPA was brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, and Simcoe hops for a perfectly-balanced sweet IPA taste.

Melancholia closes out our new releases at The Veil this week. This one is a bit different from the others, as the farmhouse Saison keeps things crisp. Described as “stainless” by its brewers (with a metal-forward can to match), it came back in cans last night with farmhouse phenolics, rye, and spelt grist at 6% ABV.

Sippin on Pine, Not Juice can release at Hardywood

Coming up for this #FreshCanFriday at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, the tastes of winter are in full swing.

As the colors of the season continue to fade and we’re seeing more pale skies, this time of year makes the deep green of pine trees stand out more than ever — and with forest green as my favorite color, I’m all about it. The crisp, earthy scent makes you want to wrap up by a fire, and its flavors are coming out strong in Hardywood’s latest release.

Sippin’ on Pine, Not Juice is fresh in cans this week, and the 6% ABV IPA is full-bodied. It comes with a dry, bitter finish to complement its light copper color, and as it was inspired by classic West Coast IPAs, this one is “all about the hops.” If you’re planning to swing by for a taste, you can come hungry and ready for its perfect pairing with River City Wood Fire Pizza.

Winter Pine IPA at Fine Creek Brewing Company

Another pine-forward brew came out this week with Fine Creek Brewing Company’s Winter Pine IPA. Of this recipe, Fine Creek said there’s something about the smell of fresh pine needles that “evokes a sense of crisp winter days and long, cold nights” — and I couldn’t agree more. It brings out the best feelings from the flavor, and this brew came together with Riverbend Malt House Appalachian wheat, along with Virginia & Loblolly pine tips.

At 7% ABV, Winter Pine IPA has a citrus character that pairs with fruity hops for an earthy taste. It finishes with herbal and resiny notes, and it’s available now at Fine Creek to grab a glass of your own.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

First Release of 2020 at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is ringing in the new year with three new beers on tap, and they’re kicking it off with the latest from their Juicy IPA series. Each brew from the series has been beloved by its drinkers so far, and the new Juicy #18 Something Chill will go great with the rest of the group.

They’ve also got Fresh Nuclear Nugget and Maidens Blonde Ale ready to start 2020 off right, so if you’re looking for a reason to get out of the city, head out to their beautiful Goochland farm and find your new favorite.

Star Castle Hazy Double IPA at Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Fresh at Final Gravity Brewing Co. this week is the Star Castle Hazy Double IPA. This one was crafted with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops, and we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the amount of Nelson Sauvin hop brews we’ve seen so far in the new year. Star Castle infuses grape and tropical flavors to sweeten up these cold winter days, and “pushes the boundaries of fruitiness,” according to its brewers.

Conjured Darkness at Intermission Beer Company

A brand-new milk stout is headed to Intermission Beer Company this Saturday with Conjured Darkness, a Shakespeare-inspired beer with some history to go along with it. Intermission reminds us that while Shakespeare’s plays were debuted in outdoor theaters during the day, they were set to take place at night: so the playwright got creative by using speech and action to give the audience feelings of darkness as the plays went on. Conjured Darkness gets its name from that method, conjuring up a darkness of its own in a rich milk stout that still hits in at a lighter 6.4% ABV. With roasted malts and chocolate, milk sugar, and light hops, this recipe is “dark, decadent, and creamy.”

Double release at Triple Crossing

A double release just went down at Triple Crossing Beer in Fulton over the weekend. For a fresh recipe from one of our local favorites, head out to Triple Crossing and get a taste of Dawn Chorus: an 8% ABV Double IPA packed with bright fruits for a citrus, melon, pineapple, and dank undercurrent taste. With its Citra, Vic Secret, and Galaxy hops, Triple Crossing says this recipe keeps with their signature super-soft Double IPA body and feel.

Next up from Triple Crossing was The Grid. Another 8% ABV brew, Triple Crossing brought two of their favorite hops together once again with Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight. The Grid results in bold flavors with sticky mango, passionfruit, apricot, and candied orange slices that come together for a hop-forward fermentation profile.

