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RVA On Tap: Ditch The Corona. Here’s How To (Safely) Support Local Brewers!

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Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s happening, craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s RVA On Tap, RVA Magazine’s weekly column for 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 craft beer, and we’re not riding out this virus without our favorite local brewers… but this time, we’re bringing them home with us. 

This week in Booze News, we’ve got fresh can releases, new brews for growler fills, and some creative ideas from local brewers. You’ll get all the best for delivery & pickup, in alphabetical order, to find your local favorites easily. Don’t miss out, Richmond, and continue supporting local business!

We’ve got pickup and delivery services from brewers like The Answer Brewpub, Ardent Craft Ales, Belle Isle Moonshine, Bryant’s Cider, Center of the Universe Brewing, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Garden Grove, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Lickinghole Creek, Starr Hill, Stone Brewing, Strangeways, Triple Crossing, Väsen Brewing Company, The Veil Brewing Co. and more. Stay healthy, and drink up!

BREWERS: If your outdoor spaces are opening at a safely-limited capacity, please email [email protected] with updates.

PHOTO: The Answer Brewpub

The Answer Brewpub

In to-go brews, The Answer Brewpub is first on our alphabetical list of local spots for carry-out purchases. The Answer also released a series of Quy Pham-inspired beers to honor their beloved friend at the end of June, so go show them support and spread the love where you can.

Check out their available brews and Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • KISSING THE LIPLESS HAZY NEIPA
  • PETTY MOSAIC SESSION IPA
  • BLUE MAJIK TROPICAL COCKTAIL GOSE
  • IMPERIAL MILK STOUT “QUY IS THE ANSWER”
  • QUY LIME PIE GOSE
  • NEW GUINEA VANILLA BEER
  • TASTED LIKE SUNSHINE DUST
  • FEVER DREAMS
  • THE VIBES
  • MURDER BEARS
  • NO WAY DOWN
  • MALARKEY TIPA
  • MILK CHOCOLATE CHUGYO
  • TACTICAL LAGER
  • QUAD MOTHER OF MORENO: MANGO, MARSHMALLOW, VANILLA
  • CONDRON DOUBLE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE
  • PASSIONFRUIT MANGO HONEY LEMONADE
  • KING ROBINSON COBBLER: STRAWBERRY RHUBARB
  • IMPERIAL 3 SCOOPS: PASSIONFRUIT MANGO PEACH
  • RUM PASSIONFRUIT PAINKILLER  

Don’t forget to add your tips to support their team when you place your order!

If you’re planning to stop by for a to-go order, the brewery is encouraging you to please follow CDC safety guidelines.

PHOTO: Ardent Craft Ales

Ardent Craft Ales

Ardent Craft Ales is offering curbside pick-up options and delivery. Beer shipping across Virginia and D.C. is available here. Locally in Richmond, you can Order Here!

Ardent partially reopened their beer garden last month, and hours are expanded to 12-8pm Tuesday-Sunday. They’ll also be serving food every day, so head out for a bite and a beer! Keep up with them on social media for updates.

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • SAISON
  • HONEY GINGER
  • IPA X
  • BOHEMIAN PILSNER
  • FLAGSHIP IPA
  • ARDENT PILSNER
  • PEACH GOSE
  • ELDIG BALTIC PORTER
  • EARL GREY BROWN ALE
  • BARREL AGED MILK STOUT
  • DEFENESTRATOR
  • DARK RYE
  • HONEST ADMIRATION
  • ITALIAN PILSNER

For pickups, park in Ardent’s parking lot off Highpoint Avenue, and give the taproom a call to let them know you’re there. They’ll bring your orders out and check your ID at your car, so folks won’t have to get out and come inside at all. These are expected to be available within 30 minutes of the order being placed, so shoot for that time frame, and you’ll receive updates from Ardent if there are any delays due to higher volumes of orders. 

For deliveries, drivers will come to the address provided, and IDs will be checked upon arrival. Be sure to plan for it — if you’re unavailable when they arrive, they’ll bring your order back to the taproom and keep it available for pick-up.

PHOTO: Belle Isle Moonshine

Belle Isle Moonshine

In more local craft drink news, Belle Isle Moonshine is offering local delivery (even same-day for orders before 2pm!) of their premium moonshine, canned cocktails, and more. Head over to their website to order here if you’re looking to mix things up and add a few cocktails into your evening brews!

They’ve just introduced Honey Habanero & Pineapple, the latest in their series of canned cocktails. This is the first small-batch, limited run cocktail to come out of Belle Isle, and this special recipe is available only to Virginia residents via their Online Distillery Store.

Check out the list below for a full rundown of moonshine and craft cocktails available from the local distillery.

AVAILABLE MOONSHINE & CANNED COCKTAILS:

  • HONEY HABANERO
  • HONEY HABANERO & PINEAPPLE
  • BELLE ISLE BLOOD ORANGE MOONSHINE
  • BELLE ISLE RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT MOONSHINE
  • BELLE ISLE BLACK LABEL MOONSHINE
  • HONEY HABANERO & PINEAPPLE CANNED COCKTAIL
  • BLOOD ORANGE & SODA CANNED COCKTAIL
  • RUBY RED & SODA CANNED COCKTAIL
  • SHINE & SODA CANNED COCKTAIL

Belle Isle also has merch available on their online store, so head over to see all the options when you order drinks.

PHOTO: Bryant’s Cider

Bryant’s Cider

Bryant’s Cider is now open! We’ve been waiting forever to see the brand-new beautiful tasting room (thanks, coronavirus) and we couldn’t be more excited to see that they’re finally able to open safely. Congrats on the opening, Bryant’s, and downtown welcomes you!

Order Online here if you’re still not comfortable venturing out, and check below for a list of everything available for pickup.

AVAILABLE CIDERS:

  • ECTO-COOLER
  • CRACKBERRY CIDER
  • BRITE GOOD
  • SUMTHIN JUICY
  • UNICORN FUEL (this one made them famous, so you’ll definitely want to check it out!)
  • CHAIDER
  • HELL HOP
  • PUNK KING
  • RED EYE
  • ARIES
  • DARK UNICORN
  • SATAN’S HEAVEN
  • TAURUS

Stay tuned for more info as we get to test out the new cider location, and support local biz!

PHOTO: Center of the Universe Brewing

Center of the Universe Brewing

Head to cotubrew.square.site to order delivery for their best recipes. You can place orders at (804) 368-0299, or via the website by checking “Fulfillment Method” and “Delivery” with your address before finishing check-out.

