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The Changing Landscape Of Art

Mitchel Bamberger | August 17, 2020

Topics: coronavirus, covid 19, gallery 5, live music, live shows in richmond, music, Richmond live music

RVA Mag wanted to find out how local venues are surviving during the ongoing pandemic. In the fifth of a multi-part series of articles, we catch up with Gallery5 to learn about their latest art shows and live music online. 

For avid live music-goers in Richmond, one local venue is a particularly essential, one-of-a-kind place to see a show. Gallery 5, or G5 as some patrons affectionately call it, is a nonprofit art gallery, music venue, and community space. Rivanna Youngpool is the venue’s chief talent buyer and organizer, along with a dedicated team of volunteers. Youngpool sat down with RVA Magazine to explain how the venue is getting by, and re-directing their focus during the pandemic. 

As a nonprofit, Gallery 5 operates uniquely from private businesses, simply because profit is not the end-all-be-all goal. As long as the space curates events and provides creative content for the community, they are achieving their ultimate goal. Gallery 5 is a highly sought-after platform for local bands, and some of the most popular local shows in town happen on its stage — or at least they did before COVID-19. One perk of a multi-purpose art space is that when one door closes (in this case, the front door of the venue), another opens. Attention can be redirected to other creative outlets, and that repurposing is exactly what Youngpool and her team have done. 

“We haven’t really been focusing on music so much,” Youngpool said. “Through COVID, we’ve been able to re-think our operations a little bit, and also zoom in on the fact that we are not just a music venue. We are also an art gallery and community space. We’ve been doing things like Patreon, and we have a virtual art gallery that we’re taking submissions for.” 

The venue’s team has a keen ability to adapt with the times and pivot on a dime. Through Patreon’s crowdfunding platform, fans of the gallery are able to donate an amount of their choosing (usually monthly), helping the organization keep creating content. Rather than Kickstarter and GoFundMe, Patreon allows supporters to donate to general purposes rather than specific projects, like an album or a film. 

“We’ve been focusing more on our community work, our gallery space, and being present in new virtual ways,” Youngpool said. “Pretty much 100 percent of the way we were operating before doesn’t exist anymore… This has allowed us to open up new doors and experiences. It’s been nice to have this time to zoom in on that, because when we have shows going on, it’s harder to focus on the other community participation aspects we want to include in Gallery 5.”

PHOTO: Gallery5 Arts

The experience of quarantine and the pandemic varies greatly from business to business. A lucky few have been hardly affected, while some have had to change operations or close down entirely. 

Some businesses may save money on office space, realizing now that they work just as efficiently from home. Others may function competently with a fraction of their staff. Some may work with new safety and health regulations. With a diverse group of thinkers, curators, and creators, Gallery 5 is carving out a new path as well. 

During the great live music shutdown of 2020, the venue has embraced live streams as a platform for entertainment. Like many venues, these events prevent familiar shows in a new, virtual manner. 

“We’re going to do a new kind of virtual show. We have a Quarterly Variety Dive, and it’s a show with burlesque dancers, magicians, music, and different talents,” Youngpool said. The new variety dives are set to begin at the end of August to keep Gallery 5 in the public eye. The team has put together a few Instagram and Facebook live shows, but this will be their first ticketed live show since the pandemic began. 

Live music shutdowns have forced venue staff to think outside the box in new, unprecedented ways. 

“I had to think of every single aspect of walking up to the gallery, going inside, and every single step that somebody attending a show would have to go through,” Youngpool said. Gallery 5 will do live concerts in-person again one day, hopefully soon, but those shows may look different than they did in the pre-COVID era. “Possibly, we will work with reservations and do smaller groups at first.”

PHOTO: An art installation earlier this year at Gallery5 Arts

The pandemic will have greater implications, and possibly long-lasting effects, on the live music scene in Richmond and throughout the country. 

“Touring will look a lot different,” Youngpool said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the loss of venues in different cities. Not so much in Richmond, but that’s always a possibility — and a scary possibility.” 

Shifting perspectives for a moment, Youngpool focused on the impact that this time is having for musicians, and for people on an emotional level. There is sometimes a disproportionate focus on businesses and the economy when speaking of the pandemic’s effects, but on a micro level, many people are taking it one day at a time. Coping with this changing way of life has pulled the rug out from under many musicians. 