Apple Brandy Hot Toddy Ale release at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

This Thursday, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is dropping the perfect warmer for a cold winter night with their new Apple Brandy Hot Toddy. The special release was a collaboration between Three Notch’d and the URSPCS Beer Brewer program with the University of Richmond, a professional brewing certificate course that works with local breweries. The students behind this brew will be in attendance for its release, and many more drinkers outside the program will want a taste of this Amber Ale brewed with honey and lemon, along with its aging process in apple brandy barrels.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER

Olivia Markowski | January 15, 2020

Topics: events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, music, must see shows, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, RVA, shows this week richmond, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va

BUY TICKETS HERE!

Assigning a genre to Hiss Golden Messenger is a difficult thing to do. Elements of folk, gospel, rock, roots, Americana, and country are all embedded somewhere in the makings of the Durham, NC-based outfit. It’s the confluence of founder, singer and songwriter M.C. Taylor’s introspective musings and the soundscape his chosen collective of musicians create that makes their sound so singular. For his 2019 effort, Terms of Surrender, Taylor enlisted Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) and The National’s Aaron Dressner to take part in writing the latest chapter in the metamorphic songbook of Hiss Golden Messenger.

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 15 – January 21

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 15, 2020

Topics: 808Spinz, Albert Lee, Alice + The Reverie, Ayo Ave, Bandito's, Beeline, Ben Madlinger, CEO, Chief Tail, Debrider, DJ Double U, DJ SG, Doughman, Drekka, Elizabeth Wise, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Fallout, Fuzzy Cactus, Gryscl, I VK, Isabella VanKesteren, Itsthewave, IX Art Park, Jonathan Facka, Left Cross, Matt Sease, Mike Lanx, Minimum Balance, Mister Earthbound, Mojo's, music, must see shows, Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest, Noxid, PCP Parade, Phd Khari, Remy St. Clair, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, Roxx, RVA, Scheme, Shamika Shard'e, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Sibyl, Silas Frayser, Snake Mountain Revival, Sneeze, Suppression, The Camel, The Dark Room, The tin pan, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, This Hollow Machine, Timber Rattle, Urin, Voice Of Saturn, War Games 4

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 19, 9 PM
Chief Tail, Suppression, PCP Parade @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s a funny thing about musicians — the most talented and original of them are often the type of people who live at the extremes of society. And for that reason, some of the best bands ever have also had some of the most chaotic, unhinged, and unpredictable live presences ever. In Richmond, if you love to see things get truly nuts when a band plays, there are several reliable local exponents of exactly that sort of mania. But in this day and age, none of them hold a candle to the departed torchbearers for true Richmond musical insanity: PCP Roadblock.

Back in the late 90s and early 00s, if you wanted to see a band that mixed a noisy, harsh, but always rockin’ sound with a wild performance that, as often as not, featured blood, piss, and/or nudity, you couldn’t do better than to catch PCP Roadblock live in Richmond. And it was kind of hard to do, because a lot of clubs wouldn’t let them play! Unfortunately, a few years after the new millennium began, they moved as a band to the San Francisco Bay area, disbanding a couple of years later. And we’ve never seen their like again.

But now, we’ve got the next best thing! Chief Tail reunites 3/4 of the classic PCP Roadblock lineup, and they’ve got a new LP coming out the night before this show on Reptilian Records. I doubt they’ll be quite as insane live as they once were — after all, the members are all in their 40s now — but their ability to deliver Jesus Lizard/Flipper-style raging noise remains intact on their brand new Steve Albini-recorded LP. On the live front, I expect far fewer incidents involving smashed bottles and exposed genitalia from these older, more mature rockers, but musically, this is sure to be every bit as fiery as prime PCP Roadblock ragers. With old pals Suppression and NoVA grind-noise duo PCP Parade along for the ride, this show is completely unmissable. So do the right thing, and be there.

Wednesday, January 15, 8 PM
Albert Lee @ The Tin Pan – $30 (order tickets HERE)
You’ve gotta love what the Tin Pan does for us here in Richmond. In a city where places like the Broadberry, Wonderland, and Fuzzy Cactus bring us the best of the current music scene in all sorts of different genres, the Tin Pan has carved out a lane for music scene veterans with lengthy resumes to give us subtle yet powerful displays of the reasons they’ve had multi-decade careers full of unforgettable highlights. This week, it’s Albert Lee who is getting a chance to strut his stuff before an audience of discerning music heads, and we should all take heed and journey to the West End to enjoy what he has to offer.