AVAILABLE BEERS & CROWLERS:

  • BEER ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY ALE
  • BELGIAN WHEAT ALE
  • BLACKBERRY CRYSTAL COTU HARD SELTZER
  • CHAMELEON IPA
  • MONKEY’S UNCLE LEMONGRASS TRIPEL
  • OAKY POKEY
  • OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE PORTER
  • PINEAPPLE WHIP
  • POCAHOPTAS IPA
  • RALLY CAP GRAPEFRUIT SHANDY
  • RAY RAY’S FRONT PORCH S’IPA
  • SUMMER MOON IMPERIAL RASPBERRY WHEAT ALE

Customers can park alongside the front curb and proceed to the front door. Patrons will stay outside, and COTU team will deliver orders to the front. All tips received will benefit the front staff during closures. Kegs are available, ordering via email at [email protected] for availability and pricing. Gift cards are available here.

PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Company

Final Gravity Brewing Co. 

Over at Final Gravity Brewing Co., to-go pours are available for every brew you could dream of: all you need to do is grab a Crowler. Check out their website and Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • #55 HAZY IPA
  • LUMINOSITY HAZY DOUBLE IPA
  • BIG SUR WEST COAST DOUBLE IPA
  • DOPPLEGANGER
  • DWARF STAR HAZY SESSION IPA
  • STEPPING STONE BLONDE ALE
  • WEIZEN UP
  • FIRE STATION 5 AMBER ALE
  • IRISH GOODBYE STOUT

Delivery runs up to 10 miles! For regular pickup, head inside to their bar. For curbside pickup, there’s a green tent set up behind their building. Call 264-48084, Option 1, to let them know when you’ve arrived.

PHOTO: Fine Creek Brewing Company

Fine Creek Brewing Company 

Out at Fine Creek Brewing Company, beer delivery is available! Check out Fine Creek’s website for a full list of beers available for pick-up and delivery, and find them on Facebook for updates and more information. Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL IMPERIAL STOUT CROWLER
  • HELLES LAGER
  • RYE LAGER
  • KOYT DUTCH OAT ALE
  • CUTRIS HONEY SAISON
  • SPICEBUSH & CHERRYWOOD NORWEGIAN FARMHOUSE ALE
  • AVEC FRERE 9 BELGIAN TRIPEL
  • MILK STOUT W. CHOCOLATE
  • WHEATWINE AGED IN MAPLE SYRUP/BOURBON BARRELS
  • MURPHY & RUDE MOSAIC PALE ALE
  • RAYGUN GOTHIC IPA
  • PARTICLE FALLS SMOKED IPA
  • DRY HOPPED WILD ALE W. HONEY

Be sure to keep up with Fine Creek on social media and at their website for the latest news from these awesome Powhatan brewers!

PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

At Garden Grove, along with carry-out orders, they’ve also started curbside pick-up for all their best brews. With your favorites like EarthTone, you’ll be able to order beers here and pick them up from your car to keep things safe.

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • FENRIR COFFEE STOUT
  • BERSERKER
  • EARTHTONE
  • CZECH PILS
  • GIVE EM’ HELLES
  • KOUSHMA
  • ROUGAROU
  • ARASSAS KOLSCH
  • FERGUS WEE-HEAVY
  • EVANGELINE
  • SYNTHESIS

WINE:

  • SUPER SESHYAN CIDER
  • GRANDEUR!
  • KOBOLD DRY-HOPPED CIDER
  • TYPHOON PASSION FRUIT AND MANGO HONEY WINE
  • PINK LEMONADE HONEY WINE

They’re keeping things safe, and encouraging folks to use curbside pickup to limit the number of customers in the taproom at any given time on to-go orders. Keep up with them on Facebook for updates. 

PHOTO: Hardywood West Creek by Chad Williams of Creative Visual Design

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Hardywood West Creek and Richmond locations are open, folks! The outdoor spaces have been re-arranged to allow for proper social distancing, and all us Hardywood fans can rejoice in the good news. New hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 2-8pm. First come, first serve! Find more information here on rules and what to expect.

If you’d rather still drink from home, head over here to Order Online. They’ll be offering awesome new beer releases regularly, so be sure to stay updated with them going forward.

Hardywood Richmond brews listed below. CLICK HERE for West Creek info & cases/growler fills!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • CITRAWEISSE
  • HARDYWOOD HEFEWEIZEN
  • TURNING POINT
  • BOURBON CRU
  • VIRGINIA BLACKBERRY
  • BUBBY’S BLACKBERRY COBBLER
  • RICHMOND LAGER
  • GREAT RETURN
  • HARDYWOOD PILS
  • HARDYWOOD SINGEL
  • VIPA
  • DOUBLE DOGWOOD
  • WYLDFLOWER
  • TANGERINE SUNCRUSH
  • SOUTHERN PEACH SUNCRUSH
  • FRANCIE’S LEMONADE
  • WEST CREEK HARD CIDER
  • HOPKEEPER
  • BOURBON BALTIC SUNRISE
  • RASPBERRY STOUT

Keep up with Hardywood on Instagram and Facebook for more updates, and make your way out to support!

PHOTO: Intermission Beer Company

Intermission Beer Company 

Intermission Beer Company is open! Masks are required to enter. Please check here before you head there, and be sure you’re up-to-date on their policies ahead of it.

Intermission is now open for taproom and patio seating, for 21+ only and no pets during this time (hold tight, dog lovers!) It’s first-come, first-serve, and it’ll be closed for seating once they reach capacity. Always remember to wear your mask and keep folks safe!

Order Here for delivery! To grab a curbside pickup order, call or text Intermission at 804-585-0405 and they’ll deliver any of their available beers straight to your car when you arrive. Beer slushies are now available, too!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • BEER SLUSHIES! Check Facebook every Friday to see the weekend’s flavor.
  • CONJURED DARKNESS
  • GHOST LIGHT LAGER
  • HATHOR GOSE SOUR
  • OATS N’ HOES IPA
  • OVATION HARD SELTZER LEMON
  • OVATION HARD SELTZER ORANGE
  • OVATION HARD SELTZER RASPBERRY
  • STRAWBERRY BLONDE
  • VIENNA CREAM ALE

They’ll deliver within a 5 mile radius of Intermission, and reserve the right to cancel any orders further than 5 miles away. You can check here to see if your address is within their range.

Check with Intermission on Facebook for updates as things go on, and catch up with them to find out more about brews on tap. 