“I think everyone has been restless, not having as many band practices,” Youngpool said. “A lot of friends I have, and people I’ve worked with in the past, are definitely missing the community of music.” This community has all but lost its meeting places. They do, however, stay connected and check in with each other. Youngpool shared two opposing perspectives for artists, exercising the voices of both a realist and optimist. “It’s had a really rough impact on all musicians,” she said. “It’s also a great time for creating.”

The Gallery 5 team has also continued to work together during this isolating time. “All of the little projects we have going on have been pushing us along,” Youngpool said. “We still meet weekly, virtually of course, and come up with new ideas.” Their ability to adapt with the times has allowed the venue to keep pushing forward. “We’re [finding] new ways to engage with the community that don’t require everyone in the same room. I think that has been optimistic, and motivational, because we are still able to create space and community without the physical building.” 

This community space continues to bring people together as a meeting place for the inspired, enthusiastic, and creative youth of Richmond. Against all adversity, Gallery 5 has found a way to be a place for artists when they need it most. 

To support this cultural institution, subscribe to donate on Patreon, and find them on Facebook and Instagram for updates. 

Striving For Normalcy

Mitchel Bamberger | August 13, 2020

Topics: coronavirus, covid 19, Fuzzy Cactus, live music, live shows in richmond, Richmond live music

RVA Mag wanted to find out how local venues are surviving during the ongoing pandemic. In the fourth of a multi-part series of articles, we hear from Fuzzy Cactus, where they are looking to food and drink sales to help them through quarantine.

The live music situation in Richmond is a microcosm of what’s happening across the country as venues grapple with the challenges and risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each venue is unique, as is their struggle to find creative, sustainable ways to keep business alive during these difficult times. There is no reference guide for businesses to turn to for wisdom and guidance, and the independently owned concert clubs and live music bars in RVA have no choice but to take things day by day. Northside-based restaurant and venue Fuzzy Cactus is no different. Co-owner Drew Schlegel sat down with us to offer an inside look at the unique experience of what it’s like to own and operate a music venue in Richmond right now.

Part of what makes Richmond such a lively and thriving live music town is the diverse array of clubs and venues in River City. Fuzzy Cactus is relatively new to the local scene, but over the past couple of years, it has quickly become a destination for musicians and fans alike. Its vintage diner vibe, no-frills bar, and classic “rock-club” style stage and dance floor are standout aspects of this spot on Brookland Park Blvd.

Photo via Fuzzy Cactus/Facebook

One of the more appealing aspects of attending a show at Fuzzy Cactus is the intimacy of the shows there, mostly created by its modest size. Unfortunately, in the age of COVID-19, intimacy is not as desirable as it once seemed — quite the contrary, in fact. Being one of the smaller music rooms in town, with a capacity of around 150 people, makes live shows practically impossible under the current state-imposed health regulations for social distancing. So music has stopped altogether at Fuzzy Cactus. Thankfully, they still have a killer kitchen and bar. So for now, they are playing it safe, staying away from being a venue for the time being, and focusing on food and drinks, to-go orders in-particular.

“Fortunately we have a kitchen that serves some really awesome food,” said Schlegel. “We have a bar program that’s doing some really awesome frozen cocktails, cocktails, and craft beer to go.”

Plus, according to Schlegel, they have a bit of a geographical advantage. “In the neighborhood we are in, there’s not much in the way of to-go food in the area.”

Schlegel says that Fuzzy Cactus’s plan right now is to keep things simple and safe. “The safer we can be now, hopefully the sooner we can get back to some kind of normalcy,” he said.

Photo via Fuzzy Cactus/Facebook

Normalcy where the music world is concerned is of particular interest to Fuzzy Cactus, where nearly all of the staff are musicians. Many of those who work there play in local bands, and even occasionally perform on the Fuzzy Cactus stage on their nights off. “We are all musicians. We’re not just bartenders, cooks and people booking a venue,” Schlegel said. “We’re all itching to get out there, play music, and be a part of the scene again.”

Schlegel knows that the live music fans of Richmond are missing the dance floor too, perhaps just as strongly as the musicians. “I’ve heard people say how they miss seeing live music. They miss dancing,” said Schlegel. “They have that same look in their eyes and tone in their voice when they talk about missing it as my friends who are musicians do. It’s hitting more than just the artists — it’s hitting the whole community.”