British guitarist Albert Lee has been a highly active musical journeyman for over 60 years now, getting his start in the British scene and working with everyone from blues singer Chris Farlowe to Deep Purple organ player Jon Lord. In the 70s, he moved to LA and played with legends like Emmylou Harris and Eric Clapton. And from the late 80s until only a few years ago, he fronted the country-rock ensemble Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes. Throughout, he distinguished himself with his lightning-fast guitar picking and his embrace of country, blues, and rock sounds equally. These days, he’s heading into his sixth decade of guitar wizardry with his latest album, a tribute to Buddy Holly called Gypsy Man. Come to the Tin Pan tonight and see what’s given Albert Lee such resonance and staying power, and hear some damn good guitar playing while you’re at it.

Thursday, January 16, 8 PM
Drekka, Timber Rattle, This Hollow Machine, Voice Of Saturn @ Fallout – $5
When you think of industrial music, it’s easy to think of the best-known interpretations of the genre: Ministry, Skinny Puppy, maybe KMFDM or Front 242. But as anyone who has done a truly deep dive into the genre can tell you, it gets way weirder once you start exploring the outer fringes of what can be called industrial. Out there, you’ll find everything from foreboding ambient textures to bleak, apocalyptic folk sounds. And one of the artists you’ll surely run into in these sorts of circles is Drekka.

This project of Michael Anderson, a musician from Bloomington, Indiana, of all places, has released a ton of material over the past two decades, from tiny DIY pressings to projects for well-known experimental music labels like Dais. Dais released Drekka’s 2019 compilation No Tracks In The Snow, which has industrial textures at its core but mainly focuses on the intersection between lo-fi drone and ambient folk. Hearing this sort of hypnotic soundscape recreated in a live environment might not be exactly what you expect from the fetishy atmosphere of Fallout, but it’s sure to create exactly the sort of gothic mood that club’s habitues are known to love. Immerse yourself in it.

Friday, January 17, 9 PM
Alice & The Reverie, Debrider, Elizabeth Wise @ The Dark Room – $5
Alice & The Reverie is a name I’ve been seeing around the Richmond music scene for a few years now, but I never really took a long look at what this quintet were up to. Now that I’m doing so, I’m intrigued to learn that they feature not only former Kindling Kind frontwoman Miriam Martin but also ex-Carbon Leaf drummer Scott Milstead. It’s an intriguing pedigree, and the band lives up to it on their latest LP, 2018’s The Way We Go, which features a hypnotic alt-rock sound with doses of folk and synth-pop mixed in. And of course, overtop of it all are heaping helpings of Martin’s gorgeous voice, which is really the reason for the season.

At The Dark Room this Friday night, Alice & The Reverie will be sharing the stage with two other powerful female vocalists. Debrider, the emotional shoegaze project of Lia Pisa-Relli, has evolved through many incarnations — even I was in the group for a few months — but Pisa-Relli’s sharp songwriting talent and intense lyrics have remained the focus throughout, to powerful effect. They’ll surely offer a strong contrast to the other artists on this bill, one which also includes the deep blues of singer-guitarist Elizabeth Wise. Rest assured, this lady knows how to use a bottleneck slide for maximum impact, and you’ll learn all about that on this night. Don’t miss a moment.

Saturday, January 18, 9 PM
Mister Earthbound, Sibyl, Snake Mountain Revival @ Fuzzy Cactus – $6
It’s a psychedelic showcase, VA style, over at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night, and Richmond’s own Mister Earthbound and Sibyl are sharing the glory. These two groups will be celebrating the release of Hypnotic Rhythm, a four-song split cassette featuring two tracks from each of them. Mister Earthbound dips into the bubbling pot of swampy psych-blues that is their trademark, dishing out a couple of rip-roaring rockers. Meanwhile, gives us a witchier, spookier serving of heavy blues psychedelia that might veer into stoner territory if it weren’t for the group’s undeniable, unrelenting energy.

And of course, all of that will be showed off at maximum volume onstage at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night. It’s going to be a head-tripping party of astral proportions, and that only becomes more clear when you see that the bill will be rounded out by Snake Mountain Revival. This VA Beach crew shows on their recently-released EP, The Valley Of Madness, that they know how to combine crunching riffs with guitar-driven atmosphere to create an almost spaghetti-western take on psychedelia… one which everyone who stops into Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night is sure to enjoy. Wear your space cowboy suit for this one, folks.