PHOTO: Isley Brewing Company

Isley Brewing Company 

To-go brews are available at Isley Brewing Company! The tasting room will be closed, but beers on tap will be available for pickup. Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • SET SAIL
  • SHIP FACED
  • 6 FEET CLOSER TO YOU
  • OFF THE BOULEVARD
  • APPLE OF MY EYE
  • GOSE-BUSTERS
  • THE BRIBE
  • CHOOSY MOTHER
  • PLAIN JANE
  • PLAIN JANE STRAWBERRY
  • PLANE JANE BLUEBERRY
  • CASH AND CARRY CASHMERE HAZY IPA
  • RHIZOME SUN
  • I’LL BEE BOCK
  • ISLEY CZECH PILSNER
  • RASPBERRY RAZZLE

In orders, be sure to include your name, address, email, and what you’d like to order in four-packs, then let them know when you’re there. There’s a minimum purchase of two four-packs per order, and delivery charges will apply. A big plus with Isley: they deliver up to 5 miles away from the brewery — so if you’re located further out, it’s no problem!

Check their post here for more information on ordering, and keep up with Isley on Facebook for updates. 

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Multi-state shipping and drive-thru pickup now available! Get your brews online and Order Here from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s website.

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • BEAR BAIT BERLINER WEISSE WITH BLACKBERRIES
  • JUICY #21
  • WATERMELON GOSE
  • NINE MILE IPA
  • LCCB JUICY #20
  • ABSOLUTE COUP OF ENLIGHTENED DESPOT
  • NUCLEAR NUGGET IMPERIAL HONEY IPA
  • BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST IMPERIAL BROWN ALE
  • TEQUILA OAK SPIRAL AGED LA CALAVERA CATRINA THREE CHOPT TRIPEL ALE WITH LIME ZEST
  • THREE CHOPT TRIPEL
  • HEIR APPARENT MEXICAN SPICED IMPERIAL STOUT
  • MAIDENS BLONDE ALE
  • FRENCH TOAST BROWN ALE
  • VIRGINIA STRAWBERRY HEFEWEIZEN
  • ROSEMARY SAISON
  • ONE RIDE NON-ALCOHOLIC
  • SUNFLOWER SAISON
  • CHALLENGE THE BEAR BALTIC PORTER
  • TWELFTH NIGHT SPICED BELGIAN QUAD
  • VANILLA VIRGINIA BLACK BEAR
  • COCONUT QUADRUPLE ALE
  • RUM BARREL AGED CARROT CAKE IMPERIAL AMBER ALE
  • BOURBON BARREL & GINGER THREE CHOPT TRIPEL
  • REDNECK SOAP OPERA
  • ILLUMINATOS
  • HIDE THE DESPOT
  • HUG THE DESPOT
  • AWAKEN THE DESPOT

Head over here to Lickinghole Creek’s website for more information on policies regarding COVID-19, and catch up with them on Facebook here. 

PHOTO: Starr Hill Richmond

Starr Hill Richmond Beer Hall & Rooftop 

Starr Hill is also keeping things safe, with to-go beer sales taking place during abbreviated business hours. All of their year-round beers will be available, in addition to some special favorites from the brewery. Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • SUMMER TOUR
  • SAY IT AIN’T SOUR
  • CRYSTAL RIVER GRAPEFRUIT IPA
  • KING KUNU
  • NOTHERN LIGHTS IPA
  • RAMBLE ON HAZY IPA
  • STAY FOREVER ESPRESSO STOUT
  • WAREHOUSE PILS
  • CARLY CUCUMBER GOSE
  • CAROLE CRAN-RASPBERRY GOSE
  • FRONT ROW GOLDEN ALE
  • GRATEFUL PALE ALE
  • JOMO LAGER
  • NORTHERN LIGHTS IPA
  • PIXIE PINEAPPLE GOSE
  • ROXANNE RASPBERRY SOUR
  • THE LOVE HEFEWEIZEN
  • WILD HEART HOPPY BLONDE
  • 2 TONE VANILLA PORTER
  • ALL THAT HAZY IPA
  • CURRANT AFFAIRS BLACKBERRY CURRANT SOUR
  • EXPAT BARREL STOUT
  • HATHOR RASPBERRY GOSE
  • LIZZY LIME GOSE
  • LOOKING GLASS IPA
  • REDUX RASPBERRY SPARKLING ALE
  • WAREHOUSE PILS

+ More in cases! Check out Starr Hill’s website for more details. Full info with cases and more can be found here.

Keep up with them on Facebook for updates on hours and information, and check their website here for news on their COVID-19 precautions being implemented at the brewery. 

PHOTO: Stone Brewing Richmond

Stone Brewing Richmond

Stone Brewing Richmond is open for pick-up! This awesome East End brewery has had some delicious releases lately, and you can keep up with them on Facebook for updates on the newest brews. Order Online!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • STONE W00TSTOUT 2020
  • STONE RUINED AGAIN TRIPLE IPA
  • STONE TIKI ESCAPE
  • STONE IPA
  • BUENAVEZA SALT & LIME LAGER
  • DELICIOUS
  • STONE NOTORIOUS P.O.G. BERLINER WEISSE
  • ENTER NIGHT PILSNER
  • TROPIC OF THUNDER
  • SCORPION BOWL IPA
  • ///FEAR.MOVIE.LIONS DIPA
  • TANGERINE EXPRESS IPA
  • STONE RIPPER
  • ARROGANT BASTARD ALE

Be sure to keep up with their updated available beer list here, as supplies are subject to change. Drink happy, y’all!

PHOTO: Strangeways Brewing

Strangeways Brewing

All 3 tasting rooms are open for delivery, curbside pick-up, and to-go orders! Full order info including delivery charges can be found here, and be sure to check their website to Order Online.

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • SHIMMER & SHAKE SPIKED SPARKLING SELTZER
  • ALBINO MONKEY BELGIAN WHITE
  • ARNIE’S ARMY BERLINER WEISSE
  • DR. FOUDRE I WILD ALE
  • GINGERBREAD WOODBOOGER
  • GOURD OF THUNDER
  • HELLES FROZEN OVER MUNICH HELLES LAGER
  • MARTIAN SPRING HOPPY ALE
  • MURDER HORNET NEW ENGLAND IPA
  • TURBOGENERATOR
  • UBERLIN BERLINER WEISSE
  • WOODBOOGER BELGIAN STYLE BROWN ALE

Be sure to catch up with Strangeways on their website for a full list of beers, and for the most-updated brews available.

PHOTO: Triple Crossing Beer

Triple Crossing Beer 

Triple Crossing Beer has to-go and delivery options available, and can shipping is another brand-new option!