As many have said about this strange and isolating time, we are all in this together. There are many different facets to the live music industry, from musicians and fans to promoters, booking agents, live sound mixers, lighting techs, stage crew, and more. All of these different aspects rely on each other to come together and bring the music to us. Without the opportunity to do so, we all struggle.

This is why, even though they aren’t putting live music on their stage right now, it’s a good idea to support Fuzzy Cactus and the other venues around town like them. For that matter, buy an album from your favorite band, or get some art from an artist whose work you enjoy. Buy a bag of coffee from the local roaster down the street. If we don’t do it now, they may not be there once COVID passes and we all try to get things running again.

Photo via Fuzzy Cactus/Facebook

Before the end of our interview, Schlegel made sure to let us know the best ways the community can support Fuzzy Cactus right now. “We’re focusing on our to-go food and drinks,” he said. “That’s really what’s going to help us keep our lights on and the doors open… is people supporting us by buying products from us. We have some t-shirts and some merch available online, and I think we’re gonna do some more over the next couple weeks. That’s definitely the best way to support us right now. We could use all the support the city can offer.”

To order online, buy a gift certificate, or check out available merch from Fuzzy Cactus, head to their website.

Top Photo via Fuzzy Cactus/Facebook

Nothing Left To Do But Smile

Mitchel Bamberger | August 11, 2020

Topics: Cary Street Cafe, coronavirus, covid 19, live music, Richmond live music, Robyn Chandler

RVA Mag wanted to find out how local venues are surviving during the ongoing pandemic. In the third of a multi-part series of articles, we hear from Cary Street Cafe, where owner Robyn Chandler tries to stay positive even as they remain closed for going on five months.

Cary Street Cafe is one of the city’s oldest continuous venues, having been a Richmond institution of live music since it was established in 1986. It has been owned by Robyn Chandler since 1995 and has been the central hub in RVA for local jam bands, Grateful Dead tributes, and an eclectic mix of other genres ever since.

Prior to the pandemic, Cary Street Cafe hosted live music seven days a week, and has a reputation around town for its Tuesday night open mic, which is often packed wall to wall and almost always runs into the wee hours of the morning. Cary Street has been a home away from home for many musicians, offering monthly residencies to some of Richmond’s hardest working bands. It is a small, intimate room that is one quarter stage, one quarter outdoor patio and two quarters bar. Any night of the week before the quarantine, you could rest assured, it was going down at Cary Street Cafe. Now, though, it sits as an empty husk of what it was just five months ago. The bar, kitchen, and stage have all been closed since mid-March.

When asked how they are surviving this pandemic, Chandler responded with levity. “I would say we’re not surviving; we closed down on March 15th, and haven’t opened back up.” She explained that some specific aspects of the space have left them unable to continue business in the way other venues and bars in Richmond have.

“Our size is so small and intimate — and then you add a band in the mix. It would be extremely difficult to make that happen,” she said. “Not to mention, it would be asking a lot of the employees to risk their health and open back up.”

Photo via Cary St Cafe/Facebook

Chandler is supportive of other venues in the city that have found ways to keep going by serving food and drinks, but she is skeptical of placing profit over the health and safety of the community. “I know some of the bigger places are doing live music, and I’m happy they are able to, but I can’t say I agree with anyone being inside right now for any reason,” she said. “I’m one of those people taking this very seriously. I also have an auto-immune disease, so I’m very susceptible to getting sick.”

Chandler operates a food truck on the side. She said she’d brought it out to Main Line Brewing recently, and that it almost felt normal, with live music in a big outdoor space, similar to the way Brambly Park is functioning. But the pandemic has even affected her food truck business. “Usually this time of year,” she said, “I’d be travelling all over the United States with the food truck to festivals.”  

For Chandler, the unfortunate side of the pandemic goes way beyond business. As a music fan, the loss of live music has affected her deeply. “It’s something I’ve never experienced in my adult life,” she said. “Almost no day went by in the last 25 years that I didn’t get to hear live music.”

This withdrawal of live music from her life has had a noticeable impact on her mental health. “I’ve been having bouts of gloom and doom and a little bit of depression,” she said. “I don’t know that it’s so much this pandemic as it is the disruption of not having live music to lift me up.” It’s a sentiment that all avid live music fans can relate to. 