Sunday, January 19, 8 PM
Urin, Left Cross, Scheme @ Mojo’s – $7
There’s something undeniably fun about straight-up crust punk. Some of it comes from how truly fierce and unrelenting an attack these bands tend to have. Some of it is that they seem to get off on making their music as atonal, noisy, and inaccessible as possible. And some of it is that they tend to revel in giving themselves socially unacceptable names with incredibly filthy names. Such is the case of Berlin’s Urin, who have gathered members together from across the punk rock world to engage in some harsh Swedish-style crust/D-beat sounds.

Their recent EP, Incydent, is a truly unrelenting slab of shit-fi music bordering on noise, the kind of barely-musical chaos a lot of experimental-music types only wish they could crank out. The sound from the street outside Mojo’s when this quartet gets rolling Sunday night will probably be appalling, but if you’re inside with the proper safety equipment (earplugs and steel-toed boots), you’ll have a blast in the pit for this one. The evening will be further intensified by a performance from Left Cross, who straddle the line between crossover hardcore and old-school death metal so completely that it’s hard to say on which side they truly belong. It’ll all kick off with some noisy metallic punk from newcomers Scheme, which should be fun and maybe just a little frightening… but that’s the way we like it.

Monday, January 20, 8 PM
Minimum Balance, Beeline, I VK @ The Camel – Free!
For a lot of us, Monday means a new beginning to the work week. However, for those who work in the service industry, Monday’s often an easy day. Everyone else’s weekend is over, so business slows down and the bartenders and servers of the world can get a night off. The Camel knows all about this, and they’re celebrating Industry Night on this lazy Monday evening with a free show that’s sure to bring delight to the many waiters and barbacks who were at work while the big Saturday night gigs were happening.

This show is headlined by Minimum Balance, who’ve steadily worked over the past few years to make a name for themselves in the Richmond alt-rock scene. Their catchy tunes are both introspective, with an emotional tinge, and well-constructed examples of rock n’ roll from a thinking person’s perspective. They’re sure to spread some smiles when they take the Camel’s stage. Meanwhile, local newcomers Beeline offer catchy indie tunes with a clear influence from melodic punk, while solo artist Isabella VanKesteren, now going by her initials, I VK, will kick things off with a set of moody, stripped-down sounds. The whole evening will be a great way to celebrate a night off.

Tuesday, January 21, 7 PM
Jonathan Facka, Ben Madlinger, Silas Frayser, Matt Sease @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
On these early weekdays, things thin out a bit, but The Camel always stays reliable, bringing us chill evenings of lovely sounds to get us through the nights when we’re all looking for sweet music to help us recover from the intensities of the weekend. That’s why it’s a great idea to head over there this Tuesday night for a whole passel of local singer-songwriters displaying their talents in an intimate setting.

Richmond’s own Jonathan Facka has some lovely indie tunes with an acoustic-emo feel to bring us. Fellow Richmonder Ben Madlinger brings us a sound that pulls more from the heartland, integrating pastoral alt-country and folk vibes with an Americana feel. Silas Frayser hails from the countryside a couple hours west of here, and integrates some Dave Matthews/John Mayer vibes into his energetic acoustic tuneage. And Matt Sease, who hails from somewhere in the region but that’s all I know, will get things going with some sweet tunes of his own. So head down to the Camel this Tuesday night and chill.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, January 8, 7 PM
Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest presents War Games 4, feat. Mike Lanx vs. 808Spinz, Doughman vs. Roxx, Itsthewave vs. Noxid, Phd Khari vs. CEO, Sneeze vs. Ayo Ave, with Shamika Shard’e, Gryscl, Music by DJ SG & DJ Double U, Hosted by Remy St. Clair @ IX Art Park – $5 suggested donation (Order tickets HERE)
It’s only been happening for a couple of years now, but the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest is rapidly growing into a Charlottesville musical institution, and I for one am nothing but glad to see it. That city needs a positive artistic movement happening after all the crap it’s been through over the past couple years, and there’s no denying that the Nine Pillars folks have brought a lot of hard work and creativity to the hip hop scene in central Virginia.

You can see that in what they’ve got on offer here at War Games 4, a producer battle between eight different leading lights of hip hop production in the C-ville area in which producers compete for a chance at a bigger battle in May. It takes battle-rap culture and mixes it with classic pro wrestling tournament action in a manner that’s sure to be entertaining to behold. Plus there’ll be a freestyle battle between MCs Sneeze and Ayo Ave, guest spots from champion rhymers Shamika Shard’e and the crew known as Gryscl (aka Grayscale), two DJs behind the decks, and Nine Pillars leading light Remy St. Clair hosting it all. This event will light up IX Art Park for the whole weekend. Make sure you’re a part of it.