With Texting Can Alerts, you can text TCALERTS to (855) 918-2808 to be enrolled with all the new can releases and beer information available at Triple Crosisng. If you’re feeling hungry, they’ve also got food to-go, which is a great unique note for these brewers in particular. Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

Fulton

  • FALCON SMASH IPA
  • GROUND COVER DIPA
  • LESS THAN ALONE

Downtown

  • FALCON SMASH IPA
  • GROUND COVER DIPA

Be sure to check your locations and order here, as different locations will have different availability.

Triple Crossing is also offering delivery options, and thanks to a high demand, they’re able to keep supporting their staff while the taproom is closed. Be sure to tip your delivery drivers well, and help service industry folks get through these shutdowns. Head here to order downtown pick-up orders, and here for Fulton pick-up orders. Keep up with Triple Crossing on Facebook here. 

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

Väsen Brewing Company

At Väsen Brewing Company, Order Here for pickup and delivery!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • NEOMEXICANUS
  • HEFEWEIZEN
  • FREYJA
  • RADAPILS
  • ESCAPE CLOUD
  • THE SUNRISE OTTER
  • HATHOR GOSE
  • VELVET WALRUS ON RASPBERRY
  • EVERYTHING FLOATS ON PINEAPPLE
  • MEXICAN LAGER
  • LAGER
  • THE VELVET WALRUS ON VANILLA COFFEE & CINNAMON
  • WINDHOOK IPA
  • NORSE DOUBLE IPA
  • VANILLA MOONBEAR DUBBEL
  • GOLDENBEAR TRIPEL
  • CITRON SAISON

Check out the full order info here!

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

The Veil Brewing Co.


The Veil Brewing Co. will be doing outdoor to-go sales from both locations. Cans will be sold directly outside of the main entrance of our taproom under a tent in the parking lot side of both locations. Order Here!

AVAILABLE BEERS:

  • MASTER SHREDDER
  • DIRT DIRT NAP NAP
  • TORN APART
  • NEVER NEVER GIVEUP GIVEUP
  • ERODE
  • SKETCHY TRANSFER
  • FOR LOVE
  • HOLLOW PLACE
  • WORN
  • PETALZ: FRED

Check here for updated lists, as stock is subject to change as orders come in.

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! 

I Was An Eagle: Weekend Playlist by Deau Eyes

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

This week, we’re featuring an encore presentation of a playlist made for us by Deau Eyes, the project of Richmond singer-songwriter Ali Thibodeau. After months of anticipation and buildup, Deau Eyes will be releasing their debut album, Let It Leave, on May 8th. In a preview letting us know what we can expect from the album, Thibodeau joined RVA Magazine’s musical livestream this past weekend to perform the album front to back, solo style. You can check that out here if you missed it.

You’ll be able to check out the final version of Let It Leave just a couple of weeks from now, and get the full experience of Deau Eyes’ charming combo of alternative power-pop and classic American rock.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Palm Palm, Tour Life, and Richmond Music: J. Roddy Walston’s Latest and Greatest

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RVA #39 is on the streets now! Here’s another article from the issue, in which the artist behind J. Roddy Walston and The Business gets together with Kelli Strawbridge for a fresh look into his work on The Hustle Season Podcast. 

You probably know his business: now meet his pleasure. J. Roddy Walston, of J. Roddy Walston and The Business, has officially laid rumors of extended hiatus to rest with two new projects. He’s announced both a solo tour and a new project named Palm Palm — a hard-driving organic rock and roll formation with Charlie Glenn of The Trillions, and The Southern Belles’ Raphael Katchinoff and Andrew Carper. In their episode together on The Hustle Season Podcast, Walston sits down with Kelli Strawbridge to discuss tour life philosophy, the labors of fame and obscurity, Richmond musicality, and his abiding disdain for Americana music. 

PHOTO: J. Roddy Walston by Joey Wharton, RVA 39

Kelli Strawbridge: When did you form the band? 

J. Roddy Walston: I was 21, and I’m almost 39. So it was 18 years ago.

K: 2002. You got a lot of traction in the later 2000s when social media wasn’t a thing. What do you feel kept the band going? You got a lot of licensing, a lot of songs on TV shows — what was it, since Facebook wasn’t popular?

JRW: We used Myspace early on for touring. Facebook is so clamped down and monetized; if you were in a touring band doing everything yourself, Myspace was awesome. You could go to any city, search “rock band,” and it popped up the bands in order of popularity. Over and over again, [we’d send messages to bands] saying, “Love your music so much, Band A that we don’t know. It would be a dream to play a show with you.” We had done it so long through word-of-mouth and endless touring — being this nationwide local band. There’s a romance in that; if you can build your audience one by one, they’re yours. We’re these explorers setting off into the unknown. If I wrote a book about our band, it would probably be called You Missed All the Good Shows, because we were touring for about five years before anybody knew who we were. 

K: You were also before the “RVA Generation,” if you will. You migrated from Tennessee to Richmond. 

JRW: We’re old people [laughs]. I went to Baltimore, where I met two of the guys who became the band — Steve, the drummer, and Billy, the guitar player. Then I came to D.C. for a year after I got married. D.C. is not fun if you don’t have money. Before we went on tour, I had one pair of pants. I walked past a nail, and it wasn’t like “Oh, I have a cool little tear.” It ripped from my mid thigh down to my shin. I was losing my mind. I thought, “This is not cool. I have one leg of a pair of pants, and one short. I guess this is how I’m going on tour.” We were so poor. In the middle of that, though, the iceberg was starting to crack up; we finally had label interest. We were figuring out how to get to L.A. I remember having this feeling many times, thinking I was in the game, then I stepped past this curtain and we were in an infinite loop. It kept happening. 

So around that time in D.C., we were about to start touring, and it made no sense for us to have a place at all. My in-laws out in the West End had this cabin in the back of their property… There was no bathroom, there was a wood burning stove. It had a loft that we slept in. It was rustic, but it was amazing because we got to live there for free — and that was exactly what we could afford. 

K: So it wasn’t ideal at the time, but it seems the scene had changed quite a bit by the time you moved [to Richmond].

JRW: There were bands starting to happen. The first show I put together in Richmond was us, Trillions, Sports Bar, and Great White Jenkins. That was a fun show. I don’t even know how I contacted them… I ended up being buddies with all those guys since then. That was the foot in the door.

K: Your bass player was here in Richmond. Were the other two [members] here? 