Chandler sees the same thing happening to other people in her life as well. “Not just the musicians, but the sound techs,” she said. “Like Jeremy, who does the booking at Cary St – and thankfully he’s got his studio and other things going on. It’s so widespread. Richmond is known for live music and for bars and restaurants, and those are the people that are getting hit the hardest.”

No one was prepared for the pandemic, but things have been especially difficult for Chandler, who was planing to sell Cary Street before COVID-19 hit. “It’s been 25 years, and I’m ready to not work so hard. My plan was and is to sell Cary Street and just do the food truck,” she said. “I had a buyer for it, and the week of when the pandemic started, they backed out. And I can’t say that I blame them. Here we are four and half months later and not even knowing when we could re-open. Going into this business is risky as it is, much less in these times of uncertainty.”

Photo via Cary St Cafe/Facebook

The staff and crew at Cary Street Cafe is a close-knit group that cares for each other immensely. “What I’m most proud of with musicians is how they’ve thought outside the box,” she said. “Giving virtual music lessons, and all the different ways they’ve been trying to make money and keeping positive. Everybody’s been really supportive of each other.”

Chandler sees this as going beyond Cary Street Cafe to the RVA music scene as a whole. “We’re all in this together, and we’re just one big giant family in Richmond,” she said. “That doesn’t just mean the jam band scene — it’s all of us. It’s the punk rockers, and the bands that play heavy metal. I think everyone has been really supportive.”

Somehow, in spite of her business having been hit as hard as any business out there, Chandler manages to keep a positive attitude. Not once did she express animosity or resentment towards those businesses that have been able to keep their doors open. She had no air of bitterness as we spoke about her misfortune and the difficulties Cary Street Cafe is currently facing.

“I’ve always been optimistic and a positive person,” she said. “I’ve been through some crazy things in my life, and I always get through them, and always get on the other side. That’s how I’m tackling this — that it’s not gonna last forever.”

But Chandler understands the gravity of the situation and the impact of this virus on independently owned small businesses, and she candidly acknowledged the difficulties yet to come. “It’s been almost five months now, and with every month that goes by, it’s gonna make it a little harder to open back up,” she said. “That’s kind of a scary thing for me, but it is what it is, and you can only do so much. Nobody has control over this.”

Photo via Cary St Cafe/Facebook

Coronavirus has made 2020 an awful year for many businesses, and the music industry is among those suffering most. For an industry that exists by bringing people together in large numbers, live music is sure to be one of the very last sections of the economy to recover. The state of the live music scene in Richmond is likely a microcosm of the current American condition. It is a bleak and terrifying reality, one that may change the landscape of the music industry permanently, and with dire consequences.

Thinking of the difficulties ahead, Chandler couldn’t help but express some frustrations. “I do wish that our government… they could have done so much more to help the music industry,” she said. “In my opinion they have done almost nothing. There is the PUA for gig workers, but what about small music venues? No matter whether you’re open or you’re closed, those bills keep coming, and there’s no money to pay.”

Top Photo via Cary St Cafe/Facebook

Steady Flow @ Richmond Music Hall

Justin Mcclung | August 14, 2019

Topics: Capital Ale House Richmond, live music, richmond, Richmond live music

From the Heart of the Midwest, Steady Flow brings a unique style of powerful funk music like you’ve never heard it before. Formed in 2012 by 18 year old, soul guitarist extraordinaire, Tanner Brown, and his older brother, Ky “Goonie-Mom” Brown on bass guitar, the group has now transformed into a six-piece funk-powerhouse, quickly claiming their spot as one of the best live acts around.

In Steady Flow’s short existence, the group has taken on music festivals such as North Coast, Summer Camp, Phases of the Moon, and the list goes on. The band is constantly turning heads at every performance as their hard hitting Funk Rock compositions shake the room and force all audiences to dance, rage, & simply feel good.

Steady Flow released their first EP, “The Oneoff Sessions” in 2013, and their debut album, “Loud.” in June 2015. The band released their newest full length album, “Do You Like That?” in April 2017! Do not miss a live show near you. Steady Flow is “The Future Of Funk.”

BUY TICKETS HERE

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