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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

RVA ON TAP: Earl Grey Ales & Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stouts

Caley Sturgill | January 15, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Canon And Draw, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, final gravity brewing co, Fine Creek Brewing Company, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Triple Crossing Beer, Väsen

This week, a major multi-release comes out at The Veil Brewing Co. with fresh recipes and collaborations from all around. Hardywood drops a summer recipe in cans on Friday before a Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout on Saturday, just in time for snow to hit the city. Ardent Craft Ales is bringing back their Earl Grey Brown Ale, and Final Gravity Brewing Co. releases an arcade game-inspired brew. Don’t miss a special double release at Triple Crossing Beer, a sunburst at Väsen Brewing Company, fresh Saisons at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery and Fine Creek Brewing Company, and the Three Kings of hops at Canon & Draw.

Distorted Perception can release & Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout at Hardywood

A recipe from the summertime is back in cans to remind us of warmer days, as we venture further into January with hopes of snow on the horizon for this weekend. Distorted Perception is back at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery this Friday, just in time to grab a few before the real winter weather hits on Saturday.

This 7% ABV hazy IPA was flavored with papayas, mangos, and cantaloupes after its dry-hop process with Cashmere and Mosaic hops. You’ll catch strong aromas of fruit, along with some brighter notes of honeydew and lime, in this sweet and smooth brew.

For the colder weather, Hardywood’s bringing out their Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout on Saturday. A “dessert beer to the core,” this stout is packed with chocolate malt, cacao nibs, and late-season red raspberries from the local Agriberry CSA and Farm. Its brewers describe it as a raspberry truffle in liquid form, and I can’t picture something more up my alley than this one.

The Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout was made with Madagascar vanilla beans and smooth, rich dark chocolate that add together perfectly with its ripe red raspberries. To grab a glass of your own, head out to Hardywood this weekend — and maybe even catch a few snowflakes while you’re there.

Earl Grey Brown Ale at Ardent Craft Ales

A fan favorite is returning to Ardent Craft Ales this Saturday with their Earl Grey Brown Ale. Originally brewed in collaboration with Potter’s Craft Cider out of Charlottesville, this ale is a special one that brings out flavors from the classic tea in its brewing process.

The tea itself gets its unique taste from its additions of oil of bergamot, which pairs perfectly when a bit of milk is added into the mix (in the most British of traditions). Ardent made a modern spin on the ages-old recipe by combining it with an English Brown Ale, and brought a little local into the process — with Earl Grey that comes straight from Richmond’s own Rostov’s Coffee & Tea. At 6.5% ABV, this one’s an easy drinker with a citrus-forward fragrance to balance out its black tea and bergamot flavors.

Multi-Release at The Veil Brewing Co.

Kicking off The Veil Brewing Co.’s big release this week, Nerve Endings (pictured above) came out as a brand-new IPA from the Scott’s Addition favorite. It dropped in cans last night, and the 6% ABV brew drinks smooth with all its red wheat, El Dorado, and Nelson hop additions.

Next up in their releases, We We Ded Ded — beloved by The Veil, according to its brewers — also released in cans. This double dry-hopped Triple IPA was brewed with the classic Citra hops that give so many IPAs their signature flavor. It hits in at 11% ABV, so at a higher alcohol level, it packs a bigger punch than Nerve Endings and lives up to its name.

A new bottle release also came with Open Up and Love Again, which was brewed as a collaboration with American Solera, Cloudwater Brew Co., Monkish Brewing, and TRVE Brewing Co. Open Up and Love Again was dry-hopped with fresh Nelson Sauvin hops after its barrel aging process, and has a mixed culture of Saison yeasts along with raw and malted wheat. You’ll catch notes of rounded soft stonefruit, fruity sour candy, orange juice, and white wine in this 7.1% ABV brew.

Apri-Guav Tastee released last night, and this smoothie-style Sour Ale features apricot and guava purée in its flavor profile. At 5.5% ABV, it’s lighter on the alcohol and heavy on the flavor with its milk sugar recipe.