JRW: They’ve [always been] in Baltimore. I met them playing in other bands, and said, “I’m serious about this… I’m trying to get in the van and go.” And they said, “Us, too.” That was probably one of the most powerful forces for our band — you hit the point where you’re not making enough to live, but you’re also not in town long enough to keep any kind of job. Then you just have to keep going. 

K: Did it ever feel like it became profitable at all with touring? Did you ever feel like it paid off? 

JRW: Yeah, in the way that four of us have paid our bills for the last ten years with it. But we’ve also had to manage our expectations of what bills could be… You start at 17, 18, 19, living in a crappy apartment, keeping a crappy job, and always hoping that at some moment, somebody will come along and say, “Let’s go on tour.” Then you quit that job and say, “See you later. I’ve stopped paying my car bill. Take it back. I don’t care.” And you just go. 

When I got to Richmond, it was the beginning of what’s going on now. That’s what was different from when I was in Baltimore — everybody here can play. That was the hard part when I moved from Tennessee to Baltimore. In Tennessee, you could throw a rock and hit a guitar player who’s probably also a dope drummer. And everyone can sing; church choirs breeding over and over again. I’ve never been the guy to say I’m the greatest musician in the band; I [like to] look around and feel it out, get involved with players I think are rad. I have a lot of ideas, so that was tough for me. [It was] way different from Richmond… it’s crazy how good everybody is. I’m still just an idea guy. The new band I’m in, Palm Palm, I’d rather not even touch something. 

K: Let’s get into that a little bit. I really dug the last record that you guys did, the J. Roddy record. I feel like you didn’t tour as much; you did promo, pushed it, and then you had some shows with Palm Palm. 

JRW: The first show of Palm Palm was Crowefest 2018. I’m pretty sure I got hit by lightning… One of the things I love about Palm Palm is that it’s so fast. I experimented with Charlie Glenn on a few ideas, and at that point, we didn’t know what the band was going to be. I was writing riffs with keyboards and talking to drummers from around the country. I had a very specific idea of who I wanted that drummer to be; someone who could play heavy and fast, but also funky. 

Glenn invited me to see Raphael Katchinoff play with Nightcreature. There’s one song Nightcreature has where he starts feathering his kick foot, and I thought, “What’s going on here?” We got together and [it worked]. He said his buddy Andrew Carper should play bass. We got together, and I thought, “Wow, this is something else.” It’s weird, because it is actually complicated, crazy music. It takes a lot to put that music together. We went to South By Southwest with one-half to three-quarters of any song actually written, then experimenting on the way down. We were making up words and melodies on the spot. 

PHOTO: J. Roddy Walston by Joey Wharton, RVA 39

K: This is definitely different from J. Roddy and The Business, so what made you [decide] to do something different altogether? 

JRW: It’s still developing. We were never making so much money that I would call us an “industry,” but it was our job. It was difficult to disconnect — “this is art, this is job.” I honestly think that artists aren’t doing their job. Art is not doing its job. Everyone thinks it should be making money.

It feels like in the social media age, success is popularity and making money. Kids change. I’m not sitting here saying, “Back in my day, we all liked anger. Why aren’t kids angry?” But also… why aren’t kids angry? There’s one teenager from a different country, [Greta Thunberg], sailing around going, “The world’s on fire!” and all the other kids are saying, “Eh, I’ve got Tinder and Fortnite.” Stop being distracted, and listen to the music that supplements your anger, grief, and anxiety. The awfulness of being young, alive, human, and aware of all the weirdness — that’s what I want art to be. Art can be celebratory and great, and positive too… but [for example], I hate Americana. I think the South should not rise again. Shove your flag up your ass. I hate this stuff. [Art] should be confrontational and pushing buttons.

That’s what I was getting at with Palm Palm. I think stuff should be risky; it should potentially go off the rails. If it doesn’t, that’s amazing. If it does, you stand behind the curtain. But if it’s not pushing you all the way out there — to that point where you’re just holding on — you’re just going to do what you do in rehearsal. I want this gooey energy to flow out of the speaker, like “Is that a saxophone? Am I just making up that melody?” That’s what I think rock and roll should sound like.

Interview by Kelli Strawbridge. Words by S. Preston Duncan.

Angelica Garcia: Latinx Pop from Coast to Coast

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RVA #39 is on the streets now! Here’s another article from the issue, in which Reggie Pace catches up with Angelica Garcia: Richmond’s Latinx star emerging for her widely-loved Latin Pop/Indie sound.

Angelica Garcia is a bold vocalist. Her voice — forged in ancestral Latinx culture and the raging kilns of danceable pop — commands not just attention, but motion. With more shove than invitation, and more strength than seduction, there’s a quality of anthemic pride to her sonic presence. It’s contagious, and you are not immune. Just don’t try to fit it into any preconceived parameters of what ethnic pop music is supposed to sound like. 

“I know this is probably just another stupid musician perspective,” said Garcia, “but doesn’t it feel like genres are sometimes like, ‘Hey, here’s another way to stereotype this?’”

While she notes that certain bands are more purist in regards to the genres they fit into, Garcia has found that less concrete adjectives are more effective to describe her music.

“I’ll say, ‘Video game. Nightclub of doom.’ Adjectives, nouns… [It’s helpful to be] more open with visuals when you talk about music.”

Garcia’s boldness isn’t limited to her voice. Her first album, Karma the Knife, was released by Warner Music Group. Shortly after, she decided to take creative control of her career and leave the label.

Here in Richmond, Garcia has been working with a diverse cross-section of acts including Russell Lacy, Mikrowaves, and Piranha Rama. Recently signed to Spacebomb Records, the visual artist, songwriter, and L.A. transplant is gearing up for the February 2020 release of her second album, Cha Cha Palace. For Garcia, making music is all about community.

“I’ve been doing a one-woman show for a while, just because it makes sense for traveling. But when I do play with the band, it’s awesome,” she said.

The band includes a variety of leading local musicians, including pianist Calvin Presents, aka Calvin Brown, as well as Josh McCormick on drums and John Sizemore and Chrissie Lozano of Piranha Rama on guitar and bass, respectively. With these musicians involved, Garcia has found a new “family bubble” filled with distinct voices. 

“Putting together my band was like putting together my own Justice League,” Garcia said. “It’s been great, and a lot of them have that same spirit and mentality of community, and everybody helping each other. That’s what helped make this album. That’s why it sounds the way it does.”

For a West Coast native living in Richmond, community takes on different forms. Garcia’s roadmap seems to hit all the stops.

“[My mother] was a pop singer in the 90s,” she said. “When she broke out, she had a charted hit on Billboard. It was a remake of ‘Angel Baby.’ [What] started her off when she was gigging was her tours of high schools. She said, ‘You totally need to do this.’ One of her friends worked for the El Monte School District where I grew up in L.A. We were able to set up one show, and once you have one, you can go to another school. It just became a big tour. It’s so funny playing for kids.”

Garcia played six or seven schools, navigating questionable sound equipment and audiences that were, at times, a bit less receptive than Richmond’s music scene. Some shows happened for school assemblies, and others were less organized — at one school, Garcia’s team sent a list of her equipment, and she arrived to find only one wireless mic. 

“The speakers were blown out. I had to go into the soundboard and hook it up in the auditorium, and all these middle schoolers were watching me,” Garcia said. “I was sweating so hard. That’s the thing; it’s like kids read fear. You can’t hide. Then, of course, the looper is so temperamental. It was coming out really crunchy-sounding, and there was one kid saying, ‘My ears hurt!’ [laughs].

“It’s funny because kids are so blunt. And whereas an adult would say, ‘Great job!’ Kids are going to say, ‘What’s that? What are you doing?’ And it made me think, what am I doing? I need to be able to talk about this. Why is it loud? Why is this important? But the ones that really cared, it was super sweet. And it was special.” 

Garcia says that playing solo shows, for judgmental high school students and the quietly-critical adults alike, has been a process of learning. She’s balanced her presence as a singer with an overwhelming ambition for musicality. 

“I want to recreate as much as I can,” she said. “I do have to be careful, because once you start doing a bunch, it’s easy to forget, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m a singer. And I better fucking sing this right.’ I’ve got to do a good job. When you’re worried about the feedback and and the loop, the sampler and the gate, then you’re not paying attention to how you’re singing.” 

With a European tour in the works and a YouTube video for her recent single “Jicama” steadily climbing towards 100,000 views, it would seem Garcia has found that balance. Not just between instrumentation and singing, but between the cultural backgrounds that comprise her identity. It’s essential, Garcia says, to all the creative work she puts out. 

“I started something called #WearYourRoots. The reason you probably didn’t see it more is because I’m not a very good hashtagger.” Garcia laughed. “It came from my song, ‘Jicama.’ It talks about a dichotomy — growing up in two cultures and having one foot in each world. I realized the reason I leaned in so much to my Latinidad, the Latinx side of my identity, was that I felt I missed the most of it growing up and living in L.A.” 

Always being surrounded by the food and the Spanish language in L.A., Garcia realized in Richmond that she felt lonely and isolated. 

“[I was] homesick,” she said. “’Where my people at? And also, what does that mean? …What does that look like? And what do I do, blend in? I’m from Los Angeles, but all my blood is Latina. My dad’s from Mexico, and my grandparents are Mexican and Salvadoran. But I’ve been in Virginia for almost 10 years now. They’re both home.”  

Her new album, Cha Cha Palace, which comes out at the end of February, lies between both worlds for Garcia. The album spans her experiences from L.A. and Richmond, finding a middle point in life that reaches each piece of herself. 

“A lot of Cha Cha Palace was piecing together memories of my childhood, and trying to connect with my grandparents, their lineage, and their background,” Garcia said. “It was also redefining what it means to be Latina; how do I delve into my Latinidad, what does that look like on me? I know what it looks like on my mom, my grandparents. What does it look like when I wear it? That’s an interesting thing, too — in L.A., I didn’t have to think about that. I showed up to the club, and everyone was there. It hit me that if I want to connect to my roots, I have to actively choose to be a part of it, connect with my community and create art to honor it in this way.” 

While working to reconcile these influences on her life, Garcia drew inspiration not only from her elders, but her younger siblings. 

“This is a really special record to me. The entire time, I thought of my siblings — particularly my sisters — and what I want them to hear. I hear the kind of music they put on the radio, and my sister Valeria is 17 years old,” Garcia said. “She’s so brutal. She’ll say, ‘I can’t dance to this. Not gonna listen to it.’ She’s heard all my demos first. I played her the first draft and she said, ‘Yeah, I need to dance to it more.’”  

At 25, Garcia isn’t consulting teenage relatives for youthful relevance, but rather out of a sense of familial responsibility. For her, the goal is that they’ll be able to put her music on a playlist with other things they enjoy, and that it uplifts them in the process, telling their story. As for the prospect of wider appeal, Garcia isn’t eschewing it. Instead, she embraces it in terms of a higher calling. 

“It’s such a unique and sacred opportunity that people get to hear your music,” she said. “They’re repeating what you’re saying. They’re singing along. To me, that’s a really sacred bond. So I kept thinking, what do I want them to repeat?” 

If family comes first, the chosen family of the Richmond music scene is a close second. Garcia sees Cha Cha Palace as the culmination of finding her place in the local community, and employing that community in a fuller expression of her unique artistic vision. 

“I picked everybody that played on this,” she said. “This is the Mikrowaves fam. This is the Piranha Rama fam. Even the restaurant fam is in here, from 8 ½. That’s so special. Making my first record, I showed up to this world class studio. Big producer. It sounds really great, but everybody he called in were people that he knew, because I didn’t know anybody in Nashville. So it’s very special to me that I got to pick everybody this time.” 

This dedication to stylistic direction is apparent before you hit play on the album. The cover is a photograph of the sprawling collage on her bedroom wall. 

“It started off as just a few pictures,” Garcia said. “I noticed as the album was progressing, the collage got bigger and bigger.”  

As a visual person, she loves textures — everything from picking colors to mixed media, and blending the old with the new. The pictures that line her room act as a metaphor for Cha Cha Palace. 

“The way this album was made, it was almost like a giant collage,” Garcia said. “Some of the songs were tracked in Eddie [Prendergast]’s shed. ‘Karma’ was tracked at Montrose [Recordings]. James [Seretis] tracked some, too, [at Virginia] Moonwalker [Studio]. It was done in all these different spaces; I started working on it before I was signed to Spacebomb. I officially signed towards the end of making it, and they helped me tie some loose ends together, getting it mixed and mastered. Up until then, it was like, ‘I’ll come after my restaurant shift, then I’ll come record at James’s house until midnight, then I’ve got to go. I have to work brunch in the morning.” 

As for what’s next, Garcia says that’s less a matter of direction than organic evolution. What’s certain is that it’s bound to be an honest expression of whoever she comes to be. 

“It’s almost like my spooky disco-femme self made this,” she said. “It was cool getting to be her for a while. She is me and I am her, and we’re very connected. It’s cool to have it documented, because I don’t know what the next version of her is going to be.” 