Petalz Orange came as a collaboration with Jester King Brewery. It was originally brewed two years ago this month, with Texas raw wheat, Virginia corn grits, spelt, and aged whole leaf hops in the perfect “Mixed Fermie” combination. With 600g/L of Texas-sourced oranges, it’s bright with the fruits of the Lone Star State and tastes a lot like a pineapple-orange juice mimosa with a farmhouse yeast profile, according to The Veil.

*PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery*

Barn Burner Saison at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

A new Saison is out at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, available now and ready for you to come out for a glass. At 6.5% ABV, Barn Burner Saison is a nice middle point on the alcohol scale, and it hits in at 15 IBU for a low bitterness and smooth drinking. This brew is fresh with farmhouse flavor, which comes from a great combination of fresh fruit and barnyard spices for an earthy taste — and Garden Grove says this light-and-fluffy French Saison is “a total Toss in the Hay if you ask us!”

Wet Hopped Saison at Fine Creek Brewing Company

Saison season is almost upon us as we roll slowly (but surely) into the spring, and it’s becoming more clear as craft brewers around Richmond gear up their taps for new recipes. Fine Creek Brewing Company is on board with their Wet Hopped Saison release this Friday, a 6% ABV beer crafted from Fine Creek’s own hops, grown steps away from their brewhouse on the farm.

The process is about as farm-to-table (or farm-to-glass, in our case) as it gets — the hops are picked fresh off the vines in their wet hop stage, according to Fine Creek, which allows them to express more of “the unique terroir from their surroundings.” This Saison is filled with lemongrass and mandarin orange flavors, along with spiciness and rye notes that blended into its Brasetto Rye Malt from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in its late fermentation stage.

Space Falcon at Triple Crossing Beer

Coming up this Friday at Triple Crossing Beer, Space Falcon is making its way to the Fulton brewery. The Falcon series continues; they brewed this variation of their DDH Falcon Smash IPA with Galaxy, boosting the fruit in its original recipe with the tropical notes of these Australian hops. The result is a 7% ABV IPA double dry-hopped to bring out pineapple, citrus, dark marmalade, orange, and pine flavors.

The releases continue on Friday with DDH Falcon Smash, another variation in the Falcon series with hand-selected hops from the brewers’ recent trip to Yakima. Lotus and Amarillo hops came together to bring this beer to your glass, and the brand-new recipe is full of passionfruit and tangelo-like-mango from its Lotus hops, and orange character from its Amarillo additions. This Friday, head out to Triple Crossing and get a taste of your own of either new recipe (or both… we vote both).

The Sunburst Otter release at Väsen Brewing Company

Fresh at Väsen Brewing Company tomorrow night is The Sunburst Otter. In the dreary days of winter, this beer is a burst of sun indeed. A few unique tastes come out in this one with coriander seed and kosher salt, which complement the brighter citrus flavors of the fruity sour beer. According to its brewers, hundreds of pounds of tangerine and calamansi (a tart-forward fruit out of Southeast Asia) make this beer extra-bold for those looking for big flavor.

If you’re looking for a fresh taste along with some entertainment on your Thursday night this week, Väsen’s also hosting their weekly Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at 7pm. Grab your favorite buds for an excuse to get them out of the house in mid-January, and test your knowledge as a team.

Three Kings at Canon & Draw Brewing Company

There are few better combinations for an IPA than Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, and Canon & Draw Brewing Company’s flagship recipe gets it just right.

With three of the very best in its brewing, Three Kings is the perfect blend to bring together craft drinkers’ favorite style of beer. Most good breweries have a love for IPAs, and this recipe from Canon & Draw has a solid citrus-hop flavor along with a subtle sweetness. It returns to the brewery this Friday, and Jonathan Meadows is headed out as well for live music all night in The Fan.

Star Castle DIPA returns to Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Final Gravity Brewing Co. has something fresh on tap, and their arcade game-inspired beer, Star Castle, is coming to us this Friday for all to try. It brings together the spicy and the sweet, with tropical mango and citrus notes that complement its spicy side for a unique taste, unlike many Double IPAs on the market. It was brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops, so the brighter fruit flavors of a classic DIPA are present, but with an unexpected twist.

In the spirit of the arcade classic, Final Gravity says that “the defenses have been obliterated, so there is nothing standing in the way of you and this next-level Double IPA” — and on a Friday afternoon, there are few things we’d like to hear more.