Words by S. Preston Duncan. Interview by Reggie Pace. Photos by Myles Katherine & Lauren Serpa.

Dusty Broken Bones: An Interview with Aaron Maine of Porches

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New York synth-pop act Porches just released their new album, Ricky Music. We spoke to them about the ever-changing nature of songwriting ahead of Porches’ scheduled performance at The Broadberry later this month.

“For some reason, I’m more thrilled to tour in my life than I’ve ever been.”

Aaron Maine, also known under the alias Porches, his New-York based synth-pop project, is releasing his long-anticipated album Ricky Music March 13. Two years after his last album, The House, was released in 2018, Maine could not be more eager to share his latest creation with the world.

Over the phone, he delved deeper into how his personal experiences, relationships and surroundings inspired his fourth studio album as Porches.

From his origins in Pleasantville, New York, and traveling a frequent amount throughout his career, Maine says his surroundings always influence his headspace while creating his music.

“I’m in Chinatown now, I moved to this spot after living in Greenwich Village for five years,” he says, his deep voice resonating from the other end of the line. “It was the first place I ever lived alone, so that was a big change of scenery. It might not seem like much moving less than two miles from where I was before, but it feels like a whole other city almost.”

Maine’s relocation had a profound impact on the themes and influences in Ricky Music, but he also explains that even the slightest change of his routine transcends through his songwriting.

“Even just making music in a different room is different,” he says. “My music is so close to my personal life that the smallest adjustment can make all the difference.”

Photo via Porches/Facebook

Although he admits that some of the songs are purely “fantasy,” what can mostly be anticipated from the new project is the essence of his daily life when the album was written. 

“It’s essentially a snapshot of the time period that I wrote these songs in, and it’s pretty autobiographical,” he says.

He even explains that the album’s name is also an ode to how closely Maine associates his music with himself.

“Most people call me Ricky,” he says. “It’s music that I make, and I think, for whatever reason, I was like, this is it. It’s Ricky’s music.”

In terms of his creative process, Maine says he writes often to be able to pick and choose what content best reflects his life at the time.

“Some artists will sit down and write and record an album in a month, but I write pretty much every day,” he says. “And by the end of it, I have this body of work to choose from and piece together the most compelling, as well as honest, collection of songs that kind of sums up what I was doing during the time.”

Even though the subject of mundane, every-day life is explored through this album, Maine suggests that even routine monotony can exemplify more underlying, complex emotions. 

“You know, there’s some of the typical things music is about, like romance,” he says. “But it can be as mundane as going to the mall and buying lipstick for someone you’re in love with, or being totally heartbroken finding that person’s hair on your brush.”

Photo via Porches/Facebook

Just as Ricky Music has acted as somewhat of a time capsule to capture this period of Maine’s life, he says he appreciates being able to look back on Porches’ 10-year discography to pinpoint the different phases of his life and growth. 

“I think it’s really special to have that all in one place, and to be able to look back and see the growth and tangency that went on,” he says about his past music. “You can remember where you were when you made a certain song or a certain album.”

When asked to describe the album in a few concise words, Maine knew exactly what to say.

“Dusty, broken bones; idiotically beautiful sunsets; grass stains on your jeans, blowing a big fat kiss,” he says with a laugh.

Porches’ new album, Ricky Music, is out March 13. They will be kicking off their tour in Richmond on Monday, March 23, at The Broadberry. Tickets are $15 in advance, and can be purchased here. [Editor’s note: in this time of coronavirus, all public events are subject to change, postponement, or cancellation. It’s a good idea to check for updates.]

Top Photo via Porches/Facebook

Let’s All Freak Out!! Coronavirus Updates & Pandemic Movies For The End Of Days

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Happy Friday the 13th!  Everything is good, and this is fine. As the River City gets closer to the inevitable flames of coronavirus, we’re here to keep you entertained during your quarantine. We hope you bought toilet paper. 

Welcome to Dr. StangeVirus, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Corona. While we all practice social distancing and cleaning everything in our homes, RVA Mag says, “How’s about we fire up the Hulu, Netflix, and Vudu, and scare the hell out of ourselves?” 

In all seriousness, we hope you’re safe and healthy. We’re sure you’ve been told enough times what to do, but in case you need more information, please check with the CDC for updated information on coronavirus, health tips, and safety precautions. Information on current cases by country can be found here, and local information from Virginia-related cases are listed here.

Now, let’s get to it. Below is a breakdown of some of our favorite pandemic movies. It’s certainly not a complete list, but it’s full of our favorites from the genre. We could spend days on just zombie-outbreak movies alone… but on that note, are you read up and prepared for the zombie apocalypse? The answer is no. Not in the least bit. Someone had to say it. 

We highly suggest reading The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, and you can download it if you’re too scared to make the trip to a crowded bookstore. Get your bug-out bag ready,  learn the best ways to fight, and take note of the great tips like “Blades Don’t Need Reloading,” “No Place is Safe, Only Safer,” and “Use Your Head: Cut Off Theirs!” 

On to the movies. Most of these are available for online streaming, and we know you’re going to be inside freaking out — so you should probably work on making some art. Keep those hands busy. But if you’re not creative, or you want something on in the background, get ready for RVA Magazine’s master list of the best End-Of-Days flicks to keep you company during the coronavirus outbreak. 

1. THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

A 1971 film about a foreign pathogen outbreak is one of our first big virus films today. This one started as a book by Michael Crichton, who you probably know from Jurassic Park. The film actually follows the book very closely, as a special team deals with the impact and works to contain it. Backed in science and heavy drawn-out plot, it’s a bit of a slow burner — but it’s also a wonderful film, with beautiful, vast scenes and an amazing set design.

This one comes from the set designer of 2001 by Stanley Kubrick, who used special effects and computer-rendered effects never used in film before. Overall, it set the stage for many films to come about outbreaks, and the serious effects they can pose if not contained. This may be a bit slow for some (cough, cough, millennials — cover that cough!), so maybe this works best as a background movie while you play a game or make some art. Make some art!

2. CONTAGION

Oh my god, the trailer. It freaks me out. So here we are… this film from Steven Soderbergh grasps you, and it does not let go. There are some great actors in this one, and Soderbergh is always able to get the best out of actors. This movie feels real, and it moves at a fast pace that’s set in the straight-up cold medical reality of what happens in a pandemic. This is our paranoid freakout right here, and I’m gonna tell you now that it’s not something to watch lightly — this is not your fun movie pick of the day. This is now: 100 percent, this movie will kick your ass. If you’re so inclined to jump in the fire, then this is a great baptism straight into it. 

3. IT COMES AT NIGHT

True story: I met Joel Edgerton in Ellwood Thompson’s at the juice bar when he was filming Loving here in Richmond. I had just seen him in Black Mass, and thought he was great, so I awkwardly said hello to him. I could tell he was surprised to be noticed, but he was really nice. Edgerton plays the father in this very dismal and dark film, which covers a virus that ends society as we know it.

We know a few things — one is that it comes at night. What is it? Good question. I know one thing: it’s fear. And this movie shows what that does to us. Like many other virus and end-of-days movies, we learn more about what fear does to humans, and how we respond, than about the virus itself. We want to say we’re heroes, but often we find that as humans, we fall prey to ourselves — and we let fear dictate our actions.

It Comes At Night deals with family, pandemics, fear, and panic — so it’s a delightful little film, and it’ll cheer you right up! I saw this film by myself in a theatre in West Virginia. I highly recommend doing that sometime, it makes you come to terms with quite a few things in the shadows. I really did love it, the actors and its pacing. While it’s not easy, I feel it’s a great film… even if it’s a hard watch. 

4. THE STAND

One of Stephen King’s masterpieces, The Stand is pretty topical right now. It played on TV some years ago when I was just a kid, and I remember watching it then. This one’s about a strain of influenza that has been modified for bio-warfare, and it causes an apocalyptic pandemic that kills most of the world’s population. This all happens in the 80s during the Cold War fears, so it plays a bit off of that, along with religious overtones throughout. It shows the breakdown of society when these things happen, and the emotional toll that it brings to populations enduring it.

This is a multifaceted story, told from multiple characters’ points-of-view. It tells of the deaths not directly caused by the virus, but by looting and vigilantism due to the breakdown and collapse of society. There is so much to describe, but you have to see it for yourself… this is one epic tale, much in the vein of Lord of the Rings if Middle-Earth was rocked by a virus that wiped almost everyone out. 

5. OUTBREAK

The feel-good movie of all virus movies here: Outbreak. You’ve got Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey (I know!), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Him too! Ahhh!), and a host of other people we might also have issues with, all in this film. It has cute monkeys and a few good scenes, like its movie theatre scene with particles of spit going into everyone’s mouths (yuck).

Look, in no way should this film be seen as giving you any good information. They do things you absolutely should not do. If this film were to take place in real life, Dustin Hoffman’s character would be walking around infecting people. And by the way, check out this ecologist from the CDC breaking down the pandemic scenes in this film on YouTube. Anyway, the good guys win in this one — because that’s what we used to want in movies. 

6. 28 DAYS LATER

Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic nightmare fuel is a terrifying ride into the virus-made zombie apocalypse. The trailer doesn’t really show how good this film is, so trust us that it’s much better than you’ll expect from this clip. You’re probably familiar with it — I would hope — but get the re-watch in, because it’s worth it. I remember the first thing I thought watching this was, “Wait… zombies can run? Well, that changes things.” This one is more serious, and to me, more realistic regarding what would happen in a real-world zombie outbreak. It’s both a political allegory and a humanist drama, and I think the best zombie movie ever made. It’s also a work of art: from its editing to its great actors, it has moments of pure fear and pure beauty. I just hope it never comes to this. 

7. CARRIERS

I watched this last night for the second time, on Netflix. It has Chris Pine, and it’s a great movie that shows what fear can do to people in an extreme situation. Even family. In a world where anyone you meet, and even the people close to you, can be carriers, what do you do? What if it’s you?

These questions play out in a tight-traveling group, with rules to keep them safe. But you know how that’s going to go… not good. Tough decisions sometimes have to be made, and who’s going to do it? At the center of this movie is a pair of brothers whose relationship is tested. The virus is a version of the bird flu that has mutated, and now it’s everywhere. Even the trailer is eerie in the context of our current coronavirus situation, though I would like to say this one has a hopeful ending. I guess it does, in a way. 

8. 12 MONKEYS

Another one you probably already know, 12 Monkeys has some great actors here as well. It’s a vehicle for Brad Pitt, and was the first time many of us thought, “Woah, Brad Pitt is awesome.” It’s based off of a movie I watched in film school called La Jetee, which is hauntingly-beautiful, and also centers around the end of the world from a viral weapon. In 12 Monkeys, we get to time-travel back and try to save the future.

It’s always fun with time-travelling paradoxes, and the complete mental loops that they make us take. This one is more neo-noir science fiction than an actual virus outbreak film, but it’s worth a mention, as it’s very good. The ending is so beautiful; I’ve always loved this one. 12 Monkeys is a great movie if you don’t want to fully descend into the virus theme, but want something great along similar lines to entertain. 

9. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH

This is based on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, a great and quick read. This is the old Vincent Price (full movie is embedded above), and it’s a bit slow at parts, but I really like it. You may be familiar with the story from I Am Legend with the Fresh Prince, but that’s okay — it misses out on many of the deeper elements. The 1971 Charlton Heston movie Omega Man is also based on I Am Legend, and it’s decent, but it changes many of the pieces of the novel that I think are perfect. This is, if you ask me, the one to watch.

So the basic concept here for The Last Man On Earth is a pandemic: it causes many people to become vampires, more or less, and it seems to conform to stereotypes of fiction and lore. Our hero, Dr. Morgan (Neville in the book), studies the vampires and gathers them during the day, killing those he can. He’s looking for a cure to save the human race. I don’t want to give away too much, but in the end, he finds himself being as much of a “legend” as the vampires he hunts. Like I said, this is one of my favorite books. It’s a quick read, and it gets into politics and humanity in similar ways as The Walking Dead, many years earlier. 

10. HACKERS

At the end of a list like this, we need some lighter fare. Yes, this movie is about a computer virus, but still… HACK THE PLANET! This is a fun ride, and it’s got a lot of future star power that we’ve come to know very well. A virus that causes a worldwide disaster — that fits right in. It’s a classic group-of-friends movie, like Goonies for the cyber age. It’s funny to watch now, looking back on the ways technology has evolved to its status quo today. If you need something a little lighter on the list, this is your go-to!

Well, that’s a good start. There’s a quick list below of others to check out if you’re still wanting for more. Keep safe out there, support your friends and family by staying home, and clean stuff, yo! 

Remember this important message from Brak:

MORE TO WATCH:

Cabin Fever
Resident Evil Series 
Blindness 
Black Death 
Walking Dead Series 
Children of Men (honorable mention for film quality) 
REC
The Crazies
…and all the other zombie films.